Walking down into the floodplain at the Nature Conservancy’s preserve in Benson, Vermont is like walking into a sea of American elm saplings. The trees criss-cross about 30 acres on the valley floor ...

As many as 100 million elm trees died from Dutch elm disease in the span of 50 years. Now, decades of careful breeding may help them return. In a Vermont field, a team tends to young elm trees.

A research specialist with the University of Vermont records information about young elm trees that have been inoculated with Dutch elm disease on May 19, 2026. Jessica Rinaldi / The Boston Globe via ...

A mature surviving American elm tree stands above 5,200 saplings planted in Benson. Walking down into the floodplain at the Nature Conservancy’s preserve in Benson is like walking into a sea of ...