Chestnut Revival Takes Root at Sewickley Academy

Environmental science class students at S’s Senior School spent Sunday morning planting the American chestnut tree seedlings they nurtured and grew in class.

Students planted, nurtured and watched the trees grow for about three months, before finally getting the chance to transfer the trees to their new home -- an orchard behind the tennis courts at Nichols Field.

About two dozen faculty, students, administrators and parents participated in the tree planting, including Sewickley Heights Borough Park's Ranger Thad Jones, who taught the students the history behind the American chestnut and the deadly fungus that nearly wiped them out from forests throughout the United States forests, including Pennsylvania.

Next year, Jones said, 300 blight-resistant trees will be planted at Borough Park.

In addition to learning about the chestnut, the students joined the American Chestnut Foundation's project to restore the American chestnut to its native habitat and even made A.C.T. T-shirts, which stand for “American Chestnut Tree.”