Got Nuts? Your Daily Dose of Cute Needs Help

The Ohio Wildlife Center needs more nuts! Apparently, they’ve seen a huge influx of baby squirrels, and they need to eat but don’t have enough acorns or nuts.

The best way you can help is by going out in your backyard and picking up some nuts from the grass. They have to be clean though, squirrels need quality, these aren’t classless, run-of-the-mill squirrels, you know.

The Wildlife center is asking for acorns, black walnuts, and hickory nuts.

The best way to clean each type of nut is listed below, and if you have some extra rubbermaid bins you don’t want anymore, the Wildlife Center needs those too.

Acorns: 

1. Collect acorns and separate from twigs, leaves, and other debris.
2. Cover them in a container of water for five minutes. Throw away the ones that float.
3. Remove acorns from water and dry with a towel, or allow to air dry.
4. When fully dry, place acorns in a one-gallon Ziploc-type baggie and freeze.
5. Keep frozen until you can deliver them to the Education Center or Wildlife Hospital.

NOTE: Acorn quality quickly deteriorates, molds and rots if collected and left in buckets/bags where they get wet or hot.

Black Walnuts: husked walnuts only.

1. Collect black walnuts.
2. Soak nuts in container of water for up to one week until the green or brown husk loosens and can be removed by hand.
3. An alternative method is to fill a wheelbarrow full of walnuts with water. Let soak, and every few days, jiggle the wheelbarrow back and forth to agitate the husks off. Use multiple changes of water.
4. Spread the husked nuts on a flat surface and allow them to fully dry in sun for a few days. Then deliver to the Center.

NOTE: Black Walnuts do not need to be frozen prior to delivery.

Hickories:

Collect hickories and separate from twigs, leaves, and other debris.

1. Deliver to the Wildlife Center

NOTE: Hickory quality quickly deteriorates, molds and rots if collected and left in buckets/bags where they get wet or hot. Hickories do not need to be frozen prior to delivery.

Deliver your nuts to:

Education Center
6131 Cook Road
Powell, OH 43065

OR

Wildlife Hospital
2661 Billingsley Road
Columbus, OH 43235

BROUGHT TO YOU BY