On Thursday, April 25th at 6pm, the RIHS will be screening a new documentary film from The American Chestnut Foundation:Clear Day Thunder, a documentary about the efforts of passionate citizen scientists and researchers working to restore this ecologically and economically significant tree species.
The American chestnut once dominated portions of the eastern U.S. forests, from Maine to Mississippi. Numbering in the billions, the tree was one of the tallest and fastest growing in those regions. Pollinators depended on the flowers, and wildlife, livestock, and people relied on its nutritious nut. Tall and fast-growing, the tree’s wood was rot-resistant and straight-grained, making it an excellent source of lumber.
In the late 1800s, a deadly blight, Cryphonectria parasitica, was inadvertently imported to the U.S. from Asia as global horticultural trade increased. The American chestnut had no resistance, and in fewer than 50 years, the fungus had eliminated it as a mature forest tree, rendering it functionally extinct.
After the screening, the Secretary of the Massachusetts/Rhode Island Chapter of the American Chestnut Association, Yvonne Federowicz, will share the history of the chestnut in Rhode Island and take questions from the audience.
Guests can register for free here.