65 Sessile Oak Acorns from the famed Loch Trool Oak Trees were planted in pots earlier this month as part of ‘Acorn day’ at Springholm Primary. These should germinate through coming months and start to sprout in the new year. This was one of a few events undertaken by the Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands Initiative recently, using the incredible acorn harvest this year.
There are two types of native oak tree in the UK, the more common Pedunculate and the rarer Sessile – these usually found on steeper slopes and in more northern regions. The two types of trees do tend to hybridise but Loch Trool hosts a significant and admired population of sessile oak trees. Every 5-10 years is considered a ‘mast’ year, with thousands of acorns being produced by a single tree. It is thought that 2023 will be seen as a mast year.
Kirsty Anderson, Springholm’s Acting Principal Teacher and P3/4/5 Teacher said:
“The children were fascinated to learn about different types of trees and find out how they live and grow. They enjoyed getting their hands dirty in the compost and we can’t wait to see how our acorns have grown in a few months time!”
The Acorn day was delivered by McNabb Laurie, Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands Officer. McNabb said:
“It was great to go into the school to bring acorns to life! Some of the pupils had even noticed the number of acorns on the ground this year and they really engaged with the planting process. A couple of the questions they asked me were slightly unexpected, but hopefully the children had a good time learned about the wonders of Oak Trees.”
The acorns were collected with the kind permission of Forestry & Land Scotland, facilitated by the Rewilding Annan Water group.
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Dumfries & Galloway Woodlands is registered in Scotland as a SCIO, number 052525.
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