Greetings BIOL190 students, my name is Cuyler Bleecker (my first name is William but I go by my middle name Cuyler) and I’ll be helping Steffi with grading for the class. Apologies for the late post, I am doing my best to get caught up with the class after a delayed start.
I’m back in Fairbanks this summer, hoping to finish up lab work for a collaborative independent research project at the UA Museum of the North herbarium (ALA). The project involves documenting the presence of bryophilous fungi on specimens of the liverwort genus Gymnomitrion. Bryophilous fungi are fungi that are parasites and/or epiphytes (plants (or in this case, fungi) that grow on other plants) on bryophytes. Bryophytes (sensu lato – in the broad sense of the word) are “non-vascular” plants belonging one of three taxonomic Divisions: the mosses (Division Bryophyta, or Bryophyta sensu stricto, in the strict sense), liverworts (Division Marchantiophyta) and hornworts (Division Anthocerotophyta). Below is a micrograph of one of the early finds from the project – the tiny bryophilous ascomycete Briochiton microscopicus. The brown spheroidal looking thing is the fruiting body of the fungus which is cracked open and the minute, translucent lemon-shaped spores can be seen spilling out. This little chap was found growing on a leaf of a specimen of Gymnomitrion apiculatum from Alaska housed in our herbarium (ALA).
Hope you have been enjoying the class so far, excited to see everyone’s work! Best, Cuyler
Hello from Anchorage. š My name is Ann Dougherty and Im excited to start this class, albiet a bit late. I’m a self employed massage therapist and usually slower this time of year which is why I thought now would be a good time for a class, haha. I also do volunteer social media posts for the state parks department, usually writing some prose about the plants or landscape. I have a BS in Marketing but a desk job did not last long!
My botany journey has been slowly growing the last number of years. I was enrolled in the AK Master Naturalist program through the extension office around 2017. After that program was cut, I have been wanting to find another avenue toward hanging with our plant friends. I moved to AK full time in 2016 from Colorado, but grew up in Missouri. My foraging really took off up here, with my first experiment making extract with cottonwood buds. I just knew I needed that scent in a baked good, and now cottonwood cookies are my signature treat. Much that I pick I make into tinctures; I find them equally applicable to cold season put into hot water as tea, or again into baking. Last fall I did an extract of cow parsnip seed. I learned that in Persian cooking, the seeds are called golpar and are a common seasoning in Iran. When backpacking, I love making a tisane with whatever is around, rose root being such a comforting mug at the end of a day tropming. My latest project is making incense and it is so much more in depth than I assumed. This spring I collected the bud casings (term?!) from the cottonwood when they litter the ground after the leaves fully open. They smell beautful when burned, but it has been a learning curve in tools and amendments to figure out how to make a dough, curing, burn time etc. I think Im getting close to figuring it out.
Part of my goal with this class is to have some workcations in the summers either guiding or doing field tech work. I’m passionate about educating people on the importance of sustainable foraging. It truly makes me sad to see the first quarter mile of any trail denuded of whatever is in season. I have many favorite plants, but devil’s club holds a sweet space for me. Theyre so delicrate and slow growing as far as the decades it may take to flower for the first time. As well as the lightness of the wood and simplicity of the inner bark and such large leaves. Coupled with the spines, but then they come off so easily. I am interested as well in the ethno part of this class, and usually attempt to look up the Indigenous uses for our regions as well. Devil’s club wood was often hung over doors as a protective measure. I find it interesting as the joints can look like a 10-digit hand grasping on, and there is a sense of holding. Another favorite plant is the yellow glacous gentian around the Eagle Summit area. (The attached pic is from the Alaska Wildflowers website taken by Al Cook.) Pinnell is probably my favorite trail and so wonderful for flowers.
Looking forward to seeing what all I can absorb going forward!
(Sorry this is late, I have been out of town and I forgot to bring my computer so I wasn’t able to view any of the assignments.)
I live around Seattle in Washington State. I enjoy hiking and backpacking but I don’t usually eat wild plants other than salmonberries and huckleberries as I am not confident in identification of plants that may be poisonous. While I would like to learn how to hunt and how to further identify plants so that I can eat them, circumstances have not been in my favor up to this point so I haven’t really been able to learn.
Recently I went backpacking on the western coast of my state in Olympic National Park. I saw a lot of seaweed and other sea plants as I was crossing rocky beach areas, and I wondered if they could be eaten. I have no idea if there are any species of seaweed that are inedible or poisonous.
