Raven Rendezvous. Ravens gather at the standing corpse of an ancient bristlecone pine. These trees have endured centuries of hardship in a challenging environment, where few other trees can live. Blister rust and bark beetles are an increasing worry, as warming climate favors them. It would be a huge loss if bristlecone pines were to die out, but one thing we can be certain of—the intelligent and adaptable raven will do fine in whatever kind of world we leave to them. I would prefer a world in which both thrive.