אוקטובר 28, 2023

October 27, 2023 https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/189177749

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/189177749
As winter is closing in, I’ve been struggling to find an identifiable plant and the animals have been scarce. The bears are in their caves, the musk ox have retreated, birds have flown south and all that are left are the ravens and a few brave seagulls. As I wandered around my neighborhood, I came across a rack from this fall’s successful moose hunt. The moose, which looks to have been a tall and proud bull, has sacrificed its life unwillingly to feed a couple of families for the winter. Moose, Alces alces, is a member of the deer family, matter of fact it is the largest member (www.adfg.alaska.gov). They are found and hunted all over mainland Alaska, a well-known food source for the entire state. Moose are herbivores, eating primarily willows (they prefer young willows) and grasses. They are not only prey to us humans but also to bears and wolves. Just this spring I saw a bull who had survived a bear attack, he had scars and a hole in his flank. The poor guy was very skinny, so I figured it was the previous fall that the attack had taken place, and he spent a good part of winter healing and not eating. In the winter moose are seen in large groups, as many as twenty, but in the summer, they disperse in search of food. According to adfg.alaska.gov, moose move seasonally; from calving, rutting, and feeding locations. This proves my previous statement about them traveling in groups in the winter and dispersing in the summer.
Works Cited
Dfg.webmaster@alaska.gov. Moose Species Profile, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=moose.main. Accessed 27 Oct. 2023.

הועלה ב-אוקטובר 28, 2023 01:19 לפנה"צ על ידי amyfrances52 amyfrances52 | 3 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

אוקטובר 20, 2023

October 20, 2023https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/188316475

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/188316475

The debate about the species of this tree began for me last January. I took an Alaskan Biology course where we used iNaturalist similarly to how we do in this class. The difference was that only our teacher and members of the iNaturalist community gave input. When I posted this observation, iNaturalist and my teacher both identified it as a White Spruce, but I strongly believe it is a Black Spruce.
Black Spruce Picea mariana is an evergreen tree with leaves of needles, grayish bark, and yellow wood. It is found in flat areas, marshes and in colder, wet climates (Alaska Trees and Shrubs). According to Alaska Trees and Shrubs this tree is not used much because of its smaller size but is used for Christmas trees. This commonly known fact is why I believe it is a Black Spruce. Every year since I was a little girl, my family makes a 78-mile trek to a location known as Council, Ak to picnic and chop down a Christmas tree.
White Spruce Picea glauca is also an evergreen tree but much larger than the Black Spruce. The needles and cones are slightly bigger than that of the Black Spruce as well. These evergreens are more useful than the Black Spruce, they are used for log cabins and bridge construction (Alaska Trees and Shrubs).
Council is the border of the boreal forest and arctic tundra biomes, where the spruces are located. According to Alaska Trees and Shrubs both trees are said to be located in the area I visited so I supposed it could be either. I believe because of the scraggly appearance of tree, that they are much smaller than the spruces I see in Anchorage and that the needs and cones also appear small, that it is a Black Spruce.
Works Cited
Viereck, Leslie A., et al. Alaska Trees and Shrubs. University of Alaska Press, 2006. Accessed 20 OCT, 2023

הועלה ב-אוקטובר 20, 2023 11:36 אחה"צ על ידי amyfrances52 amyfrances52 | 2 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

אוקטובר 14, 2023

October 13, 2023 https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/187453913

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/187453913
With winter setting in very quickly, it’s been a struggle to find an identifiable plant. The animal population is also getting scares and the roads will be closing soon. I decided to wander around my neighborhood and one bright splash of color caught my eye… One of my favorite characteristics of my yard is the Icelandic Poppy population in my yard. They are beautiful orange, yellow and white flowers that brighten the yard every summer. I am not sure where they came from, but I suspect somehow seeds were either shared by neighbors or they blew across the road, as this house and the one across the street are the only two homes in Nome with poppies growing in their yards. I remember these flowers from when I was growing up in Nome, so bright and out of place in our dreary little town.
In an article from the University of Alaska Icelandic poppy, I learned that these poppies are considered invasive, though ranked fairly low (39 out of 100) for posing a threat to the native ecosystem. The article does not mention anything but a very low impact on its environment. It is also mentioned that this poppy is not native to Alaska. Like its Scandinavian name suggests, it is found in areas such as Finland, Norway, and Russia, according to Iceland poppy.
According to ravensongherbals.com, the leaves, flowers and seeds of the Icelandic poppies are edible. The cite says they can be used as a pain reliever or sedative and also be used in making dyes.

Works Cited

“Icelandic Poppy Seeds.” Ravensong Seeds & Herbals, ravensongherbals.com/herbs/icelandic-poppy#:~:text=The%20petals%20of%20Icelandic%20Poppy,Also%20useful%20for%20calming%20coughs.&text=The%20flowers%20are%20used%20to,of%20red%20and%20brown%20dyes. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.
Nawrocki, Timm. Icelandic Poppy Papaver Croceum Ledeb. - Accs.Uaa.Alaska.Edu, accs.uaa.alaska.edu/wp-content/uploads/Papaver_croceum_BIO_PACR80.pdf. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.

