The life, death, and rebirth of a perfect treeby susan freinkel4. Feb 02, 2020 the majestic american chestnut tree was once common throughout the forests of eastern north america, providing sweet, meaty chestnuts for humans and wildlife. If your tree has long toothed pendant leaves like this, it may be a member in the chestnut family. Free shipping on many items browse your favorite brands affordable prices. An american chestnut anthology is the inspiring story of an american symbol and the struggle to save it from the brink of extinction, the saga of a unique and exceptional tree that supported a way of life, that fed and sheltered our ancestors, and touched almost every phase of our existence. What it takes to bring back the near mythical american. This book is a nonfiction picture book with an immense amount of information about american chestnut trees. The legacy of the american chestnut is as much cultural as it is botanical, as shown in susan freinkels superb book length study, american chestnut. Apr 03, 2018 critic, book world april 3, 2018 at 1. The american chestnut tree once sustained a way of life.
Click get books and find your favorite books in the online library. The life, death, and rebirth of a perfect tree 9780520247307 by freinkel, susan and a great selection of similar new. You can purchase pure american chestnuts from several vendors e. Check with us on the relaunch of the updated product. It is an educational tool developed by tacf volunteers that brings the story of the american chestnut to classrooms, nature centers, and civic groups in a tangible, thoughtprovoking way. Massive, fastgrowing, and rotresistant, it was easy to mill into cabin logs, furniture, fence posts, and railroad ties. It was one of the worst ecological blows to north america since the ice ageand one most experts considered beyond repair. People constructed buildings from its smooth, glowing wood. Buy american chestnut the life, death, and rebirth of a.
Nature a fascinating roundup of the characters and passions behind a centuryold effort to rescue a tree that is both emblematic in american culture and deeply problematic to its erstwhile saviors. The american chestnut learning box is currently being redeveloped. American chestnut by susan freinkel paperback university of. Pioneers used the tall, straight, and fastgrowing tree for fences, railroad ties, furniture, and anything else.
By almost any metric, the american chestnut was a perfect tree. Looks at the history of the american chestnut tree and how it was left on the brink of extinction from a plague and the quest to save the tree. But in the early twentieth century, an exotic plague swept through the chestnut forests with the force of a wildfire. This new american chestnut blight, caused by the chestnut blight fungus and presumably brought in from eastern asia, was first found in only a few trees in the new york zoological garden. Dec 18, 2018 deagan miller takes us through a history of trees and forests.
We cannot guarantee that the american chestnut book is in the library. The beauty of this book is that at its heart it is a tale of the heroic spirit of individuals who have dedicated careers to work on a solution against great odds. The story of the american chestnut species is the main focus of susan freinkels book. Create free account to access unlimited books, fast download and ads free. The life, death, and rebirth of a perfect tree is by far the best written, researched and passionate about the chestnut.
Her observations focus the dialogue on the evolution of a consciousness about an enemy that had. The american chestnut has long canoe shaped leaves with a prominent lanceshaped tip, with a coarse, forward hooked teeth at the edge of the leaf. Jan 01, 2007 the american chestnut is a perfect case study of the disastrous affects of invasive species on americas biodiversity. Trees, forests, and the making of a nation kindle edition eric rutkow. Pdf the american chestnut download full ebooks for free. From school library journal gr 58the awardwinning nonfiction author brings to light the intriguing story of the beleaguered american chestnut tree.
It was one of the worst ecological blows to north america since the ice age. Apr 30, 2020 the american chestnut foundation has partnered with organizations that plant trees on abandoned coal mines, and chestnuts are now growing on thousands of acres of these devastated places. It was a staple of the forests, longlived and large, with abundant tree nuts for wildlifesome lived up to 600 years and grew up to 100 feet tall. Saving the american chestnut tree cincinnati magazine. Educational opportunities for youth the american chestnut. American chestnut by susan freinkel paperback university. Walker, is the comeback tale of the american chestnut tree as the subtitle states. The leaf is dull or matte rather than shiny or waxy in texture. Last, the american chestnut has been an especially beloved tree, immortalized in poetry, songs, books, street signs, and the names of many schools, hotels and parks across the country. They towered up to one hundred feet tall, providing food and shelter for people and animals alike. In prose as strong and quietly beautiful as the american chestnut itself, susan freinkel profiles the silent catastrophe of a nearextinction and the impassioned struggle to bring a species back from the brink. The learner will be introduced to the basic ecology and silvics, historical significance, and the demise of the tree species that.
In american chestnut, science writer susan freinkel recounts the discovery of chestnut blight and the ongoing attempts to save the species. Articles and books panj chapter of the american chestnut. A devastating chestnut disease was first introduced in north america from an exported tree to new york city in 1904. Jan 25, 2017 chestnut trees offered shade in town squares, were the wood of choice for pioneers log cabins, and were a mainstay of american woodcraft. But in the early twentieth century, an exotic plague sw. The mission of the american chestnut foundation is to restore the american chestnut tree to our eastern woodlands to benefit our environment, our wildlife, and our society. An unknown blight was wiping out the american chestnut, and scientists felt powerless to prevent it.
