Thursday Night Nature: Bringing Back the American Chestnut with Mike Aucott, Ph.D. (July 13, 2023)

Mike Aucott will touch on the importance and recent tragic history of this iconic tree, the American chestnut (Castanea dentata), which once dominated Eastern forests but was virtually wiped out by an imported blight that appeared in the early 1900s. The talk will describe the challenges and varied strategies that are part of the effort to help propel the tree over what researchers have called “the cusp of extinction” and to re-establish it in the North American forest. Included in this class is 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 importance of local efforts to find surviving American chestnuts and offer keys to help identify this tree.

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. He also does consulting work in energy issues, air pollution and climate change, and he is a member of the board of the PA/NJ Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation. Aucott manages an orchard of 800 chestnut trees in Northern Pennsylvania and oversees 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.