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Fungus-resistant chestnuts return to Bronx Zoo
5 Oct
Summary
- Bronx Zoo plants blight-resistant hybrid chestnut trees.
- American chestnuts were nearly wiped out by a fungus.
- New trees resist the deadly blight that destroyed billions.
The Bronx Zoo is reintroducing the American chestnut tree, nearly a century after a devastating blight virtually eliminated the species. Today, the zoo will plant 20 new hybrid chestnut trees, the first since the blight took hold. These trees are bred to resist the fungus that once destroyed an estimated four billion American chestnuts.
The American chestnut was once a dominant forest species, providing crucial food for wildlife like deer and bears, and its wood was highly valued. The blight, likely introduced with Asian chestnuts, spread rapidly, infecting 98 percent of the trees in New York City parks by 1905.
The new hybrids, developed by the American Chestnut Foundation using Chinese chestnut resistance, are a collaborative effort with the New York Restoration Project. This planting signifies a hopeful new chapter for the species and for the zoo's conservation mission.
Meanwhile, at Cornell University, a weekend of reflection followed revelations about how campus police and the district attorney handled a student's rape claim from 2024. The state attorney general is now overseeing a criminal investigation after the local DA decided not to press charges, a decision that has drawn significant criticism.
