chestnuts

The American chestnut, once a dominant giant of Eastern US forests before a devastating blight wiped out billions of trees, has been replanted at the Bronx Zoo in New York City. The planting carries special symbolism: the blight that destroyed the species was first documented at the same site roughly 100 years ago. Conservationists are celebrating the return as a hopeful milestone in long-running efforts to restore the tree through breeding and research.

The dog shelter in Varese, Italy, is once again hosting the Castagnata, an event combining roasted chestnuts, social gatherings and animal adoption opportunities. The event offers visitors a chance to meet shelter dogs while enjoying refreshments and community activities, with the aim of encouraging adoptions and supporting the shelter's animals.

Hundreds of people are queuing to see 'Châtaigniers en fleurs' ('Chestnut Trees in Blossom'), a Van Gogh painting going on public display for the first time in 60 years. The work dates from the Dutch artist's final days and is regarded as one of the most important paintings of that period, drawing significant public and media attention to its rare exhibition.

A recipe combining pork chops with dried cranberries, mushrooms and chestnuts is drawing attention from home cooks looking for autumn dinner ideas. The dish pairs seared pork with a flavorful pan sauce and is served alongside cranberry rice. Food lovers are sharing it as a seasonal, comforting meal that makes the most of fall ingredients.

A field trial shows that a virus-based biological control can tame chestnut blight across Europe. The treatment uses a hypovirulence virus that weakens the fungal pathogen killing chestnut trees, offering an alternative to chemical fungicides. The findings suggest a scalable method for protecting European chestnut forests, which have suffered severe damage from the disease for decades.

American chestnut trees, once wiped out by blight and now functionally extinct in the wild, have been planted at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo for the first time in more than a century. The return marks a symbolic milestone in long-running efforts to restore the species, which dominated eastern US forests before a fungal blight devastated billions of trees in the early 1900s. Conservationists hope renewed plantings will support breeding programs working toward blight-resistant chestnuts.

Wildlife photographers are sharing striking images of the African fish-eagle taking flight, showcasing the bird's distinctive white head and chestnut plumage. The raptor, common along sub-Saharan lakes and rivers, remains a favourite subject for bird photography enthusiasts, many of whom are testing Olympus mirrorless camera gear on fast-moving birds.

Japanese comedian Jun Idota of Oasis toured Kasama City in Ibaraki Prefecture, one of Japan's best-known chestnut-producing towns, for Fuji TV's morning show Nonstop!. A report featured the city's new chestnut festival, which reportedly drew around 50,000 visitors, highlighting the town's chestnut heritage and growing appeal as a food and tourism destination in Ibaraki.

High Point, in the Philadelphia region's Chestnut Hill area, is presenting an exhibition that pairs environmental art with a café setting, letting visitors view the work while having coffee. The piece, covered by the Chestnut Hill Local, highlights art focused on nature and the environment in an accessible, everyday community space.