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PrintThe Mighty Acorn
Evie Kirkwood
There’s an oak tree down the road from my house, and the annual acorn drop has resulted in a plentiful harvest for visiting wildlife. Slivers of shells scattered around the base tell of secret visits from some furry creature. Nearby is a stump with several more shells on its flattop surface, like debris on a “squirrel picnic table.”
Acorns are eaten by a variety of animals, making oak trees an important source of protein-rich wildlife food. Squirrels and chipmunks come to mind most often, but acorns also provide fall and winter food for deer, raccoons, mice, wild turkeys, pheasants, quail, blue jays and crows.
The bounty of acorns produced by oaks varies from year to year. While folklore says a heavy acorn crop foretells a severe winter, scientists say there is no correlation.
If you are tempted to sample an acorn, you are in for a tart surprise. Most animals apparently are oblivious to the harsh taste.
The bitterness is due to tannin, a chemical that protects the tree against insect attack. Years ago, it was used to preserve, or tan, leather and to make ink.
Edible Harvest in Days Past
Native Americans have used acorns throughout history for breads and meal. During the Civil War, acorns were cooked, dried and ground for a coffee-like beverage in the south.
To make acorns tastier, they were shelled and cooked in successive pots of boiling water until the water no longer turned brown. Native Americans sometimes put them in a stream overnight, letting flowing water do the leaching. After drying them in the sun, or over a fire, the nuts were chopped or ground into meal.
Acorns are one example of nature’s autumn harvest, for a multitude of wildlife and us!
Family Fun
Make an Acorn Cap Whistle
Find an acorn cap. If it is still on the acorn, remove the nut. Position the acorn cap so the inside is towards you. Hold the cap in your thumbs and forefingers. The knuckles of your thumbs should be touching each other, and the top part of your thumbs should angle out, as if you are making a “Y” with your thumbs. All you should see is a triangle of the acorn cap above your knuckles.
Put your upper lip on the top of your thumb-knuckles. Position your lower lips so that when you blow no air escapes out of your bottom lip. Blow through your top lip, hard, into the triangle.
No sound? Try tipping the angle of the cap, twisting your wrists to change the position of your thumbs or changing the shape of the open triangle.
Warning! Acorn whistles can be shrill!
Cinnamon Acorns
These spice-scented acorns make a nice addition to your holiday table. They also make fun holiday package adornments.
Materials:
Acorn caps
Mixing bowl
½ Cup + 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. ground nutmeg
1 Tbsp. ground cloves
½ Cup applesauce
3 Tbsp. Elmer’s Glue-All (or other white craft glue)
Optional: Fine brown or copper glitter
Instructions:
1) Mix the cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in a bowl. Add the applesauce and glue, and mix with your hands for several minutes to blend.
2) Pull off a small piece of the cinnamon dough. Roll and shape it to resemble an acorn and then place an acorn cap on top. Dust your acorns with fine glitter, if desired.
3) Lay the acorns on wax paper or foil until dry.
Note: As good as they smell, these acorns aren’t for eating!