My favorite plant is salal (picture not taken by me). It is a very pretty plant and is found everywhere in the forests here. Their berries are edible but I have not actually eaten them.
Hello everyone! My name is Karolyn, and I am Suqpiag from Kodiak. My journey with plants up to this point is that nature has always been my happy place, forests and beaches in particular. My family did not have any interest in plants, so I was the only one. I can recall many days as a child being outside and sitting with a plant for a long time, getting to know it and observing it, often coming back throughout the year and seeing how it has changed over the seasons. Plants have always made me feel peaceful and deeply appreciative for their presence. As an adult, I love attaching names and quantifiable information to these plants that I know by my senses, and it has been wonderful so far. I am taking this class for my personal fulfillment and joy.
My favorite plant currently is sour dock as I have been craving it in the last few weeks. I love when they are juicy and sour; that tart taste is better than any candy to me! I want to harvest some this year, blend it, and freeze it to enjoy throughout the winter. There are a few spots where I know it grows on the island, and I hope to find some soon!
Howdy, my name is Rick. I am a 23 yr old fulltime student currently living on campus. I was raised in Newport News, Virginia and I have moved up to Fairbanks only recently. While I am currently pursuing a degree in Wildlife Biology, I am debating switching over to a different nature related major. I enjoy hiking/various outdoor activities, going to the gym, playing video games, and writing in general.
My botanical journey to this point has been nonexistent. This is my first plant biology related college course. I also haven’t had the opportunity to forage, hunt, or maintain a garden. As I have always lived in heavily urbanized residential sectors. After spending some years abroad for work, I have found a new appreciation for nature and I would like to get into foraging/gardening in the future. My favorite plant would have to be the Oxeye Daisy. Nothing too unique or interesting, but they always spark a sense of familiarity and warmth whenever I see one.
Hi, my name is Marina and I am an international student from Brazil.
I have been in Alaska for three years now and I am pursuing a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. The focus in my program is the application of photography across disciplines. I also work at UAF’s department of University Relations as a student photographer, where I have learned so much and believe I have one of the most fun jobs on campus.
Aside from biology classes taken in high school, my botanical knowledge is very limited. I am currently working alongside some UAF students and faculty on a project involving the Bonanza Creek Experimental Forest site. Because of my involvement in the project, and also my curiosity to learn more about the Alaska flora, I decided to take this class.
I am interested in foraging, but don’t have enough knowledge to feel comfortable doing that as of now. I learned a bit about mushrooms last fall, but still feel a bit overwhelmed by their similarities. I do enjoy gardening when time permits as well. As far as hunting, I just started harvesting animals this winter. I have gotten several ptarmigan and a sooty grouse, but my latest achievement was an enormous black bear I got a couple weeks ago. I strive to sustainably be self-sufficient as much as I am able.
I don’t necessarily have a favorite plant, but, for the picture, I chose the Johnny jump-ups because they always make me smile. I love them because they remind me of the original Alice in Wonderland movie.
I am very excited to take this class and learn as much as I can about the nature that surrounds us here in Fairbanks, Alaska, and other places.
I don’t know much about plants. I didn’t grow up spending much time outside, and now I’m a black thumb trying to reform. I wind up collecting all the unwanted, neglected plants in my office building and learning about them through enthusiastic failure. I learned about petioles last month because I was trying to save a begonia! In trying to keep them alive, I’ve dipped just a little into the insane variety, and it’s interesting trying to pick up the basics.
It’s hard to decide on a plant or group of plants I find most interesting at the moment, because they all seem to grab my interest in such different ways. I have been especially focused on scented plants this year, and scented geraniums have particularly grabbed my heart. I love the variety and the old fashioned feeling. But it’s hard to capture that in a photo. I also love to see people use plants in ways that surprise me, so this bonsai fushia is a good example of that:
Lithops also are really neat! Here is one erupting:
I am not from Alaska so some of the plants I see all around are familiar, but many aren’t. I’m really looking forward to feeling more connected to this place after this class, even though pineapple weed is a homey sight anywhere!
