THE MAY / JUNE 2013 I ISSUE 3 VOL. 27 TACF C E L EBRATE 30S YEARS 3 1 1 983 -2 0 OF THE AMERICAN CHESTNUT FOUNDATION Special Issue: Chestnut Growers Guide to Pests and Diseases News From the State Chapters Ambrosia Beetles: a New Challenge www.ACF.org | The JournAl oF The AmeriCAn ChesTnuT FoundATion 1 Join Us This Fall In Our Nation’s Capital for TACF’s 30th Annual Meeting OCTOBER 19-20, 2013 at the Hyatt Dulles in Herndon, VA Online registration will start soon at www.acf.org Watch for a full meeting schedule and program descriptions in the July/August Journal Join us for two days of fascinating presentations, hands-on workshops and chestnut camaraderie! Just half an hour from downtown Washington, DC, The Hyatt Dulles Conference Center is located adjacent to Dulles International Airport (shuttle service available). The JournAl oF The AmeriCAn ChesTnuT FoundATion TACF National Office 160 Zillicoa Street, Suite D • Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 281-0047 Join Us This Fall Bryan Burhans, President and CEO Betsy Gamber, V.P. of Operations Ginny Blossom Kruntorad, V.P. of Development Dennis Kimball, Staff Accountant In Our Nation’s Capital Lisa Sousa, Director of Grants and Agreements Paul Franklin, Director of Communications Tom Saielli, Southern Regional Science Coordinator Mila Kirkland, Communications Specialist for Judy Antaramian, Membership Coordinator Tina Wayne, Gift Entry and Donor Records Specialist Michael French, Forester Marshal Case, President Emeritus TACF’s 30th Production Staff Editor Science Advisory Panel The Mission of The American Chestnut Foundation Paul Franklin Dr. Fred Hebard Associate Editor Dr. Paul Sisco Annual Meeting Mila Kirkland Mathew Brinckman Restore the American chestnut tree to our Design & Layout Sara Fitzsimmons Leslie Shaw Kendra Gurney Tom Saielli eastern woodlands to benefit our environment, Board of Directors OCTOBER 19-20, 2013 our wildlife, and our society. Chairman Secretary Dr. Kim Steiner, PA Catherine Mayes, VA We harvested our first potentially blight-resistant nuts in 2005, and the Vice Chair Treasurer Science Cabinet Steve Barilovits III, NC at the Hyatt Dulles in Herndon, VA Foundation is beginning reforestation trials with potentially blight- Dr. Brian C. McCarthy, OH Legal Counsel resistant American-type trees. The return of the American chestnut to Vice Chair Donald C. Willeke, Esq., MN its former range in the Appalachian hardwood forest ecosystem is a Development Cabinet Science Director Michael D. Doochin, TN Dr. Albert Ellingboe, WI major restoration project that requires a multi-faceted effort involving President and CEO 6,000 members and volunteers, research, sustained funding, and most Bryan Burhans important, a sense of the past and a hope for the future. Jack Agricola, AL Dr. William G. Lord, PA John Anderson, CT Dr. Bill MacDonald, WV Yurij Bihun, VT Rex Mann, KY Dr. Gary Carver, MD Kathleen Marmet, VA Dr. Hill Craddock, TN James Mills, TN Herbert F. Darling Jr., NY David Morris, AL Timothy C. Eck, PA Glen Rea, ME Yvonne Federowicz, RI Tim Phelps, TN Ben Finegan, IN Joe Schibig, TN Lynn Garrison, KY Tom Scriviner, MD Doug Gillis, NC Dr. Paul H. Sisco, NC Hugh Irwin, NC Bradford G. Stanback, NC Dr. Joe James, SC Mark Stoakes, GA Jimmy Jenkins, WV George Thompson, VA Dr. Carolyn Keiffer, OH Rufin Van Bossuyt, MA Jack LaMonica, VA Bruce Wakeland, IN Honorary Directors Former President Philip A. Rutter Jimmy Carter Mrs. Mary Belle Price Dr. Richard A. Jaynes Richard Will, Dr. Peter H. Raven Chairman Emeritus TACF Locations & Staff Meadowview Mid-Atlantic Regional Office Research Farms Matthew Brinckman, Dr. Fred Hebard, Chief Scientist Mid-Atlantic Regional Science Jeff Donahue, Director of Operations Coordinator Dr. Laura Georgi, Research Scientist Virginia Dept. of Forestry About Our Cover Image David Bevins, Farm Coordinator Central Office George Sykes, Research Technician 900 Natural Resources Dr. Our cover this month illustrates some of the pests and diseases which backyard and small orchard 29010 Hawthorne Dr Charlottesville, VA 22903 growers may have