​ Many Grantham residents attended the April 22nd event sponsored by the Grantham Conservation Commission (GCC) “Local Successes in Restoring the American Chestnut Tree”. We had three speakers who did a wonderful job of describing the history of the American Chestnut Tree, the blight that killed virtually all (4 billion) chestnut trees and the current effort to restore the American Chestnut tree to our area. The New London Conservation Commission has a robust effort underway and one we hope to model as we develop our own Grantham Restoration Project.

This is a new project for the GCC that will be implemented on the Town Forest land. There is much to do in assessing the ideal location for planting, soil preparation prior to planting, seed planting in pots 6-9 months in advance of seedling planting, protection of the seedlings from rodents and deer, and eventually statistic tracking as the orchard becomes established and developed in the coming years.

Our effort began with the acquisition of 30 American Chestnut seeds from The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) in early April as part of their Annual Seed sale. These seeds had already spent 60-90 days in cold storage to give them the sense of winter conditions (cold stratification) so that they would be ready for planting once we received them. Those seeds were immediately planted in pots and housed in a heated woodshop with exposure to some light. One thing we had to keep in mind is that not all seeds will germinate, sprout and produce a seedling so we needed to set our expectations accordingly. As of today (approximately nine weeks after planting) we have 19 thriving seedlings that were moved mid-May to a greenhouse. We’ve attached a couple of photos.

The plan is to plant these seedlings early this fall in the Town Forest. Over the couple of months we’ll be evaluating the soil conditions and identifying specific planting locations for the 19 seedlings from this, our 2025 crop. We’ll be clearing away underbrush, weeds and laying weed barrier in anticipation of the planting this fall.

Our goal for planting seeds in early 2026 will be to not only acquire seeds through the TACF Annual Seed sale but to also seek seeds from the VT/NH TACF chapter as we continue to work with them in their harvest of seeds from the American Chestnut trees near Barre, VT. This is an annual event for them and allows them to offer seeds locally to members of TACF who have chosen to also be members of the local chapter. We expect that we could have between 50 and 80 seeds to plant next Spring which could yield 30 to 50 seedlings.

A member of the GCC has volunteered to assist the New London Conservation Commission in the planting of their seedlings as well as adapt some of their existing planted seedlings for appropriate deer and critter protection so that we are well positioned to do the same when we initially plant our first crop next Spring.

We will provide periodic updates on this restoration project and will welcome those residents who wish to participate in the planting this fall. If you are interested in assisting please email me at [email protected].

A No-Dig Garden requires either sheets of newspaper covered in cardboard or simply 6-12 inches of wood chips of any kind — No Dig, No Plastic, No Hassle. Poison Ivy and Virginia Creeper might burst through these barriers, but they can be eliminated later when they appear.

On May 26th, Garden Club member Amelia Lantz led the charge in cutting through the cardboard to plant the two No-Dig Garden beds at the Orchard in Brookside Park. Beebalm (Monarda didyma), the milkweed Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum), Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea), and Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum) are the initial plantings donated by Amelia and Commissioner Marty Gearhart. Commissioner Dennis Ryan reclaimed his past glory of 2016 when he had assisted Renee Gustafson in the first Pollinator Gardens. His Three Dollar Dolley and his Grandkids’ Radio Flyer Brand Little Red Wagon were once again put to good use in moving plants and buckets of mulch.

Special praise for Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum). Less invasive than most mints, it has an excellent tolerance for a wide range of light and moisture and is a big favorite for nearly all pollinators. In fact, the University of Delaware entomologist, renowned conservationist, and prolific author Doug Tallamy has stated that if every home owner planted a native oak and a clump of Mountain Mint, huge benefits would benefit bugs and, especially, birds. Dr. Tallamy has shown that it takes 10,000 caterpillars to raise a clutch of 4 chickadees from eggs to adulthood. Since oaks are everywhere in Grantham, all we need to do to help our fauna is to plant Mountain Mint. If you want to do more, you can buy one of his many books such as “Bringing Nature Home” or “Nature’s Best Hope.” And be sure to check out his organization: homegrownnationalpark.org

As the gardens grow through the summer, the other GGC members of the “The Brookside Brigade,” including Terri Munson, Renee Gustafson, and Kathy Houghton (also a Commissioner) will help Commissioners Dennis Ryan and Arborist Colin Davis of Wild Tree with additional plant donations as well as watering. Check out the No-Dig Gardens and the information on both sides of the Orchard Kiosk when you next walk Brookside. And don’t forget to take iNaturalist Observations whenever you are there.