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The American chestnut was one of America's most common, valued, and beloved trees—a "perfect tree" that ruled the forests from Georgia to Maine. But in the early twentieth century, an exotic plague swept through the chestnut forests with the force of a wildfire. Within forty years, the blight had killed close to four billion trees and left the species teetering on the brink of extinction. It was one of the worst ecological blows to North America since the Ice Age—and one most experts considered beyond repair. In American Chestnut, Susan Freinkel tells the dramatic story of the stubborn optimists who refused to let this cultural icon go. In a compelling weave of history, science, and personal observation, she relates their quest to save the tree through methods that ranged from classical plant breeding to cutting-edge gene technology. But the heart of her story is the cast of unconventional characters who have fought for the tree for a century, undeterred by setbacks or skeptics, and fueled by their dreams of restored forests and their powerful affinity for a fellow species.
"In prose as strong and quietly beautiful as the American chestnut itself, Susan Freinkel profiles the silent catastrophe of a near-extinction and the impassioned struggle to bring a species back from the brink. Freinkel is a rare hybrid: equally fluid and in command as a science writer and a chronicler of historical events, and graced with the poise and skill to seamlessly graft these talents together. A perfect book."—Mary Roach, author of Stiff and Spook "A spellbinding, heart wrenching, and uplifting account of the American chestnut that asks the vastly important question: Have we learned enough, and do we care enough, to begin healing some of the wounds we've inflicted on the natural ...
Before 1910 the American chestnut was one of the most common trees in the eastern United States. Although historical evidence suggests the natural distribution of the American chestnut extended across more than four hundred thousand square miles of territory—an area stretching from eastern Maine to southeast Louisiana—stands of the trees could also be found in parts of Wisconsin, Michigan, Washington State, and Oregon. An important natural resource, chestnut wood was preferred for woodworking, fencing, and building construction, as it was rot resistant and straight grained. The hearty and delicious nuts also fed wildlife, people, and livestock. Ironically, the tree that most piqued the e...
American chestnut trees were once found far and wide in North America's eastern forests. They towered up to one hundred feet tall, providing food and shelter for people and animals alike. For many, life without the chestnut seemed unimaginable—until disaster struck in the early 1900s. What began as a wound in the bark of a few trees soon turned to an unstoppable killing force. An unknown blight was wiping out the American chestnut, and scientists felt powerless to prevent it. But the story doesn't end there. Today, the American chestnut is making a comeback. Narrative nonfiction master Sally M. Walker tells a tale of loss, restoration, and the triumph of human ingenuity in this beautifully photographed middle-grade book.
Of four billion trees that once dominated the Eastern Forest, only an isolated few survived the early 20th century Chestnut Blight. Through back-crossbreeding The American Chestnut Foundation is giving the tree another chance. "Mighty Giants" tells the Big Story in the words of over 25 contributors from Henry Ward Beecher, Henry David Thoreau, newspaper journalists, and Foxfire interviewees, to Nobel Laureates Jimmy Carter and Norman Borlaug, chestnut scientists, and Barbara Kingsolver (from "Prodigal Summer"). Profusely illustrated with photographs both historic and modern, maps, charts, paintings and sketches. Full color throughout. Indexed.
This manual explores the topics of ecological principles to manage ecosystems. It teaches how to recognize forest disturbances (natural and introduced), recognize forest age, learn to identify dominant and understory species, learn the principles of basic tree identification, and measure biological diversity, tree growth and tree health. The manual specifically focuses on the conservation of the American chestnut tree species. The manual includes the American chestnut tree's ecological history and distribution, favorable soil conditions, companion plants and animals that depend on and disperse the chestnut, and major disturbances (natural and introduced) that impacted the chestnut distributi...
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From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of Max comes a heartwarming, middle grade adventure story about a rescue dog, Chestnut, who befriends a girl trying to save her family's Christmas tree farm in North Carolina. Chestnut is a dog without a family. After being abandoned in the wild, Chestnut is wandering the North Carolina countryside trying to survive. When twelve-year-old Meg stumbles upon him on the outskirts of her family's Christmas tree farm, she just knows that they're meant to be together forever. The only problem? The farm is on the brink of closing down, and her family can't afford a pet. Meg knows she has what it takes to save the business and take care of Chestnut--she'll just need to keep him a secret until then. Will Meg and Chestnut get their Christmas miracle?