The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF), The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), and the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) have partnered to study the remaining American chestnut trees along the Appalachian Trail.

To study the remaining American chestnut along the AT, scientists from TACF are preparing a training program, a guide to American chestnut identification and a data-collection protocol, with ATC staff and PATC volunteer support.  PATC volunteers will be recruited to participate in the training program and to collect data along a portion of the Trail with which they are familiar. The data will help scientists estimate the population densities of American chestnut in the variety of conditions that exist along the studied portion of the Trail.  The data will also help scientists locate and document populations of trees that produce flowers, whose genetic material might potentially be incorporated into the TACF breeding program to enhance the genetic diversity of the blight-resistant trees that will eventually result from that program.

ATC will include information resulting from this study in its A.T. MEGA-Transect program, which brings together multiple partners with a shared interest in the environmental health of the Appalachian Region. These partners are engaging volunteers in a variety of citizen science projects to improve understanding of environmental health issues along the AT. ATC, TACF and PATC will work together to promote public awareness of the study of the American chestnut.  TACF plans to celebrate its 25th Anniversary in cooperation with ATC by participating in a series of events along the AT during the 2008 hiking season.  ATC and TACF’s presence at these events will include a focus on identification of American chestnuts by members of the public along the A.T., as well as information about the cooperative scientific study of the trees.

The ATC works with the National Park Service Appalachian Trail Park Office, the U.S. Forest Service, 30 maintaining clubs and multiple other partners to engage the public in conserving the AT, a 250,000-acre greenway extending from Maine to Georgia. TACF and its network of 15 state chapters carry out a backcross breeding strategy and other scientific and educational efforts directed toward restoring the American chestnut, TACF’s breeding program is now in its 25th year and has begun to produce sixth-generation seed that will be field tested for both blight resistance and American character.

Chestnut Project Description

Volunteer to Help Collect Data on the Appalachian Trail

For more information:
Appalachian Trail Conservancy:
http://www.appalachiantrail.org

The American Chestnut Foundation:
http://www.acf.org

Potomac Appalachian Trail Club:
http://potomacappalachian.org/MEGA

Appalachian Trail MEGA-Transect
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.3079393/k.82D4/megatransect.htm