Chestnut expert to speak at college

Published 11:19 pm Thursday, November 15, 2007

Dalton State College will host a lecture by noted chestnut scientist Hill Craddock on Dec. 4 in the Goodroe Auditorium in Memorial Hall. The event, which is free and open to the public, will begin at 7 p.m.

Craddock, a professor at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga who is involved with the Chattanooga Chestnut Project, will discuss the release of the book “Mighty Giants: An American Chestnut Anthology.” His talk is sponsored by the Georgia chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation.

“We are fortunate to have Dr. Craddock speak here at Dalton State,” said Don Davis, professor of sociology at Dalton State and noted chestnut enthusiast. “He is truly a trail blazer when it comes to chestnut restoration. His powerpoint presentation is inspiring, informative and entertaining.”

“Mighty Giants” tells, in images and words, the story of the “once mighty monarch of the eastern forests and the people who have engaged in struggle against one of the greatest natural disasters in the history of forest biology,” Davis said, describing the blight of the chestnut tree as “perhaps the deadliest plant blight ever encountered.”

“The book is also the story of the dedicated few who refused to give up: the plant pathologists, geneticists and ordinary citizens who have labored long and valiantly to understand the blight and find a way to thwart it,” he added. “It is also a story of hope, of small but vital triumphs, as the secrets of the American chestnut and its deadly nemesis are revealed.”

Contributing to the book are former president Jimmy Carter, author Barbara Kingsolver, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Norman Borlog, author Bill McKibben and Craddock.

Dalton resident Mary Belle Price, a noted chestnut benefactor who is also featured in the book, plans to attend the lecture and will be on hand to sign copies of “Mighty Giants” following the presentation.

Copies of the book, both in hardback and softcover, will be available for purchase before and after the presentation and at the Dalton State bookstore.

People interested in learning more about the book can visit www.imagesfromthepast.com. For more information, call (706) 272-2676.