My name is Kristin Haney. I moved to Fairbanks 21 years ago to study NRM at UAF. I took Systematic Botany and as many plant related classes as I could during my first time around as a student. I have had lots of amazing experiences here in Alaska. I guided horseback tours in the Alaska Range for a few years. Beside riding horses, which I love, my favorite part of that ‘job’ was observing the incredible flora. Much of my employment and interests have been in agriculture. I worked on a market farm and in a commercial greenhouse. I am currently a research technician at the UAF Experiment Farm. My work involves grain breeding and soil/cover crop research. I am the director of Growing Ester’s Biodiversity Seed Library. This is a passion project and I enjoy every minute of it! I also enjoy gardening and berry picking with my family. I live with my husband and 3 boys in Ester. My favorite plant is dogwood. My grandparents had a beautiful dogwood tree in their front yard. Every time I see our little Cornus canadensis it reminds me of them.
My name is Kelsey and I do fancy myself quite the magician. My best trick is turning a 30-minute stroll into a 90-minute woodland adventure where I will manage to fill both our pockets with pretty rocks, then create the illusion that weāre leaving in ājust a minuteā. Despite knowing exactly how I did it, I promise you, the magic is real. The secret is this: When you forage, you gather more than just leaves and berries, you collect your thoughts and if you look hard enough, you can find yourself.
Foraging has always been a way of life for us, so I have a working knowledge of flora. I have a greenhouse and a garden in the summer, and grow mushrooms in the fall. Year-round, I have a vegetation congregation of various greenery in my goblin grotto of a bedroom. Despite all this, I have little knowledge of the science of plants. What I know, I learned in high school many years ago and have retained only what was usable for me at that point. What I know now isnāt much, but I guess that leaves so much to look forward to. I am extremely interested in learning from this class, and my hope is that it will help guide me in the direction that is best suited for me.
After my child flies the coop, I want to be a Green Witch on a homestead in the forest with my dog, a flock of quail, and some really nice baskets For now, I am the world’s second best mom, being just one place behind Mother Earth (although my kid thinks I’m terra-ble). The second in command of my merry band of troublemakers is my teenage son, who I’m sure is somehow part skyscraper, part Duracell battery, and still my baby boy, He is a 6 foot copper-top at 13 and has more energy than hours in the day, so he takes a lot of mine. Next is my dog Handsome Jack, who I raised from a newborn pup so I donāt know who his biological parents are, but I think heās part bully breed, part scardy-cat, and 100% Brave Little Toaster. He might be shaking in his boots when things get hairy, but heās fiercely loyal, protective, and the best person I know. Next comes my kidās cats, Mama Rook and Link Link, who consider themselves wild apex predators but still eat food from a can at the kitchen table. Both arrived nearly a decade apart through the Cat Distribution System, as cats normally do, but in two very different ways. Last is my grumpy old frog, Jupiter, who is the physical embodiment of a wart the size of a fast food cheeseburger, and has a very bad attitude. I also have a tiny aquatic frog and a fish, who I like but haven’t pack bonded with yet. I won’t even tell you their cringey names, which are a bigger mouthful than they are and came from my kid who uses words like “rizz”, ārate my fitā, and “Ohio”. Weāre a peculiar little family, and weāre happy.
Mama Rook annoyed with everyoneCuddle Puddle with LinkJupiter as a little guy (but would still like you to get off his lawn)
We live with my folks because I went and got myself in a bit of a pickle by getting sick. Initially, they gave me three weeks left on this side of the dirt, but that sounded ridiculous to me as I had zero intention of leaving my kiddo an orphan. Despite the red hair, heād make a really bad Annie because he has the acting skills of a sardine. Iām End Stage 4, but I feel pretty great. (besides getting a bit tired occasionally and morphing into an incoherent potato, which is why I feel itās important you know). With a transplant or two, Iāll be around to keep the hearth fires burning a while longer, and I wouldnāt miss that for the life of me.
Handsome Jack in SewardCommon Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L)
I’ve lived all over Alaska, most recently in the Dena’ina Lands of the Matanuska Valley. There is a vast amount of flora in this region, so itās hard for me to choose just one favorite plant. It is a revolving door, depending on my needs or what Iām currently researching. Currently, Iād say it’s Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L). Iāve always loved the camphor smell of yarrow, and there are so many beneficial uses. The folklore surrounding yarrow is both legendary and pragmatic, which supports evidence that it was used medicinally as far back as 60 centuries. Yarrow is visually subtle but full of stealthy merit. She is simply bewitching.
Hi! My name is Theo, and I am a first-year student. Iām excited about taking this course and looking forward to seeing all the plants everyone documents this semester! My top favorite plant is selaginella martensii, more commonly known as the Frosty Fern.
This image, taken by designwithgrace, shows the distinctive white, or āfrostyā tipped leaves of the frosty fern.
