It is not our intent to be melodramatic or intentionally provocative….but, pinyon are dying. The renowned naturalist and national parks advocate John Muir once wrote, "When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe." And that is where today's opining takes us.
Our concern is not simply that we may one day lose the opportunity to boast that City of Rocks is the northern-most range of the pinyon pine. Our concern is that so much of what makes the Reserve truly unique is hitched to the pinyon-juniper woodland. Pinyon jays are rarely found north of the Reserve. Both they and Clark's nutcrackers feast on the nuts and bury the leftovers. Black-throated gray warblers call the PJ woodland home, and juniper titmice too count on the nuts and berries produced within this special Idaho forest.
Find a shady spot beneath the pinyon and sit a spell. At first you might hear the whisper of a light breeze through the needles, but wait. You are sure to be chastised by chickadees, red-breasted nuthatches, or gang of gregarious bushtits. The forest is more than trees. When we try to save the pinyon, we find it hitched to the whole of City of Rocks. The park's resource managers realize the task at hand is literally to save the world, starting with the pinyon. We are glad you are with us in the fight. The task ahead is huge. Goal one is to understand what is happening, and the second is - do no further harm. And the third....
(top - Pinyon Jay, Juniper Titmouse, Clark's Nutcracker)
(bottom - Mountain Chickadee, Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay, Clark's Nutcracker, Black-Throated Gray Warbler)
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November 23, 2019
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Last updated: February 13, 2020