More volunteers needed for 7th Annual Acorn Collection Day on Oct. 1 

DOVER (Sept. 20, 2011) – Volunteer signups are still open for DNREC’s 7th Annual Acorn Collection Day, which will be held from 9 a.m. until noon, Saturday, Oct. 1 at two Delaware State Parks and the Smyrna Rest Area.

“We have quite a few volunteers signed up, but we could definitely use more. More volunteers mean more acorns – and more oak trees in the future,” said Lynne Staub, event coordinator for Acorn Collection Day. “Oak trees expand wooded areas and forested corridors that provide valuable habitat – shelter and food – for many native wildlife species. On Acorn Collection Day, we gather acorns from trail edges, mowed areas and roadsides – where seedlings are not likely to grow – and scatter them in reforestation areas where they can grow into trees naturally.”

With acorns in abundance this time of year, Acorn Collection Day is the perfect opportunity for families and youth groups to volunteer, gain community service hours and help Delaware’s environment. Since the volunteer event was initiated in 2005, more than 3,360 pounds of acorns have been collected.

Three collection sites, one in each county, will have bags and collection materials for volunteers.

New Castle County
Rockford Park
West 19th Street and Tower Road
Wilmington, DE 19802
Meet in front of Rockford Tower

Kent County
Smyrna Rest Area
5500 DuPont Highway
Smyrna, DE 19977
Meet at the building entrance 

Sussex County
Trap Pond State Park
33587 Bald Cypress Lane
Laurel, DE 19956
Meet at the nature center

Pre-registration is encouraged by contacting Lynne Staub at 302-735-3600 or by email, Lynne.Staub@state.de.us.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities with the Division of Fish and Wildlife, visit www.fw.delaware.gov/volunteers.

Vol. 41, No. 359