West Virginia News
Allegheny Chinquapin seeds sent to Arkansas
Allegheny chinquapin (Castanea pumila) seeds from the Clements Tree Nursery in Mason, WV were sent to the Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park in Prairie Grove Arkansas. There are about 200 chinquapin trees at the Mason County site, and a small bag-full of...
Germination Time
Members of the West Virginia chapter gather in mid-March to pot chestnuts. In readiness for potting, the bags of nuts that were stratified over the winter in a refrigerator were checked in mid-February to see how many had radicals. In the photo, there is a wide...
Arthurdale, WV
Arthurdale is a small, unincorporated community in northern West Virginia (Preston County). It was one of 98 planned communities that were part of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. The town was built in 1933 at the height of the depression as a social...
Oak Hill High School Planting
A demonstration site, spearheaded by WV-TACF member, Dr. Lewis Cook, was located at Oak Hill High School beside the Vocational Technical Center. That site had been a previous chestnut planting that had not done well due to wet and shallow soil conditions. The Board of...
Harvesting Chestnuts at the Clements Tree Nursery in Mason County, WV
TACF's Mid-Atlantic regional science coordinator, Mark Double, WV-TACF president and Stephen Rist, OH-TACF president, harvested chestnuts from the WV state tree nursery in Mason County, not far from the Ohio River.
Rowlesburg Chestnut Festival
The 13th annual Rowlesburg Chestnut Festival was held on October 10, a bright, sunny fall day. Hot roasted chestnuts were sold along with hybrid chestnut trees. Jeff and Erica Kochenderfer were crowned Mr. and Mrs. Chestnut for 2021. Jeff and Erica reside in...
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National Facebook
We’re honored to be highlighted in this AVLtoday feature on the American chestnut’s story in Western North Carolina.
While the path to restoration is long, moments like this remind us how many people care about bringing this tree back to the landscape it once defined.
Thank you to everyone who continues to help this story grow.
Read the article: avltoday.6amcity.com/chestnut-tree-wnc
Photo curtsey of Audrey Snow Owen of PA/NJ TACF
#americanchestnut #explorepage #restoration #conservation #environment #nature #asheville #chestnuts
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Freedom seekers—enslaved Africans and African Americans who escaped slavery in pursuit of freedom—faced hunger, exposure, and unfamiliar terrain as they journeyed north.
Black History Month provides an important opportunity to honor the past while also recognizing how Black knowledge, leadership, and community continue to shape the present. From histories rooted in land and survival to modern platforms and outdoor spaces where connection and representation matter.
Throughout February, we will share a series of four stories that explore Black relationships to land, legacy, and community, looking at both historical foundations and contemporary expressions.
Read more about Freedom Seekers: tacf.org/black-history-and-the-american-chestnut/
#BlackHistoryMonth #americanchestnut #explorepage #chestnuts #BlackHistoryMonth2026 #restoration #conservation #History
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Hopefully they will be developing a mold resistant tree.
That's a really interesting perspective. I think a lot of woodcraft and other types of knowledge about the natural world, like astronomy, had to be shared. Also, marine skills.
Chestnuts?
January might feel like the quiet season, but at our research farms it’s already time to get growing. This month, we’re sowing chestnut seeds that will be used in upcoming research and breeding efforts. Starting seeds in January gives us a valuable head start on the growing season, allowing seedlings to establish early and be ready for genotyping in the spring and summer. Each seed represents an important step forward in our research, helping us better understand growth, resistance, and performance across chestnut species and hybrids. #AmericanChestnut #RestorationInProgress
#ChestnutResearch #ForestRestoration #MeadowviewResearchFarms #ChestnutSeedlings
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Does everyone's staff retreat include fungus, tree bark, and chestnut beer... or just ours?
#americanchestnut #explorepage #restoration #conservation #chestnuts #worktrip #staffretreat
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Does everyone's staff retreat include fungus, tree bark, and chestnut beer... or just ours?
#americanchestnut #explorepage #restoration #conservation #chestnuts #worktrip #staffretreat
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how do we get american chestnut seedlings to plant?
Great video!!!