American Chestnut Restoration in the Southern Appalachians

 At the University of Tennessee Arboretum we have a trail named “The Lost Chestnut Trail”. There are still American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) stumps on this trail that sprout shoots which die at about 5-7 feet due to the chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) which destroyed the majority of the 4 billion American Chestnut trees in the Eastern United States. These magnificent and ancient trees, up to 100 feet tall and 9 feet around, were awe-inspiring, the redwoods of the east coast, but with an added benefit — the nuts were edible. Join us as Stacy Clark, a Research Forester with the USDA Forest Service updates us on efforts to restore the American Chestnut. She is based in Knoxville, TN on the University of Tennessee campus where she is Adjunct Assistant Professor. Her research interests span the life cycle of the oak tree from the acorn to old-growth to the whiskey barrel. She currently leads research projects on American chestnut restoration and artificial regeneration of upland oak.

This program which is co-sponsored by Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning will be on Zoom and recorded for those that cannot tune in on February 22nd. The recording will be sent to all who register. Closed captions are available. Please contact UT Arboretum Education Coordinator, Michelle Campanis. with any registration issues mcampani@utk.edu