E34 – Michael Goergen — Saving the American Chestnut, Genetics, Hope & the Future of America’s Forests 🌰🌳

Send us Fan MailIn E34, Scott sits down with Michael Goergen, President & CEO of the American Chestnut Foundation, for a powerful and deeply hopeful conversation about restoring one of America’s most important lost trees — the American Chestnut.The American Chestnut once made up 25% of the Appalachian forest, feeding wildlife, sustaining communities, and anchoring entire ecosystems. Then a blight brought from overseas wiped out nearly every adult tree within a single human lifetime. Today, only root sprouts remain — alive, but unable to reach the canopy.Michael walks us through:🌰 The rise and fall of the American Chestnut — from canopy monarch to functional extinction 🌱 Why the roots never died — and how this miracle of endurance makes restoration possible🧬 Cutting-edge genetics & breeding programs: • Recombinant genomic selection • Cross-breeding resistant trees • Exploring CRISPR and biotech tools • Why restoring a long-lived tree requires decades of patience🔥 Battling multiple threats: • Chestnut blight • Phytophthora root rot • Site conditions that determine survival or failure🏔 Chestnut groves that still exist today — and where to find wild sprouts and active restoration orchards along the East Coast🤝 Why this work is powered mostly by volunteers and private donors, not the government — and why that makes it one of America’s great conservation stories🌲 Forests, ecosystems, water, wildlife, and people — how restoring a single keystone species strengthens entire landscapes and communities🐻 Unexpected connections: • Chestnuts and black bears • Chestnuts and passenger pigeons • Chestnuts and early Indigenous cultures💡 Why hope — not fear — drives conservation, and why Michael believes a restored, self-sustaining American Chestnut forest is achievable within our lifetimes.📚 Michael’s Book Recommendation: Nature’s Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West — William Cronon👇 Bonus content & updates: https://naturallyscott.kit.com/5fd12c6752