ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Collecting piñon nuts has been tradition for Native American and Hispanic families in the Southwestern U.S. for generations.
But environmentalists are concerned that without the pinyon jay — a very social bird that essentially plants the next generation of trees by stashing away the seeds — it’s possible the piñon forests of New Mexico, Nevada and other Western states could face another reproductive hurdle in the face of climate change, persistent drought and more severe wildfires...