All are welcome to tune in on Zoom for this month’s Rockville Science Cafe lecture, “The Return of a Forest Icon: Strategies for Restoring the American Chestnut” with Cassie Stark.

Register in advance for the Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/jtKqZiSPRTKNfz04XvU79w#/registration

The American chestnut (Castanea dentata) was once a dominant species across the Appalachian region. Following the introduction of chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) in 1904, the population was decimated within a century. The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF), a nonprofit organization, is dedicated to restoring the species to its native range. This presentation will examine contemporary scientific approaches to restoration, including the application of biotechnology and breeding programs utilizing recurrent genomic selection.

Our speaker: Cassie Stark received her B.S. in biology from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. She began working at The American Chestnut Foundation in 2022 as Lab Manager at their research farms and accepted the position as Regional Science Coordinator in May 2023.