09/02/11 After more than half a century, the great American chestnut tree is returning to Indiana. The public is invited to celebrate this remarkable homecoming with an evening of festivities, including a Hog Roast, Silent Auction and Chestnut Orchard Tours to be held at Potawatomi Wildlife Park, September 10, from 4:00PM – 9:00PM.
The goal for of the event is to celebrate the tremendous progress that is being made on the restoration of the American chestnut in Indiana. For centuries, the American chestnut was the dominant tree of the eastern forests from Maine to Mississippi. It was a fast-growing hardwood tree that regularly reached 100 feet in height and was of vital importance to wildlife, the environment and rural communities. But in 1904, a deadly fungus was introduced into the United States, and by 1949, nearly four billion chestnut trees were lost.
For over 25 years, The American Chestnut Foundation has been working tirelessly toward its ultimate goal of restoring the American chestnut to eastern forests. Thanks to the efforts of TACF members, volunteers and sponsors who have been working on developing blight resistant trees, the restoration of the chestnut tree back into the wild has begun.
TACF, founded in 1983, is a 501(c) 3 organization headquartered in Asheville, NC. For more information on TACF and its national breeding program, visit www.acf.org.
Tickets are $60 for a couple; $40 for singles; $10 for youth and include a one-year membership to The American Chestnut Foundation. Chestnut Sponsors ($300) may bring a guest and will receive two blight-resistant American chestnut seeds (seeds will be shipped March 2012), All proceeds will go to the Indiana Chapter of The American Chestnut Foundation. Orchard tours will be held at 4:30 and 7:00 pm The Hog Roast and Silent Auction begin at 6:00 pm.
For tickets please visit http://shop.acf.org/in-event.aspx
