Prior to 1930, American chestnut was a dominant tree in our eastern forests. This keystone species numbered in the billions, representing an estimated one-quarter of all hardwood trees east of the Mississippi. An invasive fungus, chestnut blight, appeared at the beginning of last century, and in a few short decades, the American Chestnut became functionally extinct.

A comeback for the American Chestnut is more promising than ever, after a decades-long and difficult road, much of it through the efforts of the American Chestnut Foundation.

We invite you to learn about this mythic species from Forester Charlie Moreno. Charlie will cover the ongoing experimental program we’re conducting at Branch Hill Farm, sleuthing out how to re-introduce American Chestnut effectively and ecologically into our local forests. He’ll also touch upon the expansion of southerly tree species to our region due to climate change.

The workshop will begin at Branch Hill Farm, where Charlie will provide background and history about the journey of the American Chestnut and lead a brief tour of the tree nursery at the farm. Then, participants will carpool over to a nearby forest site where chestnuts have been re-introduced.

Based in Strafford, Charlie Moreno, NH Licensed Professional Forester, has practiced locally as a Consulting Forester for over 40 years, managing 40,000 forest acres for private landowners, land trusts, conservation organizations, and communities in southern New Hampshire and Maine. Charlie manages forestland for the Carl Siemon Family Charitable Trust, where he has presented outdoor workshops about natural history, forest restoration, mixed-age silviculture, low-impact harvesting, habitat management, the connection between forests and wood, and forest habitats. Over the years, he has worked closely with New Hampshire Fish & Game and the Natural Resources Conservation Service on a variety of wildlife habitat projects.

This event is free for MMRG members, with a suggested donation of $15 for non-members to support our programs. Register online here.