Thursday Night Nature: Bringing Back the American Chestnut: An Update with Mike Aucott, Ph.D. (October 31, 2024)

Mike Aucott, Ph.D., is here to review the importance and recent tragic history of this iconic tree, which once dominated Eastern forests but was virtually wiped out by an imported blight that appeared in the early 1900s. Learn the challenges and several varied strategies underway that are part of the effort help propel the tree over what researchers have called “the cusp of extinction” and to re-establish it in the North American forest.  Join us for a simplified description of the genetics involved in developing a blight-resistant tree that can thrive in the forest environment.  Aucott will also discuss the recent decision by the American Chestnut Foundation to abandon support for a specific genetically engineered tree and the importance of local efforts to find surviving and identifying American chestnuts.

Mike Aucott holds a Ph.D. in environmental science from Rutgers University. He retired from his position as research scientist for the NJ Department of Environmental Protection in 2012 but still works with NJDEP as a member of its science advisory board and part-time for the Department’s Bureau of Climate Change and Clean Energy. He also does consulting work in energy issues, air pollution and climate change. Aucott is a member of the board of the PA/NJ Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation and manages an orchard of 800 chestnut trees in Northern Pennsylvania, in addition to overseeing a hybrid chestnut breeding program involving 15 other growers.

Program Fee: $15 (Members, enter your code at checkout to receive your 20% discount.)

All lectures will be held virtually using Zoom. They will be recorded and shared with everyone who registers for a short time.