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Virginians urged to gather acorns

As the official start to autumn has arrived in the northern hemisphere, outdoors enthusiasts will likely see the ground littered with acorns in some areas. However, according to the Virginia Department of Forestry (DOF), most of those acorns won’t grow into trees to dot the Commonwealth. Source: Timberbiz

There is something that can be done with those acorns, though. The DOF is asking Virginians to gather up acorns and nuts to be taken to its Augusta Nursery for planting.

“Through statewide collection efforts, our nurseries plant more trees, of more species, from varied genetics,” the DOF stated in a release. “The resulting seedlings are then sold to Virginia landowners, typically to reforest open lands.”

State Forester Rob Farrell said thanks to last year’s efforts by acorn-collecting Virginians, the department received eight tons of acorns and nuts. According to Mr Farrell, those could potentially yield 1.5 million seedlings.

“Help us continue these positive trends by collecting acorns for the Virginia Department of Forestry so we can collectively grow the forests we all enjoy,” Mr Farrell said. “Donating your acorns is a huge help to us, is a great outdoor activity and provides the perfect outdoor classroom to learn more about Virginia trees.”