This fall, our community got nuts for clean water through Tomorrow’s Trees

We did it. We got nuts for clean water!

Rebooting Tomorrow's Trees, our local acorn collection program, was a great success this fall. Scouring the lands of the Potomac River region, our community collected thousands of pounds of indigenous tree nuts. Now, Potomac Conservancy is donating this valuable tree stock to nurseries where they'll be grown into saplings for future plantings.

From roots to river, we're leaving a legacy of thriving forests and clean water. Learn more about our impact in the results below.

Results are in: Today’s Seeds

Tomorrow's Trees is truly a community-powered initiative. People from all walks of life joined in on the fun—from preschoolers to garden clubs to community associations. Everyone made a difference in their own way.

🌰 Community: 150 volunteers participated in Tomorrow's Trees this fall, including 8 Volunteer Leaders who hosted drop-off sites or led acorn collections in Maryland, Virginia, and the District.

🌱 Baby trees: Volunteers collected nearly 600 pounds of tree seeds—that's the equivalent weight of a vending machine. Woah! One community member even collected 40 bags of acorns by himself. Volunteers and foresters reported seeing fewer black walnuts and overall seeds than in years past, but we still had some champion producers. Pin oak, white oak, and willow oak were prize droppers this year, and our most commonly collected tree seeds.

❤️ Partners: This program wouldn't be possible without our Tomorrow's Trees partners, Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDF). Plenty more partners stepped up too including our friends at Arlington National Cemetery, Festival del Rio, and Stream-Link Education.

What's next: Tomorrow's Trees

Our amazing volunteers collected enough stock to plant thousands of trees throughout the Potomac River region. Since our collections closed on October 31, we have been coordinating seed donations to partner nurseries where they are processed and nurtured.

In a few months' time, state foresters will plant the supply of young saplings so they can grow into future forests! Stream-Link Education is also using the stock to reforest parts of Frederick County, Maryland.

Pining for more?

This is just the start. We are excited to work with the community as we expand our Tomorrow's Trees partnerships, volunteer leaders, and collection activities in the coming years.

Keep tabs on future events, tree learnings, and the next collection season. We'll keep you posted on the latest at www.Tomorrows-Trees.org.

You can also join our Facebook group and follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.