The American Chestnut Returns to Stamford
Stamford Land Trust and the American Chestnut Foundation plant chestnut trees
On Friday, May 14th, the Stamford Land Conservation Trust (“SLCT”) will plant chestnut seedlings in partnership with The American Chestnut Foundation. The Stamford Land Conservation Trust and the Connecticut Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation are working together to try and restore American chestnut trees (Castanea dentata) to Connecticut's forests. Chestnuts used to comprise approximately 25-40% of the forests in CT but a foreign fungal blight brought them to the brink of extinction.
The plantings will consist of approximately ten trees and serve as an educational opportunity for visitors to SLCT’s preserves. The trees will be a mix of entirely American chestnuts and American chestnuts that have been backcrossed with an Asian chestnut species in hopes of transferring genes that convey disease resistance.
“The SLCT is excited to reintroduce American Chestnuts to the forests of Stamford. Visitors to the preserves will be able to interact with a majestic tree that possesses an incredible amount of cultural and ecological significance in New England,” says SLCT Chief Steward Aubrey Carter.
The tree plantings will be held at the Stamford Land Conservation Trust’s two largest preserve properties, Altschul and Birch Meadow Preserves, on Friday, May 14th at 10am to 1pm. The planting will start at the Altschul property, just across the street from 216 Dundee Road, Stamford, CT 06903, followed by the Birch Meadow Preserve planting at the end of Gun Club Road, Stamford, CT 06903.
For more information, please visit The American Chestnut Foundation website, https://acf.org, or visit https://www.stamfordland.org to learn more or to donate to a greener Stamford.
The event is open to the public, but please RSVP to Lizzy Zawy at lizzy@lizzyzawypr.com.