Category Archives: Project Updates

What Happened to the American Chestnut?

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Kristin S.

Once upon a time, the American chestnut was king.

Some 100 years ago, this tree dominated the eastern forest from Maine to Georgia. It was the most numerous tree in the forest (one of every four hardwood trees was a chestnut). It was the biggest tree, sporting massive trunks up to 10 feet in diameter and reaching 100 feet high. And it was the most important tree, supporting every material need of humans and wildlife.

“At last when the tree can serve us no longer in any other way it forms the basic wood onto which oak and other woods are veneered to make our coffins,” said forester, P.L. Buttrick, in 1915 (Mighty Giants, p.67).

The American chestnut exemplified the cradle-to-grave concept, literally. So what makes this tree so useful?

  • Its wood—strong, straight, and resistant to decay—was used to build everything from homes to furniture to fences, railroad ties, and barrels.
  • Its tannin was extracted and used in the manufacture of leather and the dying of silk.
  • Its blossoms, beloved by bees, produced the sweetest honey.
  • Its highly nutritious and abundant nuts provided food for wildlife and people. Squirrels, bear, turkeys, and deer relied on nuts for food, and rural economies depended upon the nuts for fattening pigs, feeding families, and earning cash.

Blighted by Blight
Then one of the greatest natural disasters in forest history struck. In 1904, a devastating fungus was discovered on chestnut trees in New York’s Bronx Zoo. Within a few decades, the chestnut blight had killed over 4 billion chestnut trees on more than 200 million acres in eastern North America.

Today, you can still find chestnut trees in your local woods, but they are usually stumpy sprouts that rarely reach more than 10-20 feet high before succumbing to the blight. The roots of the tree continue to live and send out sprouts, but the tree will never grow tall and majestic like its ancestors.

A Path Forward
Thankfully, there is hope for the American chestnut. Last spring, Mass Audubon’s Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary became a demonstration site for The American Chestnut Foundation’s (TACF) efforts to restore the American chestnut tree to our eastern woodlands.

By backcrossing the American chestnut with Asian chestnuts (which are naturally immune to the blight), the goal is to create an American chestnut that is blight-resistant but almost completely American, with all the strong qualities of the majestic trees of a century ago.

Wachusett Meadow’s demonstration orchard hosts five young seedlings, several generations into the breeding program. These five seedlings may not hold the key to the future in their DNA, but their presence will raise public awareness about the American chestnut and restoration efforts. Come see for yourself: An interpretative sign at the start of the South Meadow Trail points the way!

Want to learn more about the American chestnut?

Photo: American chestnut circa 1910 Courtesy of the Forest History Society 

Saving Sibley

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Hillary T.

When you’re in the business of protecting land as we are, we’re often sending out requests for help. And when it came to the Sibley and Warner Farms property in Spencer, you heard our calls loud and clear. On Monday, June 4, we permanently protected the 350-acre property for conservation, farming, and public use, for all time!

What’s so special about this land? The former Sibley and Warner Farms make up one of the most spectacular undeveloped properties in central Massachusetts. Its rolling hayfields, upland forests, and wetlands offer clean water, productive farmland, and an abundance of wildlife, including otter, beaver, fisher, waterfowl, and songbirds.

Many people know the property from hiking the Mid-State Trail, hunting its woods, snowmobiling the Snowbirds trail, or just driving past and admiring the beautiful view of the pond and hayfields along Route 9.

The property seemed lost to development forever when developers won approval for a shopping center and 300-unit condo development in 2005. But then the economy turned down, the bank foreclosed, and suddenly the land had a second chance.

Along with our partners (Town of Spencer, Greater Worcester Land Trust, and Common Ground Land Trust), we needed to quickly raise $2.91 million. A tall order, for sure. But thanks to over 400 generous donors, the residents of Spencer, the Massachusetts Landscape Partnership and Agricultural Preservation Restriction Programs, and enthusiastic 7th and 8th graders from Central Tree Middle School in Rutland, we met our goal just in time. Now the land is safely and permanently in the hands of the Greater Worcester Land Trust and Mass Audubon.

Since June, we’ve barely had time to catch our breath. We’ve been busy preparing plans, obtaining permits, and beginning construction on the new parking and trailhead on Greenville Street that will serve not only the Sibley and Warner farms but also as the new main entrance to our Burncoat Pond Wildlife Sanctuary.

The dilapidated buildings on the site came down over Labor Day weekend; trails are being improved and meadows mown. And plans are well underway for our big celebration on Sunday, October 14, at 2 pm, which is open to all. Email us for details on the event and to RSVP.