to contend with. Clockwise from upper left: Orangestriped oakworm; photo Meadowview, VA 24361-3349 (434) 906-9312 (276) 944-4631 courtesy of Steven Valley, Oregon Dept. of Agriculture/ForestryImages.org. Chestnut sapling North Central Regional Office showing leaf curl caused by aphids; photo by Sara Fitzsimmons. Periodical cicada; photo New England Regional Office Sara Fitzsimmons, Northern courtesy of Jon Yuschock/ ForestryImages.org. Galls on an American chestnut caused by Asian Kendra Gurney, New England Appalachian Regional Regional Science Coordinator Science Coordinator chestnut gall wasp; photo by Paul Franklin. USFS Northern School of Forest Resources Research Station 206 Forest Resources Lab Correction: in our March/April 2013 issue, we neglected to credit Chuck Rudy of Mechanicsville, PA, 705 Spear Street University Park, PA 16802 for the lovely image of the seedling that appeared in Chestnut Moments. We apologize for the omission. South Burlington, VT 05403 (814) 863-7192 (802) 999-8706 www.ACF.org | The JournAl oF The AmeriCAn ChesTnuT FoundATion 1 THE I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E mAy/June 2013 i issue 3 Vol. 27 OF THE AMERICAN CHESTNUT FOUNDATION 3 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEO 3 How Long Will Restoration Take? by Bryan Burhans 4 TACF NATIONAL NEWS TACF Honored by Garden Club of America, Bill Powell Speaks at TED DeExtinction Conference 7 TACF CHAPTER NEWS New Feature! 17 All 16 State Chapters Share News and Updates! 15 TACF HONORS ITS VOLUNTEERS Vicki Turner of Tennessee Craig Hibben of New York 17 CHESTNUT GROWERS GUIDE TO PESTS AND DISEASES How to Deal with Bugs, Beasts and Pathogens 24 in the Backyard Orchard By Elsa Youngsteadt and Kendra Gurney 24 WEEVIL STUDY Weevil diversity on Chinese, American, and BC3F3 Chestnut By Dr. Harmony J. Dalgleish, John T. Shukle, and Dr. Robert K. Swihart 28 28 AMBROSIA BEETLES How to Handle the Newest Chestnut Challenge By Erin Coughlin, Dr. Martin Cipollini, Sam Watkins 32 RECIPE Chocolate Chestnut Moose 33 CHESTNUT MOMENTS Background photo: The East Coast of the US will see a large emergence of 32 cicadas this year. Periodic cicadas emerge only every 13 or 17 years and in large numbers they can be damaging to chestnut trees. Photo courtesy of PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources / ForestryArchive.org 2 The JournAl oF The AmeriCAn ChesTnuT FoundATion | mAy/June 2013 leTTer From The PresidenT And Ceo How Long Will This Take? By Bryan Burhans, TACF president and CEO “Are we there yet?” Those all-too-familiar words haunt every parent. And it’s no different with The American Chestnut Foundation. “When will we be able to purchase trees for my property?” is a common question, especially from nonmembers who don’t understand the magnitude of our breeding program. TACF has been on a long road trip. For thirty years we have steadfastly focused our limited resources and volunteer efforts to develop a disease-resistant chestnut through our traditional breeding program. And since 1990, our NY Chapter has kept its nose to the grindstone in the quest, working with the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF), to use molecular biology techniques to develop a disease-resistant tree. Both the traditional breeding program and the SUNY-ESF work have met with great success. We are getting there! Both the backcross breeding program and the efforts by the SUNY-ESF researchers have resulted in first-generation trees that are currently under evaluation. However, we still have many years of work ahead of us before we can claim victoriously that “American” chestnuts with proven resistance can be made available to the general public. Ah, but the once-distant future is rapidly coming closer. The restoration of the American chestnut is a long-range project. We have learned much about the genetics of the Photo by Paul Franklin chestnut in the past decade or so, and new information and technology are continually moving us toward a and ubiquitous ink disease that plagues many of our goal that was once considered a practical