The Virginia Department of Forestry is asking Virginia landowners to collect and donate acorns. Yes, you read that correctly — acorns!

They are seeking 12 species of acorns or nuts to plant at the Augusta Forestry Center in Crimora. Eventually, the acorns collected by Virginians will grow into seedlings and become future forests.

Although gathering acorns seems like a simple task, it is greatly helpful to the department because some species are more difficult to find near the Auguasta Forestry Center and it is expensive to purchase the acorns.

"Each year we ask Virginia landowners to collect acorns so that we can use them for planting hardwood trees in our nursery," Assistant Forestry Center Manager Joshua McLaughlin said. "By next year, those acorns will have grown into seedlings that landowners across the state can then purchase to plant on their property.”

This year, the tree nursery needs 12 species of acorns — black oak, black walnut, Chinese chestnut, chestnut oak, Northern red oak, pin oak, sawtooth oak, Southern red oak, swamp chestnut oak, swamp white oak, white oak and willow oak.

Collection tips

September and October are the best months to collect acorns, so now is the perfect time to start searching!

The Virginia Department of Forestry suggests looking for acorns in open yards and parking lots rather than heavily wooded areas. Not only is it easier to pick up the nuts in these cleared areas, but it is also easier to identify their species. It does not matter if the nuts have caps on them.

Identification

When identifying the species, it can be helpful to look at the acorn's stem and leaf if attached. The Virginia Department of Forestry also offers a chart with identification information on their website.

If you are still unsure about the acorn species, you can contact Joshua MacLaughlin at the Augusta Forestry Center: 540-363-7000.

Storage

Keep the nuts in a breathable, non-plastic bag or sack with minimal debris, like leaves or sticks. The department requests that donators label the bag with the species of acorn and the date of collection. Before dropping your acorns off, store the bag in a cool area, like a fridge or basement.

Drop-off

All acorns must be delivered to a Virginia Department of Forestry office by Oct. 17. You can find the closest office on the department's website.

Share any questions, comments or story ideas with Leanna Smith at lsmith@newsleader.com. Connect with her on Twitter @LeannaCSmith.

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