800: Robbie Shaw on American Chestnut Blight and Rescue

800: Robbie Shaw on American Chestnut Blight and Rescue.

Saving an iconic resource almost lost to history.

In This Podcast: What if you discovered a long lost tree, one that there used to be billions of two centuries ago, but are now functionally extinct? Today's guest found one and rather than do nothing, she wrote a book about their story. Join Robbie Shaw as she shares the epic adventure of the American Chestnut.

Our Guest: Robbie is a naturalist with a deep passion for storytelling that dates back to her childhood. When she stumbled across the New York Times article about an incurable blight that brought about the functional extinction of the American chestnut Forrest, she was moved and shocked. She wondered why generations of her family living in these forests never spoke about this incredible loss and why she had never learned about it in school.

It has taken a century, but today’s science and technology exist to address this tragedy and turn back the hands of time.  Restoring a functionally extinct species is no small task.  The goal of her debut novel, the tree that called us home is to share a story based on true events and disseminate, that story far and wide, so that every American for generations can come to know the beauty of sitting under a spreading chestnut tree and roasting chestnuts on an open fire.

Robin holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from Syracuse University and for years taught traditional breeding methods as a high school educator.   She also had a career as a financial planner, worked as a ski instructor, is a long-time organic farmer, and was elected to serve as a state representative to the Arizona legislature. 

Robbie's Book: The Tree That Called Us Home

Book Recommendation: The Diamond Cutter by Geshe Michael Roach

Visit www.UrbanFarm.org/AmericanChestnut for the show notes and links on this episode!

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