Susan freinkels american chestnut, subtitled the life, death and rebirth of a perfect tree, is the perfect book for the reader who loves things natural. I think this would be a great book for elementary school students who. Buy american chestnut the life, death, and rebirth of a perfect tree book online at best prices in india on. Xena the hedgehog by jeannine kazacos this african pygmy hedgehog, posing beside an american chestnut seedling, is the winner of our 2016 tacf photo contest. Appendices provide additional background information that includes source notes for. Within forty years, the blight had killed close to four billion trees and left the species teetering on the brink of extinction. Mar 02, 2021 experimental chestnut trees at a nursery in state college, pennsylvania. In short, chestnuts were part of everyday american life. The life, death and rebirth of a perfect tree, susan freinkel looks at the response to the crisis and efforts to reestablish the species. More than just a tree sara fitzsimmons and jared westbrook of the american chestnut foundation introduce us to the cultural, economic, and ecological value of the functionally extinct american chestnut and ongoing efforts to bring it back to our forests.
Jan 22, 2021 the american asian crossbred trees, even after several generations, produce shorter, bushier offspring, mimicking the characteristics of the asian chestnut. As he has always felt at ease in the woods he is concerend with what will happen now that forests are rapidly declining worldwide. I think this would be a great book for elementary school students who are interested in plants and science. First published in 2018, the book is written in a narrative style at a middlegrade level. The life, death, and rebirth of a perfect tree by susan freinkel 2009, trade paperback at the best online prices at ebay. History of the american chestnut the american chestnut. The demise and potential revival of the american chestnut. The life, death, and rebirth of a perfect tree ebook written by susan freinkel.
The life, death and rebirth of a perfect tree university of california press, 2007. Mary roach, author of stiff and spooka spellbinding, heart wrenching, and uplifting account of the american chestnut that asks the vastly important question. We do not have to stand by as the american chestnut be comes a distant memory for most people. As of this writing, they have produced up to 1516 castenea dentata genome. Apr 29, 2019 if youre interested in growing chestnuts for your own interest, and not necessarily in collaboration with the american chestnut foundation, they have a nice guide on growing chestnut. Growing the american chestnut tree mother earth news. The american chestnut was one of americas most common, valued, and beloved treesa perfect tree that ruled the forests from georgia to maine. Finding a mature american chestnut in the wild is so rare today that discoveries are reported in the national press. This is a great book for readers of all ages, not just its target audience of 5th8th graders.
The american chestnut tree castanea dentata once dominated the eastern half of the u. Tree identification the american chestnut foundation. Can genetic engineering bring back the american chestnut. The american chestnut cooperators foundation accf is following the approach of extreme natural selection by manually crosspollinating the few disparate old survivors, which can be described as extreme natural selection. Nov 29, 2019 below, powers shares his bibliography for the overstory 26 books that contain a wide range of information about trees, from how the american chestnut disappeared to histories of radical. Because it could grow rapidly and attain huge sizes, the tree was often the outstanding visual feature in both urban and rural landscapes. What they feel, how they communicate discoveries from a secret world by peter wohlleben. Download full the american chestnut book or read online anytime anywhere, available in pdf, epub and kindle. The american chestnut foundation is a notforprofit 501 c3.
Get the best deals on american chestnut folk art when you shop the largest online selection at. The american chestnut research and restoration project home. The life, death, and rebirth of a perfect tree chronicles the history of chestnut blight, a devastating fungal disease first identified in 1904 by. The american chestnut was one of americas most common, valued, and beloved treesa perfect tree that ruled the forests from georgia to. There used to be 4 billion american chestnut trees, but they. Walker tells a tale of loss, restoration, and the triumph of human ingenuity in this beautifully photographed middlegrade book. In my excitement over the chestnut i purchased several books. An online interactive course on the american chestnut castanea dentata has been developed by stacy clark, research forester with the usda forest service, southern research station. It offers a detailed background of chestnut history, and thorough descriptions of various potential restoration options including backcross breeding, hypovirulence, and genetic engineering. Utc henry david thoreau once heaved a big stone against the trunk of a chestnut tree to bring down a shower of nuts. The american chestnut foundation tacf has been active for many years, following the technical approach of backcrossing american chestnuts and asian chestnuts.
The american chestnut foundation is working on a program of backcross breeding to produce a hybrid with predominately american traits. Atkinson is married to the former jane ann chestnut of lawrence, kansas, a researcher and clinician at the national institutes of health. Atkinsons first book, written while on leave from the post, was the long gray line. American chestnut trees were once found far and wide in north americas eastern forests. The american chestnut was one of americas most common, valued, and beloved treesa perfect. The american chestnut research and restoration project, syracuse, new york. The comeback tale of the american chestnut tree by. But only one hundred years ago, this enormous tree covered the eastern coast of the united states.
Articles and books the american chestnut foundation. Accf geneticists calculated that perhaps 10% estimates range from 5% to 20% of the plants produced in this manner will. The book describes these efforts icluding research underway on genetic modification of the fungus itself and the introduction of biological controls. We have developed a blightresistant american chestnut tree. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read american chestnut. Introduction to the american chestnut castanea dentata. Chief river nursery, though they are susceptible to blight. Live plant american chestnut ynks tree hybrid heavy established 2 gallon potted 1 plant, tree, fruit, flower, plant. In addition, perdue university is planning on working with some of the seeds. The allegory of the american chestnut deagan miller. They do produce nuts like other chestnut varieties, but theyre not as sweet or nutritious and their output per tree falls short of the prolific american chestnut. The eight chapters are well illustrated and contain helpful photographs. The american chestnut tree survived all adversaries for 40 million years, then disappeared within 40.
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