Virginia News
Restoring Virginia’s Chestnuts West of the Blue Ridge
What: Restoring Virginia’s Chestnuts West of the Blue Ridge When: Saturday, June 7, 2014, from 2 pm to 5 pm Where: Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia 1290 Richmond Avenue, Staunton, VA The public is invited to an informational meeting June 7th in Staunton hosted by...
Central VA Branch Pollinating Season Field Trip
June 14 in Nelson County: Central VA Branch Pollinating Season Field Trip: Come see volunteers conducting controlled pollinations on large surviving American and backcross chestnuts. A guided tour will review over 40 years of chestnut research conducted here. See over...
Volunteers Mulch Mt. Zion Orchard
On May 22, a group of volunteers mulched and cleaned up the orchard near Mt. Zion. The orchard is one of VATACF’s breeding orchards. Photo by Highland High School student intern Jane Braswell.
Central VA Events
Central Virginia Flyer Link above for Events in Central VA This spring
Lecture: Historic Log Construction by John S. LaMonica, A.I.A.
This presentation gives an overview of History, Design, Structure, Details, Finishes, Regulations, and Maintenance of log construction, with an emphasis on the prominent use and characteristics of American chestnut wood. Jack is an Architect licensed in Virginia since...
Workshop on Educational Resources January 19
Please plan to attend a special Virginia Chapter workshop from 1:30 to 3 pm on Sunday, January 19th, 2014 at the Walker Nature Center, 11450 Glade Drive, Reston, Virginia 20191. We will be demonstrating many of the rich educational resources now available to educators...
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National Facebook
The restoration of the American chestnut requires both innovative science and a deep appreciation for the tree's cultural legacy.
We're grateful to see those stories highlighted in this recent news segment featuring TACF's Director of Communications, Jules Smith, and Director of Science, Jared Westbrook. The piece explores promising research into chestnut blight resistance and why restoring the American chestnut remains so important today.
You may recognize the closing quote: “Losing the chestnut tree was like losing a family member.” That's actually a quote from Dolly Parton, featured in our documentary Clear Day Thunder. Jules shared it in the interview because it beautifully captures what the loss of the American chestnut meant to so many Appalachian families. To learn more about Dolly's connection to the American chestnut and find out how to watch the documentary, visit our website.
Watch the clip, then visit the following link to see the full article and video: www.wbir.com/article/tech/science/environment/researchers-work-to-bring-back-the-american-chestnu...
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UPDATE: Since the announcement of Project Tamarack, many members of our community have asked about the future of the American chestnut grove at Clements State Tree Nursery.
The quote featured in this post comes directly from the Project Tamarack website and states that the American chestnut grove will not be affected by the planned data center development.
As we continue to follow developments related to this project, we remain committed to sharing accurate information and updates with our community.
Source: Project Tamarack FAQ
#americanchestnut #WestVirgina #clements #forestry
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The American Chestnut Foundation, I live nearby. We now know Tamarack is a different project further north. This site is the second phase of the Monarch Campus being developed by Nscale. Div of Forestry operated the nursery but DNR owned the land, which is in the process of being sold to the developer. I spoke to both of those agencies within the last few days.
The orchard is on the Monarch data center site, not the Tamarack site.
Feels like the entire USA needs to stand together to save the ecosystem. Same thing is happening in Driftless, USA. Our forest is full of butternuts, among other amazing, ecological wonders.
Recently, 45 students in grades 5-8 at Christ the King Church & School in Rutland, Vermont, helped harvest American chestnuts from trees planted by 8th graders back in 2019. Students opened burs, explored fertile and sterile seeds, felt the unique textures of the burs, and learned about the history of the American chestnut and the restoration efforts underway today.
A special thank you to TACF member Thomas Estill for leading this engaging experience and helping connect students with one of America's most iconic native trees. The students can't wait to roast them this week and experience that sweet starchy flavor.
#AmericanChestnut #ChestnutRestoration #EnvironmentalEducation #FutureForesters #STEMeducation
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Are they blight resistant?
I did the same with a group of middle school students in northern lower Michigan. I was able to show them both young trees I had planted and mature trees more than likely planted by pioneer settlers to the area in the 1850's. The same family still owns the land the mature trees are on. The mature trees look healthy and are all 40+ feet tall-must have been planted beyond the blight line.
What a wonderful thing! We recently had three biology classes at Robin Hill Nature Preserve. It was a thrill to see the kids asking questions, making sketches and filling their notebooks.
"American chestnut trees were wiped out more than a century ago. Now, new trees that are fungus-resistant are being planted at the zoo."
Read this article by the New York Times about a chestnut tree planting today at the Bronx Zoo, where chestnut blight was first discovered.
Click the following link to read the article: www.nytimes.com/2026/10/05/nyregion/chestnut-trees-bronx-zoo.html?unlocked_article_code=1.GVE.LAU...
#news #americanchestnut #explore #NY #forestry
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We had a chestnut tree in the yard of an air bnb in Washington's Crossing, PA.
They are hybrid trees, not full American.
Utter waste of time. They’ll be dead from the blight in 50 years just like all true Anerican chestnut trees. These scientists are creating hybrids because they cannot stop the blight.