by Megan Schiffres
Over 100 years after the American chestnut tree population was decimated by the chestnut blight, a deadly fungus that was accidentally introduced to the continent in the late 19th century, families in the Northern Neck are returning to the fall tradition of harvesting chestnuts.
“I just love picking chestnuts and I did as a kid,” said Margot Angstrom, who recently took her children and family friends chestnut harvesting in the Northern Neck.
Before the blight, chestnut trees were among the most prolific plant species on the East Coast. These massive trees could…