Aconversation with Mike McGee of Tolland reveals his unabashed and passionate interest in the plight of the American chestnut tree . McGee , vice president of the Connecticut chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation , is involved with a project to capture nuts and fruits from a Tolland chestnut tree that is believed to be resistant to the blight which was introduced in the United States around 1900 and has been killing the species ever since .

“ It is a long and labor-intensive undertaking , ” McGee said of the study , while standing underneath the chestnut tree on Pilgrim Drive in Tolland .

In June , special bags were placed on branches of the tree in an effort to capture the tree’s nuts before pollination . In early October , the bags will be harvested , and any successfully captured fruit will be backcrossed in an attempt to produce a blight-resistant American chestnut tree which can be used to repopulate the species along the east coast .

The tree in Tolland represents just one part of an extensive undertaking by the American Chestnut Foundation . The organization estimates that the entire breeding process will take between 30 and 50 years. Each generation of breeding between the American chestnut trees and blight-resistant Chinese chestnuts is estimated to take a minimum of five yearsand up to a decade .

“ My interest started when I was working on renovating my house [ in Tolland ] and was rebuilding a section of the wood floor . I was amazed at the property of the wood in the old house , because it didn’t have any sills or rot , ” McGee said . His curiosity led him to find that his house was framed in chestnut wood .

As McGee describes it , one thing led to another , and soon he was doing extensive research into the story of the American chestnut tree and the national and state foundation’s efforts to restore it .

“ There is a plan in place to once again have an American chestnut tree which is no longer susceptible to the blight , ” he said , “ but it is a success that is very much still in the making . ”

While doing door-to-door campaigning for the Tolland Town Council in the fall , McGee noticed a healthy American chestnut tree on the property of Anne Hijarne . He asked her if she would be interested in having her tree be part of the chestnut research and restoration project .

“ I feel quite excited and honored , ” said Hijarne , who has lived in the house for nearly 40 years. “ I had no idea that the tree could be used for anything this important . ”

Now , a sign in front of the tree describes the ongoing project for passersby .

“ This American chestnut has been selected for pollination to produce chestnut blight-resistant seeds . Blight usually kills trees before they flower , this tree is a rare exception . The bags in the top branches are protecting the flowers and developing nuts . Our goal is to produce new trees that can successfully fight off this disease , ” the sign reads .

A re-examination of the tree found signs of decay .

“ We’re really just hoping that [ the tree ] survives this year, ” McGee said , adding that he believes there are many more trees throughout the Tolland region that could be used in a similar way towards this effort .

“ These trees used to be the giants of the east coast and of this area , ” McGee said . Now , his work – what he describes as merely contribution by discovery – is helping to restore the American chestnut tree to its position of natural prominence .

To contact Mike McGee with chestnut trees that may be included in this study , e-mail him at mikemcgee 1 @comcast . net .