Event Name: Seeds to Sustenance: Nut Tree Symposium
Event Date(s): Sunday, 3/15/2026, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, 8 hours
Ages Allowed: 16 - 99
Tickets Available: 45
Purchase Deadline: Sunday, 3/15/2026 10:00 AM
Go Nuts on March 15, 2026!
Discover the power of nut trees at NEBG's Seeds to Sustenance symposium.

Join us for our inaugural full-day symposium to explore the ecological, cultural and culinary value of nut trees in the Northeast - centered around the return of the American chestnut and expanding into broader themes of restoration, food systems, and climate resilience - it is going to be nuts! 

Available CEUs
More to come ...

Ticket Pricing 

$95 NEBG Member | $114 Non-Member | $99 ELA Member/MNLA | $65 Student
  • NEBG members save 20% off program registration! 
  • Includes day admission to the Garden for ticket holders, and all symposium related activities.
  • Tours and outdoor activities will run rain or shine. Dress accordingly.

Important Information    

  • Dress for both indoor and outdoor programming as this event is held rain or shine!
  • This symposium may will have come in contact with nuts.
  • Participants may bring their own lunches or order from the cafe.
 
    SCHEDULE           

        8:00 AM - 8:50 AM
        Registration and Check-In
        Enjoy coffee and light bites, browse resource tables, and meet fellow attendees.     

     

        9:00 AM - 9:20 AM
        Welcome and Introductions     

     

        9:30 AM - 10:20 AM
        People of the Hazel: Recollecting ancestral roots in perennial culture

Seva and Kalyan Water, Nutwood Farm, Cummington, MA

     A look at how hazelnuts connect us to agro-ecological tradition, offering both ecological renewal and cultural reconnection helping to restore both landscapes and cultural heritage.

      

        10:30 AM - 11:20 AM

From Seeds to Sustenance - Agroforestry and Cultivating Nut Trees for a Resilient Future

Jono Neiger, Owner, Big River Chestnuts in Sunderland, MA

Growers, foragers, and land stewards share real-world stories about cultivating and living with nut trees-from forest gardens to food forests.


11:45 AM - 12:20 PM
        Demonstration: Natural Botanical Dyeing from Nuts, Bark, and Trees

Liz Ives, Textile Artist and NEBG Staff, Worcester, MA
        Explore the art of natural dyeing with pigments drawn from hulls, bark, and wood.

     

        12:30 PM - 1:20 PM
        Lunch Break
        Bring your own lunch or visit the Garden Café, network, or take a self-guided stroll.     

     

        1:30 PM - 2:20 PM
        Return of the Chestnut Tree: NEBG's Endeavor to Restore a Valued Species

Robert Graham, NEBG Land Steward Supervisor

Growers, foragers, and land stewards share real-world stories about cultivating and living with nut trees-from forest gardens to food forests. 

     

        2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
        Walk & Tour: The Chestnut Tree Project at NEBG

Lois Breault-Melican and Denis Melican, American Chestnut Cooperators' Foundation (ACCF)

Robert Graham, NEBG Land Steward Supervisor
        Explore the cultural legacy and ecological importance of the American chestnut. Learn how restoration efforts are bringing this iconic tree back to the landscape.

     

        3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
        Coffee & Community
        Join us for an end of day social hour and final reflections.     

   
 
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