How collecting white oak acorns can help Tennessee’s forests thrive

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ( WATE ) — Acorns are falling along with the autumn leaves, and Tennesseans are invited to collect white oak acorns as part of a program to restore the trees in the Volunteer State. The collection period runs from Oct. 15 through Nov. 15.

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) announced on Tuesday the Tennessee White Oak Initiative , which is a cooperative effort between the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry (TDF), TDF’s East Tennessee Nursery, the University of Tennessee Extension, and the Tennessee Forestry Association.

According to TDA, each year, TDF’s East Tennessee Nursery in Polk County grows a large crop of white oak seedlings, which are critical to white oak restoration efforts statewide.

TDA said that over the last few years, seed suppliers have been unable to meet the nursery’s seed volume needs; so the white oak acorn collection program is designed to supplement the nursery’s seed supply to boost seedling production.

“White oaks are a critical element of Tennessee’s forests,” Heather Slayton, state forester, said. “The roles they play in our ecosystems and economy are invaluable, which is why it is so distressing to see the dropping rates of white oak regrowth in our forests. This initiative is one part of a large-scale effort to address this challenge.”

How to begin? TDA said that individuals, civic organizations, forestry groups, landowners, and youth organizations that would like to participate should visit https://www.tnforestry.com/white-oak-acorn-collection to begin the process.

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