{"id":963,"date":"2012-12-12T09:16:19","date_gmt":"2012-12-12T13:16:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.massaudubon.org\/blogs\/yourgreatoutdoors\/?p=963"},"modified":"2012-12-12T09:16:19","modified_gmt":"2012-12-12T13:16:19","slug":"what-happened-to-the-american-chestnut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/what-happened-to-the-american-chestnut\/","title":{"rendered":"What Happened to the American Chestnut?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/09\/06-Small-Chestnut-Giants-Great-Smokey-Mountains-Western-North-Carolina-c-1910-Courtesy-of-the-Forest-History-Society-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-971\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/09\/06-Small-Chestnut-Giants-Great-Smokey-Mountains-Western-North-Carolina-c-1910-Courtesy-of-the-Forest-History-Society-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"302\" height=\"388\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/09\/06-Small-Chestnut-Giants-Great-Smokey-Mountains-Western-North-Carolina-c-1910-Courtesy-of-the-Forest-History-Society-2.jpg 336w, https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2012\/09\/06-Small-Chestnut-Giants-Great-Smokey-Mountains-Western-North-Carolina-c-1910-Courtesy-of-the-Forest-History-Society-2-233x300.jpg 233w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 302px) 100vw, 302px\" \/><\/a>Once upon a time, the American chestnut was king.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt 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,\u201d said\u00a0forester, P.L. Buttrick, in 1915\u00a0(<em>Mighty Giants,<\/em>\u00a0p.67).<\/p>\n<p>The American chestnut exemplified\u00a0the cradle-to-grave concept, literally. So what makes this tree so useful?<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Its wood\u2014strong, straight, and resistant to decay\u2014was used to build everything from homes to furniture to fences, railroad ties, and barrels.<\/li>\n<li>Its tannin was extracted and used in the manufacture of leather and the dying of silk.<\/li>\n<li>Its blossoms, beloved by bees, produced the sweetest honey.<\/li>\n<li>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.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Blighted by Blight<\/strong><br \/>\nThen one of the greatest natural disasters in forest history struck. In 1904, a devastating fungus was discovered on chestnut trees in New York\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A Path Forward<\/strong><br \/>\nThankfully, there is hope for the American chestnut. Last spring, Mass Audubon\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/www.massaudubon.org\/Nature_Connection\/Sanctuaries\/Wachusett_Meadow\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\">Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary<\/a>\u00a0became a demonstration site for <a href=\"http:\/\/www.acf.org\" target=\"_blank\">The American Chestnut Foundation\u2019s<\/a> (TACF) efforts to restore the American chestnut tree to our eastern woodlands.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Wachusett Meadow\u2019s 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!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Want to learn more about the American chestnut?<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Visit the demonstration orchard at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.massaudubon.org\/Nature_Connection\/Sanctuaries\/Wachusett_Meadow\/index.php\" target=\"_blank\">Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary<\/a> in Princeton.<\/li>\n<li>Check out <a href=\"http:\/\/www.acf.org\" target=\"_blank\">The American Chestnut Foundation<\/a> to find an orchard near you.<\/li>\n<li>Read <em>Mighty Giants: An American Chestnut Anthology<\/em> edited by Chris Bolgiano or <em>American Chestnut: The Life, Death, and Rebirth of a Perfect Tree<\/em> by Susan Freinkel.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: right\"><em><span style=\"font-size: medium\"><span style=\"line-height: 24px\">Photo: American chestnut circa 1910 Courtesy of the Forest History Society\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[12,15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-project-updates","category-wildlife-sanctuaries"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3t87A-fx","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":14875,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/planting-a-forest-with-the-climate-in-mind\/","url_meta":{"origin":963,"position":0},"title":"Planting a Forest with the Climate in Mind","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"November 6, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"More than 50 volunteers turned out in the last days of a mild October to help restore a floodplain forest at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Northampton. Together, these nature heroes planted around 1,500 of the 2,000 trees and shrubs going in the ground before winter. Volunteer at Arcadia In this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Climate&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Climate","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/climate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"volunteer planting a tree at Arcadia","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/11\/PXL_20201024_193516319.PORTRAIT-01.COVER-750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/11\/PXL_20201024_193516319.PORTRAIT-01.COVER-750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/11\/PXL_20201024_193516319.PORTRAIT-01.COVER-750.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2020\/11\/PXL_20201024_193516319.PORTRAIT-01.COVER-750.