May 27, 2019 – The UTRCA is working with the Forest Gene Conservation Association (FGCA) to preserve endangered native butternut trees. This species is threatened by butternut canker, a fungal disease, and protected under Ontario’s Endangered Species Act. We are guided by the National Recovery Strategy for Butternut and continually fundraise to implement its recovery recommendations.

“Archiving is a lengthy process that begins with finding butternut trees that are tolerating the canker. Once we find one of those special trees, we have a licensed arborist collect twigs from it in March,” said John Enright, UTRCA Forester. “The twigs are grafted onto black walnut trees in April, tended in a nursery for two years, then planted and managed in an orchard, which is fenced to keep deer out. This week, we will be adding 44 grafted butternut trees to the orchard.”

The UTRCA Seed Orchard currently has 161 grafted butternut, which represent 42 parent trees from across the tree’s Ontario range. The first grafted trees were planted out in 2015. The UTRCA hopes to collect seed from these trees in October. Any seed collected will be grown into seedlings, planted in reforestation projects in the Upper Thames River watershed, and carefully monitored to learn if canker tolerance has been passed on from the parents.

The FGCA has worked on butternut recovery since 1992, with the goals of:
– encouraging landowners to conserve and manage their butternut,
– archiving healthier native butternuts that may be genetically tolerant to the canker, and
– fundraising and managing resources that support long term progress.

Project Partners:
– Forest Gene Conservation Association
– Upper Thames River Conservation Authority

The Butternut Archiving Program managed by the FGCA and local partners has established five protected sites since 2009 and produced grafts of 111 butternuts, with plans to archive hundreds more. These sites, known as archives and managed as seed orchards, are important collections of genetic material that we can eventually test for canker tolerance and use to reintroduce butternut to our landscape.

FGCA continues to search for more butternut to archive. We continually fundraise to be able to advise landowners and assess their trees. Please contact the FGCA for information on butternut and butternut canker, and if you have a tree that is tolerating the canker.

More information: Forest Gene Conservation Association

Contact: Heather Zurbrigg, FGCA Butternut Program Coordinator, John Enright, UTRCA Forester, or Steve Sauder, UTRCA Marketing Specialist