NYC’s 1000 Chestnut Challenge: Free Trees To Revive Extinct Species
Join the community effort to bring back American Chestnuts to New York's urban landscape
Pratibha holds a master's degree in English from Madras University. A bookworm from a young age, she devours books and digital humanities to nourish her writing projects. Pratibha began her writing career in 2018 and has experience writing formal, informal, and technical content.
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The New York Restoration Project (NYRP) has launched an ambitious initiative to bring back the functionally extinct American Chestnut tree to New York City’s urban landscape. The organization announced they are giving away free chestnut trees to NYC residents and institutions as part of their “1000 Chestnut Challenge.”
The Return Of An American Icon
Once a dominant species in Eastern forests, the American Chestnut was virtually wiped out by a devastating fungal blight in the early 20th century. Now, NYRP is partnering with longtime conservationist Bart Chezar and The American Chestnut Foundation to distribute saplings throughout the five boroughs with the goal of establishing 1,000 thriving trees in the city’s urban canopy.
The Instagram post announcing the initiative features a video of representative from NYRP, and Bart Chezar, explaining the 1000 chestnuts challenge.
A Community Science Experiment
More than just a tree giveaway, this initiative represents a long-term community science experiment. According to NYRP’s announcement, the distributed seedlings have varying levels of resistance to the chestnut blight that devastated the species.
“We are seeking partner individuals and institutions to plant and monitor these seedlings as part of a long-term community science experiment,” states the post. “The different seeds have a range of resistance to the chestnut blight, and the monitoring data we collect will help us identify resistant trees to collect seeds from in the future.”
This collaborative data collection will not only benefit local restoration efforts but will also contribute to larger initiatives led by The American Chestnut Foundation to bring back this iconic tree nationwide.
Collaborative Conservation Efforts
The project highlights the importance of partnership in conservation work. NYRP acknowledges the collaboration of several organizations in this endeavor, including NYC Parks, The American Chestnut Foundation, Bart Chezar, Historic Green-Wood Cemetery, Prospect Park, and TreeBed LLC.
Interested participants can apply to receive free chestnut trees through the link provided in NYRP’s bio or by visiting nyrp.org/chestnut.
Bette Midler’s Environmental Legacy
While not directly mentioned in this specific post, it’s worth noting that Bette Midler, the award-winning entertainer, founded the New York Restoration Project in 1995. The organization has been dedicated to transforming open space in New York City, with a particular focus on underserved communities.
Midler has long been passionate about environmental causes. Just this past Earth Day, she shared a post with a poetic tribute to nature, quoting William Wordsworth’s “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood,” reflecting her deep appreciation for the natural world.
NYRP recently celebrated its 30-year anniversary, as highlighted in another Instagram post that showcased the organization’s impact on making “the corner of Earth we call New York City a cleaner and greener home for everyone.” Their work has included the Million Trees NYC Initiative, which the organization partnered with NYC Parks to implement.
Why American Chestnuts Matter
The American Chestnut (Castanea dentata) was once one of the most important trees in Eastern North American forests, comprising up to 25% of hardwood forests from Maine to Georgia. These massive trees could grow over 100 feet tall and 10 feet in diameter, providing valuable timber and nutritious nuts that supported wildlife and human communities alike.
When the chestnut blight fungus (Cryphonectria parasitica) was accidentally introduced from Asia in the early 1900s, it devastated the American Chestnut population. Within 40 years, approximately four billion trees were killed, effectively eliminating the species as a forest canopy tree.
How To Participate
NYRP’s initiative provides a unique opportunity for New Yorkers to participate in ecological restoration while contributing to scientific research. By monitoring the growth and health of planted chestnuts, participants help identify blight-resistant varieties that could be crucial for future restoration efforts.
The organization is seeking individuals and institutions willing to plant and monitor the saplings over time. Those interested can apply through NYRP’s website to receive their free chestnut tree and become part of this historic conservation effort.
This initiative represents not just an environmental restoration project, but a chance to reconnect New Yorkers with an important piece of American natural heritage that has been missing from our landscapes for nearly a century.
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