Tree board wins chestnut grant, plans Arbor Day and May plantings

The Chair of the Charles Town Tree Board announced the board’s grant application to the American Chestnut Foundation of West Virginia has been approved and that the town will receive at least 30 chestnut hybrid trees and accompanying funds for education and outreach.

The board said the size of the saplings is not yet certain and will depend on the nursery’s availability. “We will likely be receiving 30 chestnut trees, chestnut hybrids,” the Chair said. The board discussed planting the trees around Happy Retreat (a town park) or at Craig Hill Estates, and agreed to prioritize sites where the trees can thrive and be maintained.

The grant money, board members said, is intended to support educational components: interpretive signs, brochures or a short video about the American chestnut’s history and the reason for planting hybrid stock. “I really want to make this a component of the educational kind of aspect of Happy Retreat,” the Chair said.

Board members set the Arbor Day planting for April 26 at 10 a.m. and agreed to plant at Craig Hill Estates near an existing gravesite where earlier trees had failed, if Parks & Rec and the parks board approvals permit. Elizabeth, the board’s parks representative, said the parks board had already discussed some nearby planting and could help coordinate logistics.

The board also discussed community outreach tied to the tree giveaway and planting: a larger Blooms and Blossoms event and a separate 5K fundraiser called Miles That Matter that will dedicate proceeds to the tree board. The Chair said the grant’s educational funds could be used to design decorative protective tubes or similar treatments to make plantings more acceptable to park stewards.

What’s next: the board will confirm sapling size and delivery timing with the grant administrator, finalize planting locations with Parks & Rec, and proceed with outreach for volunteers for the April 26 and May plantings.