Maryland Chapter Annual Report
October 24, 2009
Submitted by Gary P. Carver

1. Breeding Activities

Plantings and Orchards:  This spring, the Maryland Chapter of TACF planted nearly 2,000 backcross nuts harvested in our breeding orchards last fall.  We completed the 4-H, Southern Maryland Izaak Walton League, and Monocacy orchards, and filled in spaces at Fox Haven and Western Maryland Research and Education Center (WMREC).  Now, all 12 of our orchards, plus those at selected Carroll County Public school sites, are fully planted with progeny from the Clapper and Musick lines of resistance.  Next year we will begin inoculating trees in our older orchards.  We added one new one-acre orchard at Black Hill Regional Park, which we plan to begin planting in next spring.  We had to fight an Asian Ambrosia beetle infestation in two of our orchards, but we are now well prepared to prevent major damage next year.

1. Special Projects

Chestnut Science Curriculum:  On August 21, Dr. Gary Carver and Essie Burnworth represented the chapter at a forum at Century High School in Eldersburg introducing the new STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) curriculum and lesson plans for grades 6-12 in Carroll County.  Chestnut history, breeding, and science play a big role in these lessons and activities.  Through the efforts of Brad Yohe, TACF member and Science Supervisor for the Carroll County Public Schools, all school children will be exposed to the chestnut story in classes, at Hashawha  (the outdoor school that contains one of our breeding orchards), in the Chestnut Tree Classification Lab, and hands-on at what will be 16 chestnut orchards at schools throughout the County.  In this coming year, 11 new fenced school orchards will be planted, enabling students to participate directly in research and restoration efforts in Maryland.

State Highway Administration MOU:  A formal Memorandum of Understanding was signed between TACF and the Maryland State Highway Administration (MD SHA) enabling us to use their land for chestnut plantings with backcross material.  We are working with the agency that is reforesting land to mitigate the effects of construction of the Intercounty Connector highway.

American Seedlings Distribution:  A year ago, the Baltimore County Forestry Board requested pure American chestnut nuts, which were sent to the Ayton State Tree Nursery in Preston, MD on the Eastern shore to be grown into seedlings. This spring, over 800 of these seedlings were offered to all the Forestry Boards in Maryland, and they were reserved within 36 hours.   They were planted at outdoor education sites, parks, and schools in all areas of the state.  There is a waiting list for next year. 

Student Project:  Marlene Haggblade, a senior at Poolesville High School, is undertaking a year of independent study and will work on “cruddy bark” large survivors. She collected bark samples and will grow the organisms in the samples to determine their identities and characteristics.  The goal is to investigate the fungal strains and other species that infect so-called “cruddy bark” trees to gain a better understanding of why the trees have survived so long.  Marlene got encouragement and first-hand training in handling fungus from Dr. Bill MacDonald and his research assistant Mark Double at their West Virginia University Pathology Lab in July.

Learning Boxes:  The Maryland Chapter is pleased that the American Chestnut Learning Boxes it created will be adapted and sold by the TACF nationally and will happily assist in this effort.

1. Membership Activities

Chapter Meeting May 17:  “Looking Back, Moving Forward: Growing The Future Of The American Chestnut.”  Speakers: “Our Foundation's Growth -- Where Do We Go From Here?”-TACF President Bryan Burhans and “Some of What We Still Don’t Know & How To Find Out” - Phil Rutter, Founding President of TACF and Founder of Badgersett Research Corporation.

Chapter Annual Meeting, October 3, 2009:  Speakers:  “The Promise of Hypovirulence” - Mark Double, Plant Pathologist at West Virginia University and “Scientific Cooperation and Exchange with China -- What can TACF learn from chestnuts in the forests of China?”  - Sara Fitzsimmons, Northern Appalachian Regional Science Coordinator.

Newsletters:  Two newsletters were published (September and May) and are available on the Maryland Chapter Web site www.mdtacf.org.

1. Chapter Health

“Maryland Patron” Campaign:  The Maryland Chapter is delighted to report that we have received a 10% response to our recent “Maryland Patron” campaign.  A Maryland Patron is a partner of our chapter who pledges operating funds on a monthly basis.  The funds will be used to fund the efforts of a restoration biologist.  This is the first time a TACF chapter has reached out to its members for operating funds directly related to technical support and to chestnut breeding and restoration projects.

Overall State of the Chapter:  The chapter is vibrant and productive.  We have good visibility across the state at appropriate public events and we are in demand to give talks to schools and organizations.  Through our education programs, we are creating awareness and advocacy among younger people.  Nevertheless, we need to develop a strategy and implement an action plan to deal with several immediate challenges.  These challenges include the loss of a full-time biologist, the potential to wear-out a core group of long-time active members, a greater need for funds, and an approximately 10% reduction in the membership to 250 members.  Our first steps in meeting these challenges are the “Maryland Patron” program, the increase in our board membership (which is a gateway to greater involvement in Chapter activities) and a new committee to look into and follow up on grants and other sources of funding.  We are finding that many landowners in our State are anxious to get blight-resistant American chestnuts to plant.  We believe that the coming availability of advanced material will bring many more members and supporters to the Chapter.

1. Board Elections

At the Maryland Chapter Annual Meeting (October 3, 2009) the new officers who were elected are: President Gary Carver and Vice President John Cordts.  Returning are Secretary Barbara Knapp and Treasurer Emilie Crown.  Incumbent Board members who were elected for three-year terms are B. James Benton, Dennis Bittinger, Essie Burnworth, Harold F. Burnworth, David Jacobson, and Laurajean Lewis.

New board members who were elected for various terms (to even out the yearly number of retiring members) are Regina Staley (three years), Robb Newman (two years), Stephen Peck (one year), Carol Shomette (one year).  Returning board members are Vince Berg, Douglas H. Boucher, James S. Coleman, Katia Engelhardt, Paul Eriksson, James Hill, Ron Kuipers, Kathy Marmet, Robert Strasser, and Jamie Weaver.