Ron Kuipers
Kensington, Md. Retired CIA Analyst

Kuipers is working to restore the American chestnut tree to its formerly dominant role in eastern U.S. forests by developing a blight-resistant breed. He manages 15 experimental orchards in Maryland, one of which he hopes will produce the hybrid chestnuts needed to fortify a more balanced forest ecosystem.

I grew up in the country, on a small farm in Michigan. The first day of pheasant season was bigger than your birthday or Christmas. Maybe at 16, your girlfriend could compete with opening day. Now that I’m older, it’s not about trophies as much as just being there.

By the time I was born, the blight introduced by Asian trees had been leapfrogging through eastern forests for almost 40 years, and by 1950 American chestnuts were wiped out down to Georgia. The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) began working to breed a tree that has the characteristics of an American chestnut and the blight resistance of an Asian chestnut. I was a volunteer with the Rockville, Md., chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA) in 2005, and I saw an opportunity for a beneficial partnership, so I joined the Maryland chapter of TACF. I brought the chestnut story to two other chapters of the IWLA and other organizations, and over time I assumed responsibility for the management of 15 orchards, containing 4,000 trees. I now invest about 1,500 hours and travel 10,500 miles annually, usually with my dogs.

Oaks and ashes are also suffering from invasive vines and undergrowth. If current mast species decline any further, chestnuts will be even more-important.

We’re currently evaluating our fifth generation of trees in Maryland, a process that will take decades. It takes a huge amount of time to keep all the data straight, but I think we are coming along toward our goal. It may take a hundred years or more, but it is hopeful work.

—As told to Kristyn Brady