from the West Virginia Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation:
As part of our Conservation Innovation Grant to plant American chestnut and other mixed hardwoods on reclaimed mine lands, WV Chapter members and students from Glenville State College planted 625 chestnuts on each of two sites this past spring for a total of 1,250 seeds in the ground! These plantings serve the purpose of reclaiming an altered ecosystem to benefit water quality and wildlife, act as a cornerstone for restoration of the American chestnut, and help evaluate the genetic lines that were used on site to improve the quality of trees being bred at our research farms in Meadowview, VA.
Now we need YOUR HELP to get back to the two sites to check on the success of each planting. I will be providing a brief, classroom based training that will review the background of the plantings and go over how to take various measurements within a TACF progeny planting. Aspects of mine land planting, what to look for regarding general tree health, and chestnut specific issues will also be covered. There will be plenty of time for questions and participants of any knowledge or experience level are encouraged to attend. We will then visit each site on separate dates to assess the plantings. Attendance at the training is not required to participate in measurements, but it is encouraged. Actual time spent measuring in the field should be two hours or less.
Here are the details for the training and the two measurement work parties:
TRAINING: September 18:
Room 234 at the new GSC Waco Center on Mineral Road in Glenville from 1-3pm. Please RSVP to help with planning, though anyone can “walk-in” for this training. RSVP to matt@acf.org or 434-906-9312
Measure site 1: September 25.
A group will be leaving Glenville at 8am to arrive at the mine entrance gate by 9:30 am. You can meet us in Glenville or at the mine entrance. The mine entrance is just a few miles from Cowen, WV. RSVP to matt@acf.org or 434-906-9312 if interested in participating and further instructions will be provided.
Measure site 2: TBA
I need a few motivated volunteers to join me on the mountain. This will be a great opportunity to see mine reclamation on an active surface mine site (don’t worry, we will not be working within an active part of the mine!). The site is roughly 15 miles West of Oak Hill as the crow flies. I will be giving away a Restoration Chestnut 1.0 B3F3 containerized seedling to the first 5 individuals who sign up and make it out to measure with me. Contact me with interest and we will figure out a date and time – matt@acf.org or 434-906-9312.
