The spring of 2014 was another busy season for The American Chestnut Foundation as we continued our partnership with the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative and Green Forests Work.
This partnership's current focus is reforestation of mine lands throughout Appalachia and together, we have planted trees on reclaimed mines in Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
An important part of these reforestation projects is to engage community members in the process of planting trees.
To this end, 34 planting events were held for nearly 2,000 participants who helped to reforest 361 acres in 8 states, and most of these plantings had a chestnut component. The volunteer planting events educate landowners, students, and the public about the need for better reforestation of mined lands, benefits of native species and of reforestation, American chestnut restoration, and how to properly plant trees.
Volunteers were instructed on the proper techniques to plant bareroot seedlings and how to direct-seed, protect, and record locations of chestnuts for our progeny testing, which ensured that volunteers left knowing their hard work would be successful.
Click Here to read more from The American Chestnut Foundation latest newsletter.
For more information on how you can become involved in the restoration of the American Chestnut in Pennsylvania, visit the TACF- Pennsylvania Chapter website.
