Virginia News
Buy a Turkey, Help TACF!
Wondering where to buy your Christmas turkey? We've got the answer! This year Gentle Harvest, a wholesaler and retailer of locally grown, humane, and organic foods in Marshall, VA, has partnered with TACF to raise awareness about the American chestnut tree, thanks in...
Ceremonial Trees Planted at Boxerwood
Two blight-resistant American chestnut trees were recently planted at the beautiful preserve at Boxerwood in Lexington, Virginia. The trees, which now measure about 18 inches in height, will grow to more than 50 feet over the years. The Boxerwood press release...
Linda Duncan’s Art Chosen for Master Naturalist 2019 Pin
It's with pride that we report that Linda Duncan's watercolor of the American chestnut bur was chosen for use on the Virginia Master Naturalist 2019 recertification pin. Each year, the VMN program creates a special recertification pin to recognize those volunteers...
Garden Club Exhibit a Success
Virginia TACF staffed a combined exhibit with Mill Mountain Garden Club at the Garden Club of America meeting in Roanoke on October 9-11. The Mill Mountain Garden Club has 100 members in the Roanoke Valley. The meeting was attended by nearly 100 members from all over...
Progress Harvesting Orchards!
Good news! We are almost finished with harvesting backcross orchards in Virginia. Fortunes Cove was loaded with burs; the same was true with the orchard at Blandy and a few of the others. Soon we’ll focus our efforts on harvesting wild Americans. This is a chance...
Bur Collection Time: Volunteers Needed!
We’re looking for volunteer chestnut lovers to help bring in this year’s nuts. If you haven't harvested before, here's all it entails. Someone climbs up the ladder and pushes the burs off. People on the ground chase down the burs and put them in bags. Except at...
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National Facebook
Lesesne State Forest is 422 acres, and lies next to Three Ridges Wilderness Area in Nelson County, VA. TACF and VA Department of Forestry partner in managing and breeding chestnuts here for restoration. TACF hosted our partners and national board members on a tour of the orchard in mid-November.
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This beautiful state forest is a must-visit for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts!
Cool. I planted 56 Dunstan chestnuts on Nov. 3 in damp peat moss. I have to transfer to potting soil soon, they're all sprouting. And I mean it looks like every single nut has germinated.
Going here for the first time, seeing all the big American Chestnuts and also watching Bill Deeter 's videos and pictures of his trees convinced me that it is possible to breed resistance into American chestnuts! We got this folks
We’re on the Naturally Scott Podcast!
Our President & CEO sat down with Scott to talk about the past, present, and future of the American chestnut — from its historic role in Appalachia to the cutting-edge science driving restoration today.
- Why the roots never died
- The cutting-edge science behind restoration
- Why volunteers and donors are leading this effort
Watch the full episode now and join us in bringing back America’s iconic tree:
www.youtube.com/@NaturallyScott
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/naturallyscott/id1830513032
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🐛 Large silk moth caterpillar native to North America, not a threatened species fairly common *but beautiful.
🌳 Tree is a wild American chestnut planted for a PRR fungicide trial in Clemson, SC.
Photo credit: Celeste Giles, Research Associate with the Plant and Environment Sciences Department at Clemson
#americanchestnut #explore #nature #bugs #chestnuts #caterpillar
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Can you tell us more about the PRR fungicide trial?
So cool. Curious if the funguscide harms the catepillar and insects?
Speaking of threat, our local university has discovered the chestnut weevil is not extinct as was thought. www.actionnews5.com/2025/12/08/uofm-researchers-rediscover-weevil-believed-be-extinct-thanks-phot...
In celebration of GivingTuesday, TACF’s Board of Directors and President & CEO Michael Goergen came together to issue a matching gift challenge. The original goal was $5,000, but because of their collective passion and generosity a total of $18,125 has been raised, making the impact of your gift even greater. If that amount is reached, it will double to $36,250! Visit the link in our bio to donate.
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Join the VA chapter for a science presentation, orchard tour and seed give away! This meeting is open to the public and will take place on December 6th at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve from 1pm-4pm.
Stop by and get some free wild-type American chestnut seeds!
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What kind of American chestnut seeds?
Very cool! Have fun everyone who can go!
their is one kind only