Students take part in acorn collecting program

Elementary students in the School District of Rhinelander (SDR) recently concluded their fall field trip season at the Cedric A. Vig Outdoor Classroom (CAVOC).

This year, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) pitched a new seed collecting program. DNR staff reached out to School Forest manager Mike Cheslock in August to inquire about CAVOC piloting this program, school officials said in a press release.

 It was determined that elementary students would collect acorns from Red Oak trees, the most prominent species of tree on the CAVOC property.

“From late September through early November, Cheslock led students throughout the 160-acre property,” the release states. “Students learned about seeds, seedlings, and different types of trees. They learned the difference between viable and non-viable acorns, and how to determine whether or not an acorn has a good chance of growing into an oak seedling.”

In all, students collected 66 pounds of acorns at CAVOC! 

The acorns were delivered to the DNR ranger station. At that point DNR staff placed them in water to separate viable from non-viable acorns. The acorns that sink are usually viable. The ones that float are not. The viable acorns will be used in the DNR nursery to grow new oak trees for reforestation and other purposes. 

“Thank you to DNR staff members Jeremiah Auer, John Gillen, and Kristina Wells, as well as LEAF staff Steve Schmidt for providing direction for this program,” the release concludes. “Thank you to the SDR teachers and students who chose to take part this year and did a great job collecting. Cheslock feels the program was a big success, and he looks forward to offering it at CAVOC again next fall.”