The Carolinas Chapter

Upcoming Events

Our Mission

The mission of the Carolinas Chapter is to assist in the work of The American Chestnut Foundation in bringing about a revival and a renewal of the American chestnut tree as a prominent part of the forests of the United States of America by strengthening the organization’s financial and membership base, education, public awareness, and research activities.

Once there were over four billion American chestnut trees in the United States. One out of every four trees in the Appalachian forests was a chestnut! From Maine to Mississippi, American chestnut trees thrived and matured as the dominant species, towering over their neighbors the oaks, hickories, and tulip poplars. And they were huge. One tree near Waynesville, NC, was over 17 feet in diameter — 53 feet in circumference!

Foresters called the American Chestnut “the most useful tree in the woods”,because it provided abundant food for wild animals and livestock, a cash crop for mountain farmers, a light, yellow-colored wood for furniture, and rot-resistant lumber for fences, utility poles, and siding.

In 1904 the chestnut blight disease, caused by an Asian fungus Cryphonectria parasitica, was discovered in the Bronx Zoo of New York City. The blight spread quickly by air and on the bodies of insects, birds, and animals.

By the 1930´s, almost all the mature chestnut trees in the Carolinas were dying back to their roots. Thanks to soil organisms, however, many of the roots remain alive, sending up small sprouts that constantly die back from the blight even today.

Now, with an approach called backcross breeding, the American Chestnut Foundation and its Carolinas Chapter are working to revive this great King of the Forest. Within a decade, we expect to have blight-resistant trees ready for testing in North and South Carolina. It is our hope and expectation that the American chestnut will resume its place as a significant species in our forests. The members of the Carolinas Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation are heavily involved in reaching this goal: finding surviving trees, pollinating them, harvesting seed, and planting orchards for eventual reforestation. We sincerely appreciate the dedication, hard work, and enthusiasm of our members and ask you to join us in our efforts to save this great tree.

Carolinas Chapter Board of Directors

Doug Gillis, Charlotte, NC, President
Peggy MacDonald, Leicester, NC, Vice President
Betsy Gamber, Mebane, NC, Secretary-Treasurer
Haiying Liang, Clemson, SC, Membership and Outreach Officer

Nate Osborne, Leicester, NC
Shan Swartz, Asheville, NC
Jon Taylor, Asheville, NC

 

 

Carolinas Chapter Website Administrator

Kimberly Greenway, Asheville NC

 

The Carolinas Chapter Menu

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Ask away!

Our April 19 Chestnut Chat will provide detailed instructions on how to grow chestnuts. But we need to hear your questions so we know what to cover!

Please add your questions in the comments below and we will do our best to cover them all in the April Chestnut Chat.

Remember there are no dumb questions! We encourage everybody, from complete beginners to seasoned pros, to join in.

Let's grow some chestnuts!

Can't wait for an answer? Check out our Growing Chestnuts page in the meantime at tacf.org/growing-chestnuts
... See MoreSee Less

Ask away!

Our April 19 Chestnut Chat will provide detailed instructions on how to grow chestnuts. But we need to hear your questions so we know what to cover!

Please add your questions in the comments below and we will do our best to cover them all in the April Chestnut Chat.

Remember there are no dumb questions! We encourage everybody, from complete beginners to seasoned pros, to join in.

Lets grow some chestnuts!

Cant wait for an answer? Check out our Growing Chestnuts page in the meantime at https://tacf.org/growing-chestnuts

6 CommentsComment on Facebook

Where can we find seedlings? Seeds?

What is a good fertilizer to use for them!

we would love to grow them haven't had them since england as a girl x

I have 3 Dunstan Chestnuts planted for a few years but I want an American-Chinese Chestnut hybrid that is 75% or more genetically American Chestnut. Is there such chestnut hybrids available commercially (meaning 2 or 3 for my yard, I’m not starting a chestnut orchard) and if so, where?

What other kind of trees or vegetation should they NOT be plant near?

Best place to source from.

View more comments

Did you know that TACF has 16 state chapters? They each host a variety of events over the year and here are some that are coming up soon.

Visit our events calendar for more information on these and other TACF happenings. tacf.org/events/category/tacf/
... See MoreSee Less

Did you know that TACF has 16 state chapters? They each host a variety of events over the year and here are some that are coming up soon. 

Visit our events calendar for more information on these and other TACF happenings. https://tacf.org/events/category/tacf/

Thank you to everyone who attended a 40th Anniversary Celebration with their local chapter of TACF.

Top photo: Attendees of the TN Chapter Annual Meeting and 40th Anniversary Celebration, which took place at Cheekwood Estate and Gardens.

Bottom photo: Attendees of the AL Chapter post-meeting enjoying some brews.

To read more about these and many other TACF happenings, visit the link to read our most recent eSprout newsletter. myemail.constantcontact.com/March-2024-eSprout--Documentary-Wins-an-Award--Domain-Change--Plantin...
... See MoreSee Less

Thank you to everyone who attended a 40th Anniversary Celebration with their local chapter of TACF. 

Top photo: Attendees of the TN Chapter Annual Meeting and 40th Anniversary Celebration, which took place at Cheekwood Estate and Gardens.

Bottom photo: Attendees of the AL Chapter post-meeting enjoying some brews. 

To read more about these and many other TACF happenings, visit the link to read our most recent eSprout newsletter. https://myemail.constantcontact.com/March-2024-eSprout--Documentary-Wins-an-Award--Domain-Change--Planting-Resources--TACF-News--Featured-Photo--Chapter-News.html?soid=1106103828995&aid=M8kn7e4P1A4

Thanks to everybody who joined us Tuesday for an American chestnut demonstration planting with Jamie Van Clief (TACF Regional Science Coordinator) and Jon Taylor (chestnut enthusiast extraordinaire) at West Asheville Park's edible garden in Asheville, NC!

To find a planting event near you, vist tacf.org/events (link in bio)
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1 CommentComment on Facebook

Are those the 18-20’s from the TVA plot? Good use for them, glad to see

🎥 Have you seen the award-winning chestnut documentary yet? 🌰

Many thanks to all who came out to the screening of Clear Day Thunder: Rescuing the American Chestnut at Asheville Pizza & Brewing on Tuesday night.

Fun fact: The only two people in this photo with their backs to the screen are Jamie Van Clief and Jared Westbrook, TACF's Southern Regional Outreach Coordinator and TACF's Director of Science, both of whom are featured in the film and are probably sick of watching themselves 😎

Want to see this inspirational film yourself? Find a screening near you here: rescuingtheamericanchestnut.com/screenings
... See MoreSee Less

🎥 Have you seen the award-winning chestnut documentary yet? 🌰

Many thanks to all who came out to the screening of Clear Day Thunder: Rescuing the American Chestnut at Asheville Pizza & Brewing on Tuesday night.

Fun fact: The only two people in this photo with their backs to the screen are Jamie Van Clief and Jared Westbrook, TACFs Southern Regional Outreach Coordinator and TACFs Director of Science, both of whom are featured in the film and are probably sick of watching themselves 😎

Want to see this inspirational film yourself? Find a screening near you here: https://rescuingtheamericanchestnut.com/screenings

1 CommentComment on Facebook

I’d love to go to a screening, but there are apparently none planned for anywhere Northern Virginia where I live.. we can’t make it available to TACF members via the website?

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