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
We are not apart from the Earth—we are a part of it. Not something to own or use, but something we belong to. A living part of us, meant to be loved and cared for as deeply as anything else we hold dear.
#restoration #conservation #americanchestnut #chestnut #trees #trending
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“Conservation is getting nowhere because it is incompatible with our Abrahamic concept of land. We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.” ― Aldo Leopold
TACF is hiring!
We’re looking for a 2026 New England Restoration Intern to support hands‑on chestnut breeding and forest restoration work across our New England chapters. This paid summer internship offers real‑world experience in plant breeding, field research, orchard management, and conservation science. 🌱
Know someone who’d be a great fit? Tag them!
Visit tacf.org/employment/ to find out more information and apply!
#americanchestnut #internship #hiring #explorepage #conservation #forestrestoration
Building the future of our trellis orchard one graft at a time! After beginning to train Chinese chestnut trees onto wire last summer, Meadowview Research Farm staff are continuing that work this season by grafting and training American scion onto the same system. By training chestnut trees on wire, our hope is that the canopy is more accessible, making it easier and safer to access all male and female flowers from the ground. Grafting diverse American chestnut scion onto the wire will provide future access to trees from other regions. This careful process of connection and guidance blends strength, structure, and adaptability. #americanchestnut #RestorationInProgress #chestnutresearch #forestrestoration #meadowviewresearchfarms #ConservationScience
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Great work!!
That's a great idea and i hope it works for ya'll, Good luck 👍
At Heirloom Table Company, nothing is wasted and every table tells a story.
This clip showcases how salvaged American chestnut wood, reclaimed from old New England buildings, is transformed into handcrafted tables designed to become family heirlooms.
The full video takes a deeper look at the process and then introduces another local artisan who handcrafts Native‑style flutes. While the flute‑making isn’t connected to chestnut wood, it’s a beautiful continuation of the theme: preserving craftsmanship, skill, and tradition.
Watch the full video here: www.wcvb.com/article/crafting-heirlooms-and-melodies-in-new-england/70794861
#news #americanchestnut #wood #trees #explorepage
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We are beginning to see catkins on chestnut trees in our high-light growth chamber! By growing our chestnuts under 16 hours of high-intensity light, we’re seeing incredible results, including pollen production in less than 2 years. In the field, pollen and female flower production typically takes 5–7 years. This acceleration allows us to shorten breeding cycles and speed up tree generations, helping us select, improve, and scale better chestnut genetics much faster than traditional timelines.
#AmericanChestnut #RestorationInProgress #ChestnutResearch #ForestRestoration #MeadowviewResearchFarms #ConservationScience
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Have you sent out the seeds for seed-level members? I was supposed to get six of them; and in the past, they have always come in March -- and today is the 27th.
Is it possible to buy pollen from American chestnuts?
It is good to hear of the accelerated time line. Are these trees all genotyped?