Ep. 133: Ozark Chinquapin Foundation: Steve and Leslie Bost

Brandon Butler and Nathan “Shags” McLeod sit down with Steve and Leslie Bost with the Ozark Chinquapin Foundation.The Ozark Chinquapin Foundation is a non-for-profit organization whose members strive to restore the Ozark Chinquapin trees.The Ozark Chinquapin (Castanea Ozarkensis), sometimes called the Ozark Chinkapin or Ozark Chestnut, was drought tolerant, grew to heights of 65 feet, 2-3 feet diameter, and grew on acidic dry rocky soils on hilltops and slopes. The trees produced a bounty of sweet nuts every year without fail and was sought as a nutritious food source by humans and wildlife. The wood was highly prized because it was rot resistant and made excellent railroad ties and fence posts.Now the trees are gone.Logging practices and later the chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica) wiped out the Ozark Chinquapin. Today only blighted stumps remain of this once important Ozark tree. Sprouts emerge from the stumps, many managing to produce some nuts, but within 4-6 years the blight again strikes, killing the sprouts and starting the blighted cycle all over again. The number of surviving stumps and the historic range of the tree continue to shrink.For more info: https://ozarkchinquapinmembership.org/#https://www.facebook.com/ozarkchinquapinfoundationhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYLWMTTEAeTvZFQzqlT886gSpecial Thanks To CZ-USA:https://cz-usa.com/Special Thanks To Living The Dream Properties:https://livingthedreamland.com/Special Thanks To Hunting Works For Missouri:https://huntingworksformo.com/Special Thanks To Mongo Attachments:https://www.mongoattachments.com/Special Thanks To Scenic Rivers Taxidermy:http://www.scenicriverstaxidermy.com/Connect with Driftwood Outdoors:https://www.facebook.com/DriftwoodOutdoors/https://www.instagram.com/driftwoodoutdoors/Email:[email protected]