Bringing Chestnuts Back
December 12, 2023
| Saving the American Chestnut Tree
The American chestnut trees that once dominated the country’s eastern forest canopy provided a valuable food source for wildlife and humans, high-quality timber and the opportunity to eliminate carbon to have a positive impact on the environment, according to the American Chestnut Tree Foundation (ACTF). American chestnut trees were nearly wiped out in the 1900s, after settlers introduced Chinese Chestnut trees that unknowingly brought along an invasive pathogen, known as a blite. More history and information on revival efforts for this special tree species is available on the ACTF website*. |
This holiday season, you’re bound to hear the song “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire,” but you probably haven’t been offered any actual roasted chestnuts. That’s because American chestnut trees that once made the nuts so abundantly available in the 1800s are now a rare site. It’s a tree species some people, including Mon Power employees at Harrison Power Station, are trying to help bring back by caring for seven young chestnut trees planted on the grounds of the power station.
The good faith effort began when Jon Durbin, technical services supervisor, grew the seedlings in his refrigerator at home.
“Growing chestnut tree seedlings started as something I just wanted to see if I could do, and it’s turned into a hobby,” said Jon. “For the last three years, I’ve been gathering nuts dropped by the chestnut tree in my yard. They need a cold, damp place to germinate, so I put them in my refrigerator. It usually takes all winter.”
In the spring, he moves the seedlings outside to plots so they can continue to grow and get used to elements like the wind.
Seedlings grown by Jon Durbin as a hobby are now thriving young chestnut trees, bringing new life and good stewardship to the grounds at Harrison Power Station.
The trees, called Dunstan Chestnut Trees, were then planted in part of Harrison’s pollinator habitat last fall. This varietal is bred to be a majority American chestnut but also include genes from other species, to help the trees survive.
Harrison’s trees are about two or three feet tall now. Employees put small fences around them to help prevent them from being eaten or trampled as they mature.
“Having the trees at Harrison is environmentally friendly in a lot of ways. As they grow, the trees will produce food for the many deer and other wildlife living around the power plant,” explained Jon. “Another benefit of planting trees in general is that they absorb carbon and give off oxygen, which is good for the environment.”
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