The Blue Jays That Grew a Forest

Take a lyrical journey on the wings of blue jays as they bury thousands of acorns for next season’s food and help Mother Nature extend the oak forests.
Most of us know about the mighty oak tree, and how important oaks are as a keystone species. But we may be less aware of the role that blue jays play in assisting the expansion of oak tree forests.
Covering one full year from season to season, we learn about the habits of the blue jays. All summer long they feed on bugs, berries, and seeds. But as autumn approaches, they perch in the canopy waiting for the acorns to ripen. With cold weather coming soon, this blue crew hauls away acorns, each bird taking as many as five per load. They fly over a farm or two and hide the acorns in a sunny open area where they can find them later when other food is scarce. But not all acorns will be eaten. Little do the jays know that the treasures they bury may one day become the beginnings of a new oak forest.