11th Annual Richard L. James Lecture: The American Chestnut: Restoring the “Perfect Tree”

We’re kicking off our Year of Restoration with our annual lecture named in honor of our founding director. The American chestnut was once a foundational tree in Pennsylvania forests, valued for its timber, and nuts, craved by wildlife of all kinds. But it was wiped out in the blink of an ecological eye when a devastating fungal disease killed the tree in only a few decades. Happily, researchers with The American Chestnut Foundation and affiliate groups have been working hard to restore this species, exploring the many facets required to reintroduce disease-resistant populations. Sara Fern Fitzsimmons, the foundation’s Director of Restoration, offers the past, present, and future of this extraordinary tree, plus a road map that– in spite of numerous hurdles– hopes to re-establish the tree in the next century. Event is online; please register to receive the event’s link.