impossibility southern states. We continue to look for better and by the experts. more efficient methods to screen our trees for disease resistance. Our current screening process requires 4 to Yet, there is still much we don’t know. To address this 6 years before we have an indication of whether or not knowledge gap, TACF and our partners continue to a tree possesses adequate resistance. Just think of the look at new opportunities to support critical research savings in time, land, and labor if those evaluations that advances our mission. Although no individual could be done within a year. research project can answer all of our questions, the organization and our partners are faced with the “We are not there yet,” is the answer to the opening challenge to incrementally further our knowledge of question. But we are making every effort to develop chestnut and develop new techniques to help us the new and innovative technologies needed to increase succeed. the quality of the trees we develop and, hopefully, decrease the time it takes to get there. The breadth of knowledge we must acquire is daunting. We need to build our understanding of the tree’s ability And no, we cannot take a break at the rest stop! to resist the blight, and also deal with the ever-present www.ACF.org | The JournAl oF The AmeriCAn ChesTnuT FoundATion 3 news From TACF At a Glance: 2013 Seed Distribution The 2012 seed crop was the largest to date at TACF’s Meadowview Research Farms, almost triple that of the previous year. Increased harvest translates to increased distribution, so we are pleased to announce 60,479 seeds were distributed this spring for various projects and programs throughout the country. The majority of our Restoration Chestnuts 1.0 go toward building research projects across the range of the species. This spring, 56,308 seeds, or 93% of the harvest, were designated for science and research. The remaining 4,171 seeds, or 7%, were distributed to our members. TACF members who have an opportunity to plant and test Restoration Chestnuts 1.0 on their property include long-term members, Annual Sponsor members, Life Sponsors, and participants in the Legacy Tree program. Members who don’t have the capacity to utilize the seeds can donate them to the chapter of their choice. TACF Restoration Chestnut Seed Distribution Harvest Year 2012 - 60,479 Seeds Total ¢ Science and Research ¢ Members Science and Research 93% Members 7% 56,308 Seeds 4,171 Seeds • Progeny tests 25% • Long-term members • US Forest Service 6% • Annual Sponsor members • TACF special projects 14% • Life sponsor members • silvicultural trials • Legacy Tree sponsors • demonstration plantings • Phytophthora testing • university research projects • Bare root seedling production 48% Garden Club of America’s Medal of Honor Bestowed on TACF On May 2nd, the Garden Club of America (GCA) presented its Medal of Honor, the highest award given to an outside organization, to TACF for outstanding service to horticulture. The award was presented to TACF President and CEO Bryan Burhans by Jane O. Goedecke, National Chairman of GCA’s Awards Committee, at the GCA’s Awards Dinner in Philadelphia, PA. “TACF is deeply honored to receive this award,” said Burhans. “Gardeners and garden clubs have been a very important part of TACF’s success story. Without the hearts and hands of dedicated, hardworking gardeners, we never could have achieved all that we have.” TACF joins an impressive list of Medal of Honor recipients, such as Robert Moses, New York’s Park and Highway Commissioner Bryan Burhans with Mary Lee Scalise of Allyn’s Creek Garden Club at the Garden Club of America’s Awards Dinner in Philadelphia, PA. Photo courtesy of Cynthia Buff/Garden Club of America 4 The JournAl oF The AmeriCAn ChesTnuT FoundATion | mAy/June 2013 news From TACF (1938); Henry Francis duPont, for the creation of Winterthur Gardens (1956); and Nobel Laureate Dr. Norman Borlaug, for his work on developing wheat strains that helped feed the developing world. Interestingly, Dr. Borlaug was also one of the founders of The American Chestnut Foundation in 