The Virginia Department of Forestry is collecting acorns and walnuts this fall as part of its annual effort to gather seed for growing trees at the agency’s Augusta Nursery.
New this year, the department is consolidating collection points and will accept donations only at 25 designated drop-off locations, including select department offices and partner sites.
The deadline to donate is 5 p.m. Oct. 11. Collection areas will accept donations outside, with signs and marked drop-off bins indicating where to leave the acorns and nuts.
Donations collected by the department are used to grow seedlings at the Augusta Nursery. The resulting trees are sold through the department’s online store.
“It can’t be overstated how much we appreciate the annual collection efforts of community groups, schools, families and volunteers,” said State Forester Terry Lasher. “Working with several partners and localities, we are streamlining our fall collection efforts to provide carefully selected drop-off locations. This provides a more precise map of drop-off locations, ensures fewer acorns go to waste and allows our staff to maintain efficient operations.”
Augusta Nursery Manager Joshua McLaughlin said the annual collection provides both environmental and financial benefits.
“Our annual acorn collection campaign is not only a fun way for Virginians to engage in forestry, conservation and dendrology, but is a huge help to DOF,” McLaughlin said. “Thanks to these donated acorns and nuts, we can plant and grow healthier trees that are already suited to Virginia’s climate. Plus, this helps the agency financially…the more donations we receive, the less we spend to purchase seed. DOF then redirects those savings to improve other aspects of nursery operations.”
Those interested in collecting should first make sure they have permission to gather nuts in the area and should stay away from roadways.
Acorns should be whole and uncracked. They can be dark brown or green, and caps are not required.
Acorns and nuts should be placed in paper bags or cardboard boxes, not plastic bags, and different species should be kept separate. Bags or boxes should be labeled with the collection location, date and species. Those unsure of the species can include a few leaves from the tree.
The department recommends storing collected nuts in a cool area until they can be delivered to a collection site.
For the best chance of collecting a single species, DOF recommends gathering from yards, sidewalks and driveways rather than forests, where nuts from multiple trees can become mixed.
A list of the 25 designated collection locations, along with additional information and an acorn and nut identification guide, is available at DOF.Virginia.gov.
Questions about the collection can be directed to [email protected] or 434-977-6555.
