Join the MA/RI Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation, with support from the Monterey Native Plants Group, to help plant an amazing chestnut seedling orchard!

You are invited to help plant an orchard of 100 specially selected chestnut seedlings that have been hybridized for resistance to the blight that wiped out this keystone species in the early part of the last century.

Gould Farm has been chosen for this large planting (100+ seedlings) as another step toward restoring the iconic  American Chestnut to our woodlands. This effort has been ongoing for over 40 years by the American Chestnut Foundation (TACF), a national organization with chapters throughout the historic range of the American Chestnut from Maine to Georgia.

The MA/RI chapter, which has worked closely with the Monterey Native Plants Group on a number of programs, including several annual chestnut talks and nut and seedling distributions, has breeding orchards throughout the state. Last year the MA/RI chapter cross-pollinated the most promising and robust trees in its orchards. It was a labor-intensive effort to take the pollen from the best tree in one orchard and pollinate the best tree in a different orchard. The effort was a success in producing a number of viable nuts. The nuts produced from that effort have been sprouted, potted up and the young seedlings will be ready to plant later this month, on a property near the parking lot of Diane’s Trail on Curtis Road.

The efforts at the state chapter level are accomplished wholly by volunteers. All are invited and welcome to be part of this major restoration effort. All help is greatly appreciated.

For more information, contact John at johnkingfisher54@gmail.com.

DATE: Saturday, May 30 (rain date Sunday, May 31)
TIME: 9:00am – 4:00pm
LOCATION: Parking lot for Diane’s Trail, Gould Farm, Monterey, MA. Orchard located off Curtis Rd, Monterey, MA 01245