The Bronx Zoo has planted 20 new American chestnut trees as part of a long-term effort to restore a species largely eliminated by a devastating blight more than a century ago. The zoo’s grounds, encompassing 265 acres, once hosted these chestnuts, which were all but wiped out by a fungal disease identified in 1904.

The American chestnut was once a dominant feature of eastern U.S. forests, serving as a crucial food source for wildlife such as bears, deer, squirrels, and chipmunks, as well as livestock. In addition to its ecological role, its wood was valued for use in furniture, cabinetry, boats, fences, and telephone poles. The blight, introduced likely through imported Asian chestnut trees, spread rapidly and devastated the population, including trees at the Bronx Zoo, where the last American chestnuts likely perished decades ago.

Craig Piper, director of the Bronx Zoo and interim executive vice president of the Wildlife Conservation Society, which oversees the zoo, emphasized the significance of the new planting. “This is so much more than planting trees to us,” Piper said. “Our overall mission is about conserving wildlife, but to do that, we have to conserve the place.”

The newly planted trees are hybrids bred by the American Chestnut Foundation to resist the chestnut blight while retaining the characteristics of the original species. These hybrids were developed through traditional breeding techniques, combining the blight resistance of Chinese chestnuts with the strength and qualities of American chestnuts.

The initiative is supported through a partnership with the New York Restoration Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to urban conservation. Jason Smith, director of northern Manhattan parks for the group, highlighted the timing of the planting. “We think it’s a good time to be planting trees in New York,” he said. The organization has long been active in reintroducing chestnuts to the region, including planting a chestnut grove in Highbridge Park nearly a decade ago and launching the “1,000 Chestnut Challenge” to encourage community participation in tree planting.

Smith also noted the symbolic importance of the planting at the Bronx Zoo in this narrative. “The Bronx Zoo was a part of this whole tragic story,” he said. “I think they’re eager for a happy ending.”

The effort to reestablish the American chestnut within New York’s urban landscapes represents both a nod to the past and a commitment to future ecological restoration. While the full recovery of the species remains a work in progress, these hybrid trees mark a significant step in countering the century-old blight that drastically altered American forests.