This webinar is part of the Virginia Master Naturalist Continuing Education series.

Description: This presentation will cover the history, demise, and restoration efforts of the American Chestnut in the United States, including economic, ecological, cultural, and technical aspects of this iconic tree species. In a matter of a few decades, the American chestnut, Castanea dentata, was brought to ecological extinction by a disease introduced from Asia. The chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) was first discovered in New York in 1904, at a time when a majority of the forest in the Appalachian region was dominated by chestnuts. The American Chestnut Foundation's backcross breeding program and restoration efforts will be discussed in detail.

Presenter: Matt Brinckman joined The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) in 2012 as the Regional Science Coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic region, which includes the Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland chapters of TACF. He holds both B.S. and M.S. degrees in Forest Management from Virginia Tech and has an extensive background in silviculture, forest ecology, geographic information systems, tree care, and pest management. Before joining TACF, Matt was an Extension Faculty member in Virginia Tech's Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation where he led multiple initiatives and dealt with diverse natural resource stakeholders from various levels of industry, academia, and youth. He has also developed multiple, self-paced online tutorials for foresters, loggers, and landowners.

This webinar was presented on 29 April 2015.