Vermont / New Hampshire News
President’s Message Summer 2023
I’m reminded of John Steinbeck’s novel “The Winter of Our Discontent." This year’s field work became "The Summer of Our Discontent." We were anticipating Darling-58 deregulation, instead we got a nasty reminder of winter. The hard frost which hit all of New...
Planting American Chestnuts at Vermont Schools
On June 5th, 3 Rutland Middle School students (Donovan, Zaida, and Caiden), along with their two teachers (Mr. Bjorn and Van Sciver) planted a MEREDITH-2023 chestnut seedling near Rocky Pond in Pine Hill Park in Rutland, VT. It is one of 50 American chestnuts planted...
Pollination Training at Beaver Brook May 2023
On May 18 the VT/NH Chapter took another step in its strategy to build a team of trained pollinators who will be ready to act following deregulation of the Darling-58 transgenic American chestnut tree. The Beaver Brook Association (BBA) in Hollis, NH hosted a combined...
Free Membership With The American Chestnut Foundation for Students at VT and NH Institutions of Higher Education
Appeal to Students New Student Membership Application Form What is the most important tree that ever grew in eastern U.S. forests? American chestnut, Castanea dentata Why was it so important? • One of the largest trees in the eastern U.S.; measuring 6-8’ diameter at...
Man on a Mission
About three years ago VT/NH Chapter Board member, Tom Estill, from Rutland VT had a vision to have American chestnut trees growing at all schools in VT. That was thought to be an ambitious undertaking that would take years to accomplish. Tom does not seem to agree...
August 2022 Message from the President
A Message from VT/NH Chapter President Evan Fox With pollination behind us and catkins now looking like your grandfather’s used pipe cleaners covering the ground, lazy days of summer are here. There isn’t much to do in the field. Burs are growing, hopefully with...
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Join us tomorrow, Friday, April 18, 2025, from 11:30AM – 1:00PM (EPT), for the next LIVE Chestnut Chat.
Got questions about growing chestnuts or tips to share? Join us for the Chestnut Growers Town Hall! Whether you’re a seasoned grower or just starting, this event is your chance to connect, share insights, and learn from experts. Ask your questions on topics like site selection, soil nutrition, varmint control, and more. Our expert panel will answer questions and share their top growing tips. Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the chestnut restoration community!
Visit tacf.org/event/chestnut-chat-chestnut-growers-town-hall/ for more info and to register.
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Curious about American chestnuts? Love to hike and be outside? Want to meet other conservation enthusiasts? Come join The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) and Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy (SAHC) for an educational hike at the South Yellow Mountain Preserve in Newland, NC on Friday, April 18 at 10am!
Even though American chestnuts are considered functionally extinct, we are still able to view sprouts and small trees in our Western North Carolina forests and those planted and maintained by dedicated volunteers. Join TACF’s Regional Science Coordinator to learn more about how the blight has affected American chestnuts in this area and scientific progress toward restoration efforts as we hike to see two large-scale American chestnut plantings along a trail on South Yellow Mountain.
The hike will be ~3 miles long and guided by TACF and SAHC staff. This hike is considered strenuous, with a 300+ foot elevation gain in .4 miles and requires an average level of fitness to accomplish. We expect to be wrapped up before lunch. Please use this information to determine if the hike is appropriate for you or any guests or minors you are considering bringing. If you have additional questions about the level of this activity, please do not hesitate to reach out and we will do our best to advise you.
Those who register will be sent instructions for parking location and other logistical details closer to the event date.
This event is capped at 20 participants, with a maximum of three participants per household/group to allow for greater accessibility. If you have already participated in this hike please consider others who may want to come out and experience it! Spots will go quickly, so RSVP by hitting the link below by Thursday morning, April 17
You must RSVP to participate!
Visit this link theamericanchestnutfoundation.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/?id=90477
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Tennessee Friends! The TN Chapter of TACF is looking for help planting approximately 300 American chestnut hybrids and controls!
We’ll be planting these crucial trees in Flag Pond, TN, on Saturday, April 19th, starting at 10:00 AM until ~1:00PM.
If we are going to save the American chestnut, we'll need help planting
LOTS of them! We'll be planting one year old seedlings, using shovels, post-hole augers, and other hand tools. Come prepared to work in field conditions; wear appropriate clothing and solid closed-toe shoes (no crocs, sorry!), bring gloves, a hat, sunscreen, bug spray, water, and a snack.
RSVP Required - theamericanchestnutfoundation.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/?id=90486
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I want to plant some of these on my property. How do I make this happen? I live in North Georgia.
Hybrid with what ? I’m not going to waist time planting Dunstan chestnuts that would never exist in their native range . Which Hybrid are you speaking of ?
Where can I get some, I’ll plant them on my farm?
The growing season is now well underway at TACF's Meadowview Research Farms! Sown in January and February of this year, thousands of young chestnut seedlings are thriving in our greenhouse, where they will remain for a few more weeks before transitioning outdoors. Starting this month and continuing through the summer, we will be sampling nearly three thousand of them at Meadowview alone, and many more across the range, for genomic evaluation and subsequent assignment to different experiments and plantings. Have you planted your chestnut seeds indoors or outdoors already this year?
#americanchestnut #castaneadentata #americanchestnutfoundation #meadowviewresearchfarms
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I have 14 acres in West Virginia that were just select cut, how can I get some to plant ?
I would love to have some to plant on my farm in KY
Looking for a way to introduce the American chestnut tree to kids in a way that they will love? This book is perfect! @ebylundy
#americanchestnut #chestnut #restoration #conservation #explorepage #childrensbooks #teaching #learning
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Thank you so much for embracing this fairytale which teaches young readers a little about the blight and what happened to the American chestnut trees in a light and easy way. My primary objective was to bring an awareness of what happened to the American chestnut trees and offer hope of restoration to young readers. I also wanted to remember my late father (Bill Bear) who tried to do his part with restoring chestnuts trees. I did a great deal of research, and I learned a lot during the process of writing this book, but I still have much more knowledge to gain. Our family supports the mission that, one day, the American chestnut trees can once again regain prominence. We are one family of many who support the efforts of TACF.
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