Environment

Emory oak trees in the Mogollon Rim country of Arizona have begun to disappear. Their loss means the loss of a cherished tradition of the Apache people, who prize Emory oak acorns for food. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny reports, tribal elders, foresters, and scientists teamed up to try to save the tree, and with it, a vital piece of Apache culture.

The space beneath solar panels is often thought to be bare, wasted ground. But what if it could be used to grow crops and graze livestock? That’s the idea behind agrivoltaics.

Pinyon jays are sky blue birds that live in large flocks in the pinyon-juniper woodlands of the Colorado Plateau. They are not officially endangered, but their populations have plummeted in the last half-century. The Audubon Society has found an unusual way to raise awareness about their plight: specialty brews from the Drinking Horn Meadery in Arizona, and the Bosque Brewing Company in New Mexico.

Four decades ago, naturalist and author Gary Paul Nabhan wrote a book called The Desert Smells Like Rain. The title came from the answer a young Tohono O’odham boy gave when asked what the desert smelled like to him.

The Grand Canyon was full of wondrous creatures during the last Ice Age, including enormous ground sloths and soaring condors. Now, scientists say they can add an unexpected animal to the list: the American cheetah.

For centuries scientists have kept field logs with sketches and notes about their observations of nature. It’s an age-old technique that has grown into a new movement called Nature Journaling, which encourages ordinary people to make deep connections to the world around them.

Grand Canyon National Park has received a grant to support a program that gives Indigenous youth job training in natural resource protection and recreational experiences.

Navajo Nation leaders say failing septic and solid waste systems are becoming an increasing concern in many areas of the reservation.

President Joe Biden’s order to protect the nation’s oldest woodlands is raising a simple but vexing question: When does a forest grow old?

The National League of Cities featured Flagstaff in a recent report on how climate change is driving the movement of people. Flagstaff’s cool temperatures are attracting more visitors at the same time the city is feeling the strain of housing shortages, water scarcity, and wildfires. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny spoke with the city’s sustainability director Nicole Antonopoulos about the stress of climate migration.