American Chestnut Foundation

The American Chestnut Foundation's Maryland chapter aims to restore the American chestnut tree to forests in the eastern United States, a century after an imported fungus drove the tree into functional extinction.

The Foundation is a conservation, education, and scientific organization implementing a long-term vision to cross-pollinate the few surviving American chestnut trees with Chinese chestnut trees, then continue crossing in American chestnut genes and selecting the strongest resulting trees. This backcross method aims to develop a population of hybrid trees hardy enough to withstand the fungal blight and American enough to thrive in their native environment, restoring a species with enormous ecological value.

Volunteers help chestnut trees thrive in greenhouses and orchards across Montgomery county and the state. In rhythm with the seasons, volunteers collect pollen, pollinate flowers, harvest nuts, plant nuts in pots, transfer seedlings from pots to orchards, clear deadwood, and conduct research experiments that identify the most survivable trees.

Most volunteer opportunities are outdoors. Volunteers have opportunities to learn how their efforts contribute to the larger plan for restoring a native species to its habitat in our local ecosystem. Students, in particular, can deepen and apply their studies in biology and ecology.

Many nearby volunteer opportunities will be listed here on the Montgomery County Volunteer Center site. You can also learn about upcoming opportunities by joining or visiting the Google Group: https://groups.google.com/g/md-tacf-orchard-volunteers