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The Bur Newsletter
In the latest issue of The Bur Spring 2024
• We Stand Firm With ESF!
• In Memory of Drs. William Powell and Charles Maynard
• District Directors Reports, What’s Happening Around NY
• An Important Message
• ESF research updates
Donate
Donate here to assist with the SUNY ESF Biotechnology Program. Donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. You can also donate directly on ESF’s webpage.
If you would like to donate by mail, please send your check made out to NY-TACF to:
NY-TACF C/O Treasurer Fran Nichols
302 Bateman Road
Laurens, NY 13796
Darling 58 American Chestnut Public Comment Period has Ended
Thank you to everyone who showed their support for the Darling 58 blight-tolerant American chestnut tree by submitting a comment to the USDA!
More information can be found on SUNY ESF’s American Chestnut Project.
Erik Carlson’s Interview on the Talking Biotech Podcast
Erik Carlson, an ESF graduate student, discussed the American Chestnut Research and Restoration Project on Talking Biotech Podcast. In November 2021, Erik published a paper in Molecular Plant Pathology on the new lines of transgenic American chestnuts developed with the win3.12 inducible promoter from poplar (Populus deltoides), which drives OxO expression. The oxalate oxidase gene from wheat confers elevated chestnut blight resistance in American chestnut. The podcast discusses the background of the project, where the project stands, and the regulatory environment of repatriating a forest with engineered trees.
Pollination Workshop
ESF’s American Chestnut Research and Restoration Project discussed their outcrossing plan, as well as how to pre-bag American chestnut female flowers, how they collect transgenic Darling 58 pollen, what to do when pollen is received, how to perform controlled pollinations, and how to protect nuts from animals during a virtual pollination workshop.
The workshop, beginning with a 20 minute video, can be view through TACF’s Chestnut Chat Series event listing.
The Village Chestnut Tree Podcast
All across North America and Europe, trees are under mortal threat. In The Village Chestnut Tree podcast, Emmett Hoops discusses American chestnuts and what’s being done to save them.
Latest Episode: Years End Ideas
The Chestnut Tree Video
Produced by the Templeton Foundation, one of our donors.
American Chestnut Seed Engraving
Sergey Jivetin creates elaborate engravings on the shells of seeds, including a series carved on American chestnut seeds depicting TACF’s American chestnut restoration efforts. On the first image below, the lower right-hand nut illustrates the American Chestnut Research and Restoration Project’s insertion of the Oxalate Oxidase gene into the American chestnut genome. The second image is a larger representation of that nut. To see more of Sergey Jivetin’s work, check out his website, Furrow Seed Engraving Project.
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National Facebook
Whether you already love American chestnut trees or are looking for a new cause to support, consider volunteering with TACF! Volunteering with TACF allows you to learn new skills while participating in an historical effort to restore a functionally extinct species and help heal the environment.
Visit tacf.org/volunteer/ to learn more!
Check out SAHC website: appalachian.org
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How do you know when a female chestnut flower is ready to mate? She starts showing off her styles. This is not a joke. This is straight up factual facts. If you want funny jokes you'll have to go looking somewhere else. Meanwhile, enjoy this episode about our American chestnut friends Cassie and Denny and their first signs of flowers. #cassieanddenny
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Marcy Caldwell Rau
We love what Tree Plenish is doing and we salute their efforts! Learn more about their organization by clicking this link to their website: www.tree-plenish.org
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In a recent article by New York magazine’s Intelligencer, journalist Kate Morgan details the history of the development of the Darling 58 transgenic American chestnut tree, the discovery that it was, in fact, Darling 54, and how that impacted the partnership between The American Chestnut Foundation and SUNY ESF’s American Chestnut Research & Restoration Project.
TACF President & CEO Will Pitt, along with TACF Chief Conservation Officer Sara Fitzsimmons are quoted.
This article is available for a limited time to non-subscribers of New York magazine; visit the link for more details.
tacf.org/the-problem-with-darling-58-the-fight-to-save-americas-iconic-tree/
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The D58/4 mixup was one thing - shouldn't have happened but did. Should've been caught much earlier but wasn't, but particularly unconscionable was ESF's getting in bed with American Castanea, particularly after all the proud pronouncements about not patenting etc. Besides which, AC had no background that I've heard in growing trees.
Hay y'all! Please! These GMO companies are NOT passionate about ecology and tree study like you are at the foundation and how the community here adores this tree and seems to help in any way they are able to. They know it's billions of dollars to be made with chestnuts..... And FAKE GMO TREES ARE NOT GOING TO HELP!! I know of a bunch of large specimens in the Northeast I spent years searching for and continue to. Will be sending samples for testing for the first time this autumn I'm excited to speak with y'all! The tree is FUNCTIONAL AND THRIVING in particular places. But they need stable, happy (organic/wild) ecosystems to behave this way.... Can't just jam trees in the ground and hope for chance.... If I'm ever financially stable I love to participate in bigger projects and planning in the future keep fighting the good fight!! Thank you for listening bless'ed love! 🌰🌱🌳🍁🙏✌️🐺🐾🐾🤘🌟
I think the real problem was over who thought they were responsible for distribution of seedling. Both groups were building distribution networks. TACF thought they were in charge of the program while ESF only felt they needed to be informed. That TACF tried to make it about the money was embarrassing. No one’s going to make a fortune in conservation. The couple million TACF donated is probably nothing compared with what the state of NY (or any of the other Universities) have spent. Weird… internal financial controls at Universities are allot more rigorous than for a non-profit.
Don't forget to enter the 2024 American Chestnut Photo Contest! We love to see photos that include every season, angle, and aspect of American chestnut, so get creative. Click this link for more information: tacf.org/2024-photo-contest/
This adorable photo was taken by Michelle Casson, who submitted in 2016.
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