Introduction – Louis Seymour

Hey! My name is Louis. I’m currently a Wildlife Biology student here at UAF. I’m excited to take this class so that I can familiarize myself with the plants that grow here in Alaska. I transferred to UAF from Clemson University in South Carolina this summer, so I’m still very new to Alaska, and I don’t know much about the plant life here. While I am not a botany student, both of my parents were. I grew up going on hikes in the Appalachian mountains, where they would teach me about the rich plant life there. As a result, I’m very familiar with the botany of that region, as well as the field as a whole. Additionally, I’ve taken Forest Biology, Dendrology, and Forest Ecology classes at Clemson, where I learned all about plant physiology, taxonomy, and identification. It certainly wasn’t easy, given the diversity of plants there, but it was an enjoyable challenge.

I enjoy hiking and camping, as well as photography. Both the featured image and the images below are photos that I took back home. My interest in the outdoors is ultimately what sparked my interest in plant and animal life. Spending time outside made me want to learn more about what I was seeing/taking photos of. My future plans are to work in the conservation of the Arctic, specifically in fisheries and wildlife management.

My favorite plant is such a difficult choice as it depends on the season. I’ll put a few of my favorites below. I think my all time favorite is probably Fraser Fir (Abies fraseri).