Hello everyone,
I am Jarid. The summer semester is my first at UAF and I am pursuing an AS in Ethnobotany to start with. I am utilizing the GI bill, so I would like to continue on after the AS, but for now I am just focused on that. I am looking forward to learning about the flora native to Alaska as well as learning more about the science behind making the distinction between plants in my own region.
Hi, my name is Elizabeth Wagner and I live in Juneau, AK. I grew up in Juneau, then spent many years living elsewhere, then came back a few years ago. I love our natural surroundings here, especially the wild green lushness of the forests and the riot of wildflowers in the summer! I’ve had the chance to visit Fairbanks too, in the summer and winter, and loved getting a sense of the differences and similarities in our regions of the state.
I don’t have any formal botany experience, but I’m taking this class because I’d love to learn more about the plants around us and be able to identify more of them. I’m also a longtime wannabe gardener, and finally have some garden space to work with. Most of the garden was planted by a previous resident, so I’m trying to get a handle on what I’m working with and how to care for it. I also have a small kiddo and we’ve planted a few things this spring – peas, lettuce, kale, chives, strawberries, and carrots – so we’ll see how those go.
One of my favorite plants is the Bleeding Heart (Dicentra formosa?). It’s nostalgic for me because we had one outside my childhood home growing up. And now I’m lucky enough to have one in my own garden! I remember the old one having smaller and paler pink blossoms so it must be a different variety. I also love picking blueberries and am looking forward to that later this summer.
Hello! My name is Maddie, and I was born and raised in Alaska, where I currently live and attend UAF! I’m from Anchorgaebut spend much of the summers in Cold Bay, which is on the Alaska Penninsula. I love spending time outside hiking, biking, running, and pretty much any other outdoor activity. My family owns 3 lodges, 2 for fishing and 1 for hunting, so that is a huge part of my life, and I love every minute of it. I don’t know a ton about plants, but I do know some of the common ones here in Alaska and must say that my favorite are lupine, which grow in gorgeous abundance out where my family’s lodges are.
Here is my dog, Harley, in a field of lupine in Cold Bay, AK!
Hello! My name is Rosie Jones and I am currently living in Juneau, AK, which is where I was born/raised. I studied Philosophy/Art in college and have had no formal education in the plant sciences up until taking this course. I have always loved plants and grew up gardening with my mom and learned some identification through annual harvesting/foraging activities. After college, I started collecting indoor plants so I could have some green inside during the winter months and have learned a lot about how to care for different types through years of trial and error. I am excited to be taking this course to expand my knowledge of the plants in my area and to get better at identifying. I have a lot of favorite plants but one of my favorite native plants in bloom right now are Shooting Stars.
Hello! My name is Chloe and I’m currently working towards my B.S. in Wildlife Biology at UAF. I live in Fairbanks for the regular duration of the school year, but I am in Livermore, CA for the summer. I honestly don’t have that much of an intimate relationship with plants, other than that I appreciate them aesthetically and functionally, and I have a decent understanding of them from taking a plant biology course last fall. I haven’t put much thought into my favorite plant, but I like manzanitas!
Hey guys!! My name is Jhe’den, and I’m so excited for this class. I am from Texas, and my love for plants started in middle school when I got my very first plant (a dying cactus) that I still have to this day!
My absolute favorite plants to work with are cacti, and from that, I have expanded to a veggie garden with tons of pollinator-friendly flowers, and I even sell some of what I grow. Beyond the garden, I’m also into foraging and am currently learning about holistic medicine. In the summer, I enjoy working on the farm!
Hey there, I’m Paige! This class is the beginning of my botanical journey, besides just appreciating nature. I am super excited to take this class as I will be more familiar with the plants I live around and I will be better prepared for the two plant classes I have this fall semester. I absolutely love Alaska, enjoying the outdoors walking our three dogs, hiking, hunting, and so much more! We also have four cats and travel often. Right now I am working at the Alaska State Virology Lab as an office assistant and am stuck indoors, but I take any opportunity I can to get outside. By far I think my favorite plant is a hydrangea, it is a difficult choice with how many amazing plants there are.
Hello, my name is Peri, and my pronouns are she/her. I live in Seattle, Washington, where a typical day is usually grey and rainy. I’m currently an undergraduate student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), based on the main campus. I am also a member of the UAF volleyball team.
I enjoy life on campus and have had the opportunity to meet many interesting and inspiring people. My hobbies include hiking, rock climbing, kayaking, and playing pickleball. I spend most of my time either at the gym, out on the trails, or working.
I’m majoring in Wildlife Biology with minors in Ecology and Leadership. After college, I plan to play professional volleyball for a few seasons before attending veterinary school overseas. My ultimate goal is to become a wildlife veterinarian specializing in endangered species conservation.
I have previously taken a foraging class at my previous school, and have taken multiple biology class during my life. I also do foraging in Washington state and I am a hunter, both of these experience have helped grow my knowledge on this topic.
This photo is from South Carolina, the plant is called an American Beauty Berry. The berries are edible and taste like a blueberry. You can find this plant around South Carolina on bushes and in remote areas.
Hey, I’m Will Andresen! I grew up in Anchorage and have been bouncing between Fairbanks and Cordova for school and work. I come from a long line of bush pilots and have had the privilege to explore and fish in some pretty neat spots here.
I enjoy getting out to fish and going on hikes, and I also enjoy baking occasionally when time permits. I’m currently trying to learn how to forage more, so I’m excited to see what this course has to offer. I just got back from a hike at Sheridan Glacier and got to see some cool plant life on the way, including some cabbage lungwort!
This here is what I believe is called Cabbage Lungwort!
Hello! My name is Ezekial Adams. I’m a sophomore at UAF, and am taking this class in my pursuit of an ethnobotany minor. I moved around a lot as a kid, but was originally born in central Texas. I am currently here, but live in Fairbanks during the school year. My botanical journey has been a short one. I enjoy making salves, pastes, teas, etc. with already harvested plants, and have done pollination and soil/seed research. Other than that, my experience is pretty much nonexistent. I do enjoy foraging and gardening, so I hope this class can help me explore that more. For my favorite plant, while it is a relatively simple/boring choice, I chose dandelion. Where I live now, there aren’t many plants available to me, but dandelion is pretty much a constant in most places in the U.S. I really enjoy dandelion tea as well, which is mostly why I chose this plant as my favorite.
