Extremely many acorns on the ground: Forest ranger Rien explains why

Have you heard them clattering or even felt them fall on your head? The acorns are raining down in Zoetermeer. Much more than normal. While he is explaining, forest ranger Rien sees the acorns falling to the ground around him: “This makes the piggies happy.”

“A year in which an extremely large number of acorns fall is also called a mast year,” Rien begins his explanation. “We are dealing with that this year, the oak trees bear a lot of fruit.”

Perfect combination of drought and water

For such a mast year, the conditions have to be just right. “It should not be too dry and not too wet,” says Rien, who is a forester at Staatsbosbeheer. “The trees must experience some drought at the right time and then be watered again. That is the perfect combination that – this year – will cause the acorns to grow excessively.” That explains why you see (and perhaps feel) a lot of large acorns.

Early birds

According to Rien, the first acorns fell from the trees very early this year. “In the 1960s the acorns fell between September 15 and October 15. This year it started between August 7 and 27,” he says. It’s been over a month and a half now, but those acorns are still falling. “I’m walking in the woods and now I hear them falling around me.”

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Kilocracker

According to Rien, the fact that there are now so many acorns is no reason to panic. “Nature has peaks and valleys,” he explains. “One year there are more acorns, the next year there are more beechnuts or chestnuts. That is part of a healthy forest.” However, a mast year can also entail some risks. “There are kilos of fruit hanging on a tree. This means that a branch can break off more quickly in the event of a heavy storm.”

Feast for animals

Not everyone complains about the falling acorns; the animals in the forest are actually very happy with it. ”A wild boar would say ‘delicious!’ say,” says Rien. “They can eat well now and their piglets will also have enough next year. Mice can ‘put on fat’ well, and that is good news for the tawny owl.”

Autumn crafts

Not only the animals benefit from the mast year. The little Zoetermeer residents can also get started with it. They can do crafts with it perfectly. “It’s okay to take a few with you, think about a mushroom container full. Collect them from the path, don’t go into the forest, so that nature is left alone.” And who knows, you might soon be able to pick the first chestnuts from the ground.