Pfeiffer Nature Center Slideshow

Peg Cherre — Tue, 04 May 2010 13:12:31 +0000

I recently took Rick Miller, reporter for the Olean Times Herald, on a walk through part of our Lillibridge Road property. He took many photos, and posted them as a slide show on YouTube. Check it out!

American Chestnuts Planted

Peg Cherre — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:57:09 +0000

Pfeiffer Nature Center is happy to to join an established partnership between the NY Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation, Cornell University, and the National Wild Turkey Federation to reintroduce the American Chestnut.

Pfeiffer family cabin, 1940s

Once called Queen of the Forest, 1 in every 4 trees in northeastern forests was an American Chestnut. Chestnuts were an important source of food for farm animals and people alike, and the wood was prized for everything from fence posts to ship masts. Then the Chestnut blight hit, killing all but a handful of trees in the United States.

The American Chestnut tree has a particular significance for Pfeiffer Nature Center, since that’s what our historic log cabin is made from.

Volunteers planting chestnuts

So when we had the chance to plant some unmodified American Chestnut seedlings on our Lillibridge Road property, we jumped at it. It’s true that these seedlings are likely to succumb to the blight, which remains active in the soil, but with a little luck, these trees will produce fruit before they die, and with even more luck, some of their fruit will produce blight-resistant trees.

On May 22 volunteers Jeff McMullen and Josh White planted 9 saplings around the upper meadow on our Lillibridge property. Wish our trees long and prosperous lives!

Pfeiffer Nature Center & Foundation » log cabin

Pfeiffer Nature Center Slideshow

American Chestnuts Planted