In October, Living Arroyos kicked off our 2014-2015 volunteer season with a morning gathering acorns at Alden Lane Nursery in Livermore. It was a beautiful day and the nursery was decorated in the spirit of fall with pumpkins and gourds, not to mention farm animals!

Almost 40 community members participated, and they gathered over 10,000 acorns! Most acorns came from valley oaks, and some were from coast live oaks. After the acorns were collected, the volunteers sorted them, keeping only the ones that didn’t have holes and weren’t rotten.

The field staff then dipped the good acorns in a water/bleach solution and packed them into gallon bags using sawdust to keep them dry. These acorns will be planted along streams in the Tri-Valley, creating much-needed habitat for native plants and animals.