1983. “In awarding medals,” said Jane Goedecke, “the Garden Club of America looks to honor those individuals and organizations who share our values and further our mission: to stimulate the knowledge of gardening and to restore, improve and protect the quality of the environment. The American Chestnut Foundation meets all those criteria and we are proud to award it the Medal of Honor.” Dr. William Powell addresses the TEDxDeExtinction audience on the topic of American chestnut restoration. Photo credit: TEDxDeExtinction TEDxDeExtinction Conference Explores Reviving Extinct Species In March, National Geographic hosted the first-ever work, in partnership with the New York Chapter of public exploration of the subject of reviving extinct TACF, has focused on transgenic methods of creating species at TEDxDeExtinction, a day-long event at viable lines of blight-resistant American chestnut. In Grosvenor Auditorium in Washington, DC. The event 2006, Dr. Powell’s and Dr. Charles Maynard’s team at brought together 25 of the world’s leading experts in SUNY-ESF began planting transgenic, potentially blight- the fields of conservation and biotechnology to explore resistant chestnuts in controlled test environments. In the benefits and complexities of de-extinction science. 2012, some of these trees demonstrated an enhanced Presenters discussed species-revival projects ranging level of blight resistance. from the passenger pigeon and Pyrenean ibex to the While many speakers at the event focused on projects Tasmanian tiger and woolly mammoth. that are planned for the future, Dr. Powell addressed Among the speakers was Dr. William Powell, Director current efforts to restore a species: “Although the of the Council on Biotechnology in Forestry at State American chestnut isn’t extinct, I hope that the practical University of New York (SUNY-ESF), who spoke about experiences that we have gained at SUNY-ESF will help the ongoing work to restore the American chestnut to add to the body of knowledge in this fascinating field.” the eastern forests of the United States. Dr. Powell’s www.ACF.org | The JournAl oF The AmeriCAn ChesTnuT FoundATion 5 news From TACF TACF Invites Student Researchers with Poster and Research Presentations to the 30th Annual Meeting By Kendra Gurney, TACF New England Regional Science Coordinator One of the most successful events at last year’s American Chestnut Summit was the poster session. A new addition to TACF’s conference activities, the poster session gave nearly 30 scientists the opportunity to present their chestnut-related research to our members and partners, who Student researcher and poster presenter Kathryn Vescio of Penn State crowded the presentation room during University explains her research to John Murray of the TN Chapter at the 2012 the weekend. TACF will again be hosting American Chestnut Summit. Photo by Paul Franklin a poster session at our 2013 Annual Meeting, which will be held October 19- 20, 2013, in Herndon, VA, near Washington, DC. professional skills, while offering attendees an Building on our successes from 2012, we will have a opportunity to learn more about the wide range of more centralized and open space for display and hope chestnut-related research being conducted at colleges to again showcase a wide range of topics related to and universities. American chestnut restoration. For more information on how to submit research posters In addition to the poster session, we will hold student and presentations to TACF’s 30th Annual Meeting visit research presentations, offering students the opportunity www.acf.org/30th_Annual_Meeting.php or contact to showcase their work before an audience. These Kendra at [email protected]. sessions are designed to help students improve their In Memory of and In Honor of Our TACF Members March/April 2013 In Memory of In Honor of Wayne Carpenter David Jeffries Denis Melican and Wayne and Louise Biby Marjorie Jeffries Lois Breault-Melican Melvin and Anne Carpenter Peter and Kendra Wilde, The Rebecca Pernice Chestnut Hill Garden Club Ralph Carpenter Ralph Pernice Thomas and Loni