Maryland Forest Service collecting black walnuts to protect waterways

Black Walnut leaves and nuts (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

The Maryland Forest Service is offering to remove black walnuts from people’s yards in the town of Frederick, and is using them to protect the state’s waterways, Your4State reported.

The forest service collects the walnuts — which are regarded by many homeowners as a source of additional yard work — and takes them to a nursery, where they are immediately husked and planted. The leftover husks are then used for mulch.

After maturing for two years, the forest service plants the black walnuts along waterways in the counties of Frederick and Washington. The roots of the black walnut help prevent pollutants from entering the water, and protect against soil erosion.

Image: Black Walnut leaves and nuts (Source: Wikimedia Commons)