Students at Willamette University are collecting thousands of acorns to regrow Oregon white oaks, creating big change—one seed at a time.
Within a sturdy shell, an acorn holds the potential for a tree that will see centuries of change. The Willamette Valley’s rolling hills were once covered with white oak savannas. These trees, with their broad canopies and deep roots, provided habitat for countless species, anchored the soil, and shaped the identity of the region. But today, their numbers are dwindling, with less than 3 percent of historic oak savannas remaining in the Willamette Valley, as urban development, climate change, and invasive species have steadily chipped away at the species’ presence.
But have you ever stopped to pick up an acorn?
Growing Oaks is a student-led movement at Willamette University in Salem to help revive white oak populations in their native home. In 2020, students Angie Wang and Grace Schifrinon began collecting handfuls of acorns and planting them. It began as a way to address environmental challenges while fostering community after COVID-19 and Oregon’s wildfires and ice storms devastated both white oak populations and students’ opportunities to connect.
Now, nearly five years later, the Growing Oaks members are still obsessed with these tiny acorns—not just for what they are, but for what they can become.
Today, the group focuses on four areas: growing oak saplings, advocating for native trees, educating the community, and rallying for more student involvement. The process remains simple: gather acorns across the Willamette Valley, plant them in small planters, and nurture them until they’re ready to be planted throughout Salem. Sophia Rosenberg and Rachel Levine are two fourth-year Environmental Science majors at Willamette University who act as cultivation leaders for Growing Oaks. They have witnessed the group’s growth firsthand. Both Rosenberg and Levine were drawn to Growing Oaks in the early stages of the project—Levine joined after one of the founders introduced her to the project, while Rosenberg was recruited by Levine, who recognized her passion for environmental science.
For Levine, the work is personal. She’s seen firsthand how small efforts—like hosting acorn collection walks or collaborating with local groups—can lead to lasting change that transcends generations. "When you think of helping the environment, you think of planting trees,” she says.
Through planting oak saplings, there’s an opportunity to foster a deeper appreciation of the land and the Oregon white aak, while also raising awareness of the many benefits that the tree’s canopies provide. Levine shares how Growing Oaks members are educated with Indigenous practices such as the “honorable harvest” and guidelines for consciousness while planting saplings and collecting acorns. “You make sure you don’t take the first one you see because that could be the only one, and you don’t take the last one because that could be the last. You take only as much as you need,” says Levine.
However, not every acorn is fit for planting. “You have to inspect them closely,” she explains. Acorns with cracks, holes, or that rattle when shaken are discarded. Another method, the float test, helps separate the useable seeds: “Sinkers are good; floaters are not. If it sinks, it means there’s something inside.”
Growing Oaks stores acorns in breathable bags filled with vermiculite, a lightweight mineral that retains moisture while preventing mold and rot during germination because of its natural anti-fungal properties. It is commonly used in gardening and horticulture because it retains moisture, improves aeration, and prevents soil compaction. This method mimics the natural conditions of the soil. Once the acorns begin to sprout, they’re carefully potted and nurtured in on-site greenhouses and nurseries until they’re ready for planting.
Any meaningful growth takes time. But sometimes, it feels like the saplings can’t sprout fast enough.
The Willamette Valley’s tree canopy is shrinking at an alarming rate. In Portland, it was found that tree canopy cover decreased from about 30 percent in 2015 to 29 percent in 2020. That translates to losing 823 acres’-worth, or about 620 football fields, of canopy being lost in one year.
The Oregon white oaks, also known as Quercus garryana or Garry Oaks, face an increasing amount of challenges that threaten their survival. As Rosenberg explains, "It's enemy number one: black oak; enemy number two: red oak; enemy number three: blue oak; and enemy number four: English ivy." These aggressive, non-native plants and trees compete with Oregon white oak saplings for sunlight, water, and nutrients, often overwhelming the slower-growing natives. The result is a disrupted ecosystem, where white oaks are unable to regenerate naturally.
Rosenberg mentions how the Oregon white oak supports a diverse array of wildlife, including the slender-billed white-breasted nuthatch, a bird that depends on these oak trees for nesting. When these trees decline, so does the nuthatch population.
The ecological benefits of the Oregon white oak don’t end with wildlife. These trees serve as natural air purifiers, absorbing pollutants and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere. They also play an essential role in combating climate change, as their robust trunks and long lifespans allow them to sequester large amounts of carbon over time. Levine highlighted how canopies provide much-needed shade, especially for cooling urban environments and reducing the effects of heat islands. These trees make cities more livable by lowering the temperature, particularly during the increasingly frequent heatwaves, making them invaluable for urban climate resilience.
For many students, participating in the program is their first hands-on experience with environmental conservation, but in the hopes of Levine, not their last.
“It’s one thing to learn about ecosystems in a classroom, it’s another to be out there, getting your hands dirty and making a tangible difference,” she says.
Restoration does, however, come with obstacles. The acorns and saplings that are planted must survive extreme weather and the odds not being in their favor. In a year with a normal acorn production, only about one in 10,000 acorns is expected to grow into a mature oak tree. But the students’ enthusiasm is contagious. By restoring even small pockets of these landscapes, Growing Oaks is creating critical habitats for wildlife, protecting the region’s biodiversity, and strengthening Salem’s urban canopy for people living in the city.