Dapp Tempe Thomas Jessica Wilkins 6 The JournAl oF The AmeriCAn ChesTnuT FoundATion | mAy/June 2013 State Chapter News A CAROLINAS M North Carolina A Forest Service B Ranger Jon A Albertson watches L A as Caroline Clodfelter plants a Restoration Chestnut 1.0 as part of a test planting in the Uwharrie Mountains of central North Carolina. Taking part in the May 2 planting. Left to right: McKee and Edie Paterson; Libby, Porter and Caroline Neubauer. Photo by Fred Clodfelter Photo by Pratt Paterson Alabama Grows New Branches In April, Alabama hosted an exciting meeting in Huntsville at which members of the Alabama and Tennessee Chapters met to form two branches: The Chestnut Planting in the Sewanee branch and the Huntsville branch. Similar to recent branch formations in Nashville, TN, and Louisville, Uwharrie Mountains KY, these Restoration Branches are significant because On April 10, a group of Carolinas Chapter volunteers they provide members and volunteers the opportunity gathered to create an interesting experimental planting to get involved in the TACF activities on a local level. on Fred Clodfelter’s property in the ancient Uwharrie These branches have already set solid goals that include Mountains in central North Carolina. The purpose of the establishing science and outreach committees, planting test was to measure the relative growth and survival rates a regional breeding orchard, and planting a progeny of Restoration Chestnuts 1.0 in forest clearings versus test on the Domain of The University of the South, in open field environments. Regional Science Coordinator Sewanee, TN. Tom Saielli developed the plan and directed the planting TACF regional science coordinator Tom Saielli was quick of the seeds. With the help of friends and family, the to praise the effort: “The formation of Restoration Clodfelters had earlier prepared the orchard site, which Branches creates powerful tools for engaging local was protected by a fence to keep out wild boar and deer. members and volunteers to get involved in TACF The volunteers planted ninety-six seeds; sixteen chestnut activities. From planning and planting orchards, searching seeds in each of 6 rows. the woods for surviving American chestnuts, educating On the same property, six separate, narrow forest plots the community, to hosting a fund-raising event, the had been cleared to allow sunlight to penetrate. Sixteen Restoration Branch brings communities together in a nuts were planted in each row in each plot to replicate grass-roots style of self-empowerment.” the rows planted in the orchard. Cages of fencing wire As a big first step, on March 2, Alex Neubauer and were secured around each of the nuts planted in the Pratt Paterson, members of the South Cumberland forest plots. Restoration Branch, got their families together to pot Records will be kept of each seedling’s growth, and the Restoration Chestnut 1.0 seeds in preparation for results will help define the benefit of planting hybrid planting the seedlings in the wild. Participating in the chestnuts in orchards open to the sun and elements with project were the five Neubauer and Paterson children, little competition from other trees, versus planting nuts who learned that these seeds will mature into seedlings in forest clearings where sunlight is more limited and that, in a few months, will be ready to be transplanted competition from other trees is greater. - Submitted by into the forests of southern Tennessee and northwest Doug Gillis Alabama. - Submitted by Jack Agricola and Tom Saielli www.ACF.org | The JournAl oF The AmeriCAn ChesTnuT FoundATion 7 Please Give Generously to TACF’s Spring Appeal! Working together, we can create thriving forests of healthy, wild American chestnuts in our lifetimes. But we need your help. Restoring the American chestnut is a huge undertaking. Your support is vital to us and will help us achieve our mission. Fill out and mail the attached envelope today! You can also donate online at www.acf.org. Or call our national office at 828-281-0047 8 The JournAl oF The AmeriCAn ChesTnuT FoundATion | mAy/June 2013