Category: agrarian

fugit inreparabile tempus

human hand cow nose
Gray and I were walking the Atlantic Avenue, River/Old Harbor Road loop. Visited with the Holsteins.

portion of contact sheet
scanned the negative strips on a flatbed. This the last roll of TriX 35mm/36 I shot.

There have been two rolls of TriX hanging in my darkroom, drying, for years. I cut the film yesterday, discovered images from the summer of 2010. A decade. Fade to black.

Castanea dentata

Castanea dentata seedling
Fortunately, there are not too many parallels between COVID19 and the American Chestnut blight. But in common there is awareness and awakening. Minimize death, be careful. The awakening part… Have you planted a tree during this life? What are you waiting for? It is a rehabilitative and blessed thing to do. Plant. Now. #growingtowardthelight
large dead chestnut tree
The Family of James and Caroline Shelton pose by a large dead American chestnut tree in Tremont Falls, Tennessee, circa 1920. Courtesy of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Library

Greatest forest loss in history

The American chestnut is an historic and beloved part of America’s landscape. Its extinction would be the loss of a symbol of American strength, endurance and resourcefulness. Saving the chestnut and restoring it to its native range at scale could also help give other endangered tree species a new lease on life and directly offset the effects of climate change and deforestation. While no single intervention can completely eradicate chestnut blight, together the science of breeding, biotechnology, and biocontrol (3BUR) offer our best hope for rescuing the American chestnut tree.—The American Chestnut Foundation