In 1904, a devastating blight wiped out the American chestnut tree. 100 years later, a team of researchers is on the verge of bringing it back to the wild. In this three-part series, we explore restoration ecology in the United States, and how restoration ecology could save our planet.

*correction: SUNY-ESF has not received unlimited approval from the USDA. They’ve been approved to confined planting and testing, and are currently in the process of requesting unregulated approval.

Reading Mentioned in the Episode:

UN Decade on Restoration

Factsheet: UNEP and FAO June 2020

The American Chestnut Research and Restoration Project at SUNY-ESF

The American Chestnut Foundation

The Campaign to Stop GE Trees

Report: “Biotechnology for Forest Health: The Test Case of the Genetically Engineered Chestnut”