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17580,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/a-new-tree-alliance-in-boston\/","url_meta":{"origin":963,"position":1},"title":"A New Tree Alliance in Boston\u00a0","author":"Mass Audubon","date":"May 18, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"There\u2019s an old proverb that says great cities are filled with people who plant trees under whose shade they will never sit. On May 12, Mass Audubon and the City of Boston kicked off a program aimed at bringing that proverb to life.\u00a0 Mayor Wu and Mass Audubon Boston Regional\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/05\/52892776543_08ec40e985_o750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/05\/52892776543_08ec40e985_o750.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/05\/52892776543_08ec40e985_o750.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2023\/05\/52892776543_08ec40e985_o750.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":7584,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/100-great-wildlife-sanctuary-birding-spots\/","url_meta":{"origin":963,"position":2},"title":"100 Great Wildlife Sanctuary Birding Spots","author":"Hillary T.","date":"May 11, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Bird-a-thon, Mass Audubon\u2019s annual birding competition takes place on May 13-14. Teams of birders will attempt to see (or hear) the most species in a 24-hour time span. At the same time, birders and \u201cBird-a-thon\u00a0Boosters\u201d are raising money to support wildlife sanctuaries and programs. To kick-off Bird-a-thon and celebrate 100\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Get Involved&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Get Involved","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/get-involved\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/wood-duck_BP_Richard-Johnson.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/wood-duck_BP_Richard-Johnson.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2016\/05\/wood-duck_BP_Richard-Johnson.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":17308,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/10-fall-hikes-in-massachusetts\/","url_meta":{"origin":963,"position":3},"title":"10 Fall Hikes in Massachusetts","author":"Kaylin D.","date":"November 15, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"In the distance, a Red-bellied Woodpecker drums on a tree for food while a plump squirrel scampers through the browning leaf litter on the forest floor. A Broad-winged Hawk shrieks somewhere in the grasslands beyond the tree line, and a small garter snake slithers quietly through the commotion. What other\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;General&quot;","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/general\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"The corner of a wooden dock, overlooking a pond. Plant poke out of the water, and the pond is surrounded by green trees.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/11\/bm.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/11\/bm.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/11\/bm.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2022\/11\/bm.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3790,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/keep-your-eyes-peeled-for-this-pest\/","url_meta":{"origin":963,"position":4},"title":"Keep Your Eyes Peeled for this Pest","author":"Rosemary","date":"August 4, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"The non-native Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) is a serious threat to our maples and many other hardwood trees. The larvae dig deep into the heartwood; infected trees cannot be saved. Tens of thousands of trees have already been lost in the northern and central US. In fact, it's such a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Nature Notes&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Nature Notes","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/nature-notes\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2014\/07\/ALB-403W.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":15502,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/three-nature-restoration-projects-you-can-watch\/","url_meta":{"origin":963,"position":5},"title":"Three Nature Restoration Projects You Can Watch","author":"Rishya N.","date":"April 14, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"We\u2019re celebrating Earth Day\u2019s theme of restoring our earth, and we want you to celebrate with us. Here are\u00a0three\u00a0restoration projects you can check out by visiting one of\u00a0Mass Audubon\u2019s\u00a0wildlife\u00a0sanctuaries. Get outdoors, connect with nature, and learn more\u00a0about what nature restoration in Massachusetts looks like!\u00a0 Tree Planting in Western Massachusetts\u00a0 In\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Climate&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Climate","link":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/category\/climate\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/04\/20210106_143553.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/04\/20210106_143553.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/04\/20210106_143553.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/20\/2021\/04\/20210106_143553.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/32"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/963\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.massaudubon.org\/yourgreatoutdoors\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}