West Virginia News
Spring potting of nuts in 2021
Members of the WV chapter gathered on 13 March at the West Virginia University greenhouse to pot up about 900 nuts. The volunteers worked in three groups of four and the task was accomplished in about three hours. Many thanks to those who volunteered: Janis Boury,...
Good and Bad
When posting images of chestnut, we all love great-looking seedlings or trees. They help promote the work of TACF. However, there are also pictures that depict less than ideal images. These are two images, representing the good and the bad. The picture of a dead...
New plantings in West Virginia
These are two of many new 2020 plantings of backcross chestnuts in West Virginia. These two plantings are in the eastern panhandle in Jefferson and Mineral Counties.
Potting chestnuts in Morgantown
A group of 13 volunteers gathered at the greenhouse on the campus of West Virginia University to pot about 400 chestnuts, including backcross chestnuts from Meadowview, American chestnuts from West Virginia and Maryland and some miscellaneous open-pollinated nuts from...
Nuts germinating in January
Chestnuts that were placed in cold storage the last week of September 2019 are beginning to germinate in mid-January. If you have nuts in cold storage, now is a good time to check for mold and also to see if some of the nuts are beginning to put out a radical.
Fort New Salem
Sam Muncy, WV-TACF treasurer and Sharon Reeves Cottrill, roasted chestnuts at the Spirit of Christmas Festival at Fort New Salem in Salem, WV. Sam stated that more than 75% of the people who attended the festival tasted chestnuts for the very first time.
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National Facebook
Today was the last day of controlled pollinations in the southern region. Many thanks to the NC/SC Chapter members who came out to help!
8 CommentsComment on Facebook
Thank you for your hard work!
I'm in south Arkansas. We had miniature Chestnut call chink a pin which got wiped out in the 50s. I have found two this spring 2025. They are small.
Hello, is this a chestnut tree?
This summer, we’re aiming to produce 1,000 hand-pollinated nuts for our genomic-assisted breeding program, and each one is a vital step toward restoring the American chestnut.
Producing a single nut takes time, tools, and teamwork. From pollination to harvest, every step is a vital part of the process to ensure that each nut has the best chance possible to grow into a more blight-resistant tree.
Here’s what goes into a single $25 nut:
Pollination Bag: $5
Hand Pollination Process: $5
Harvesting the Nut: $5
Shucking & Storing: $5
Equipment & Fuel: $5
Total per Nut: $25
By supporting just one nut, you’re helping us bring the American chestnut back to our forests. Support a handful, and you’re helping to rebuild an entire ecosystem.
This nutty campaign only runs from June 3 to 23, and we’ve got 1,000 nuts to grow. Join us!
support.tacf.org/nuts
7 CommentsComment on Facebook
Howdy. He have four American Chestnuts together, growing opposite of several Chinese. They are about 20 years old. An interesting study.
Can you advise on the percentage of success of these nuts to generating a nut producing tree? I’m working on restoring 80 acres and would like to attempt to have some American dominant gene trees on the property that produce nuts but don’t want to take the risk of $100 for four nuts to only find out the percentage of success is still relatively small. Sorry for the likely noob question
Would the Chestnut tree grow well in the upper Midwest?
There are two work opportunities on June 7, 2025 for members of the WV Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation.
The first is at the U.S. Forest Service property at 459 Nursery Bottom Road, Parsons. Work will begin at 10:00AM at the 'American Chestnut' sign. We will lay out spots for a 100-tree orchard that will be planted next spring. We also will weed the existing orchard and conduct other miscellaneous tasks. Bring gloves, water and lunch. A bathroom is available.
The second opportunity is at Jennings Randolph Lake north of Elk Garden in Mineral County. Forty American chestnut trees will be planted at the Roger Craig campground. Work will begin at 9:00 am. Bring gloves, water and a snack. This work is conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
If you are available to assist at either of these two work sites, it will be much appreciated.
0 CommentsComment on Facebook
What an incredible tree the American chestnut was! As The American Chestnut Foundations continues its decades-long work to restore this species, we welcome you to join the cause!
Become a member, volunteer with your local chapter, or simply spread the word about this incredible tree. Visit support.tacf.org/membership to get started.
25 CommentsComment on Facebook
They can bring back a dead wolf from hundreds of years ago but they won’t bring back something useful like the American chestnut
I still have the audubon society, saying my chestnut tree, horse chestnut, has the largest girth in the state of michigan... The tree is gone, but the stump is still standing there.Proud.
And they are all gone because of humans