"It happened after Spring Break that our instructor sent me and my class to the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia to search for ( but not eat ), the apparently rare Allegheny chinquapin, or Castanea pumila. I was certain to find other delicious trees I could eat; I had not been to the Appalachians in some time ... since my days of protecting the forests of Tsuga caroliniana from the Adelges tsugae. I was glad to get some exercise and lose a little bit of weight climbing the country hills and mountains of Virginia.

A couple of my classmates were lucky to find a grove of Kalmia latifolia, and shared with all of us. I was so grateful that I found and shared with them a nice meal of Fagus grandifolia
and Tsuga canadensis. I also wandered off and found some time to myself in a delightful mountain bog, or marshy fen, and not far beyond that a nice and delicious stand of Picea rubens
I was behind my time in my delight, and three of my classmates stomped after me in time, concerned that I had almost wandered into North Carolina. That explained the discovery of the delightful bog.
I was gently scolded, but I had rather be scolded by my classmates than my instructor !!

We ate some very nice Quercus velutina on the way, as well as Gaylussacia baccata and it was here that we found the Quercus muehlenbergii, and we knew that our quest had nearly been achieved. There was some debate if we could eat it, since it was related; some of my classmates were afraid to, that it might go against their grade, but I had done my homework and knew it was okay.

On the last day before we had to depart, we found the coveted Castanea pumila, and not a one of us ate it, so we were given an A in our grade books for the identification quest, and extra credit for not eating the rare plant. It was sore tempting to eat it as it was quite delicious looking, and I do have a very healthy appetite; but I practiced self control and returned to Colorado with my classmates in triumph.