הועלה ב-אוקטובר 14, 2023 05:57 לפנה"צ על ידי amyfrances52 amyfrances52 | 2 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

אוקטובר 6, 2023

October 06, 2023 https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/186469405

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/186469405
Matricaria discoidea or Pineapple weed is from the Ateracae family and is also known as wild chamomile. It is an invasive weed that is said to have originated in Kodiak only to flourish all over the state. It stands about 6 inches tall but can be up to 12 inches, a leafy plant with a yellow cone-like head. It can be eliminated by weeding, though it may take several attempts. Surprisingly there is not much literature on this little weed for how common and widespread it is. In my area is grows along road sides, along houses or buildings and always out of gravel. From what I have seen gravel/dirt is the common denominator, there doesn’t appear to be a preferred habitat such as swamp, wetlands, drainage areas, tundra, etc. As a matter of fact, I’ve been told that animal urine helps it to grow and spread. I am not sure if that is true, but it is PLENTIFUL in the area where my dog uses the bathroom.
According to the Alutiiq Museum pineapple has a wide variety of medicinal uses. These are all internal and include help to new mothers by cleansing their systems, producing milk and even cleaning baby’s system via milk. It can be used to clear out baby’s black meconium stools if a small is given directly to baby. Aside from maternal benefits, pineapple weed can be used as a laxative, relaxant, sleeping aid and cold relief. I believe this to be a reliable source and most of this I have heard passed down via word of mouth.

Pineapple Weed, wild chamomile. Alutiiq Museum. (n.d.). https://alutiiqmuseum.org/medicinal-plants/pineapple-weed
Bauder, P., Bella, E., Heutte, T., Lapina, I., & McKee, C. (n.d.). Invasive Plants of Alaska.

הועלה ב-אוקטובר 6, 2023 11:33 אחה"צ על ידי amyfrances52 amyfrances52 | 4 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

ספטמבר 29, 2023

September 28, 2023 https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/185359171

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/185359171

Rhubarb is considered a vegetable and has a consistency similar to celery though the two could not be more different. The stalks look similar but once ripened rhubarb is a deep reddish-purple color. Rhubarb is a perennial vegetable, meaning it returns every year. It has a sweeter, tangy taste and is mostly used in baking, jams, jellies and syrups.
According to almanac.com, rhubarb thrives in areas where the temperature is below 40 degrees in the winter and below 75 in the summer, which couldn’t be any more perfect for Nome. We don’t have much growing near town, I normally harvest a small patch my grandma had planted years ago in her backyard in a small planter box. It’s in the backyard, in the shade and hasn’t received any attention in years but grows strong every year. I’ve seen it growing out about 60 miles outside of town in the wild, otherwise it only exists in people’s yards where they have transplanted it.
Work Cited
Boeckmann, Catherin. “Rhubarb.” Almanac.com. May 23, 2023 https://www.almanac.com/plant/rhubarb

הועלה ב-ספטמבר 29, 2023 12:36 לפנה"צ על ידי amyfrances52 amyfrances52 | 5 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

ספטמבר 21, 2023

Sept 21, 2023 https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/184326134

Musk Ox (Ovibos moschatus) are located in northwestern and eastern Alaska. Though once native to Alaska, they became extinct in the 1920s and were reintroduced in the 1930s where in less than 40 years the population went from 34 to 750. Today it is well over 4,000.
Musk ox are most similar to bison, I would say. They are large, up to 800 lbs, dark and wooly animals with two large horns that meet in the middle of their forehead, almost like a headband. Their soft underfur is called qiviut and when woven is very soft and very warm, most commonly made into what we call smoke rings (neck warmer), headbands and hats. Their fur is rare and very expensive, hats can range from $300 to $500, sweaters around $2,000.
Musk ox are a source of nutrition. I’ve only tried it in chili, which I think masked any chance at sampling flavor or consistency. I’ve been told that their meat is amazing, very rich and oily and flavorful. There is no open hunting season on them, hunters must enter a drawing to be selected to hunt them. Only a small group of hunters are chosen, and they have rigid restrictions, such as they can only hunt from herds located 80 miles outside of town or that you must only use a bow and arrow.

Musk ox are something our tourists and new residents are amazed by. They really are impressive creatures, however, they are not looked upon kindly by locals. In recent years they have taken up residency in city limits, on streets, next to buildings and in yards. Though seemingly docile, they are not friendly. They have killed many our residents’ dogs and charged their owners. Last year they killed their first human, a Trooper very dear to our community. There is an ongoing unofficial battle between residents and Alaska Department of Fish and Game that has no sign of resolution in the near future.

Work Cited

Dfg.webmaster@alaska.gov. (n.d.). Muskox species profile, Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Muskox Species Profile, Alaska Department of Fish and Game. https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=muskox.main

הועלה ב-ספטמבר 21, 2023 10:48 אחה"צ על ידי amyfrances52 amyfrances52 | 5 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

ספטמבר 14, 2023

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/183232793 Blackberries

The crowberry, Empetrum nigrum, is known in Western Alaska as the blackberry. It a very prominent evergreen shrub in Alaska but can also be found in Canada, some of the norther New England and Great Lakes states and the Pacific Coast of Northern California. It is a low-lying shrub that isn’t any more than 6 inches in height and grows in thick patches that can occur on in both forests and open tundra. Blackberries have a wide variety of uses, both nutritional and medicinal. For many mammals, such as species of birds, caribou and rodents, blackberries are an important staple in their diet. They are rich in nutrients and antioxidants. Humans use them in jams, jellies, and pies, usually mixed with blueberries and/or cranberries. They are used medicinally for main internal problems such as digestion (diarrhea) or kidney health.
The crowberries aka blackberries that are pictured in my observation are located on the top of Anvil Mountain, on the outskirts of Nome, AK. I hiked up the mountain on a slightly windy and overcast day. This was my first-time hiking up the rather steep face of the mountain, it was exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. Sitting on the top of the mountain, looking over the land and sea I grew up on was very peaceful. Before making this observation and reading about blackberries, I didn’t know much about them. I do know they are one of the most abundant berries in our area and that people bake with them. I knew they were harvested in the fall time, after the first frost, just like cranberries. I’ve never had a taste for them, but my son does. I’ve mentioned in one of my other posts that one legend in this area is that when a member of the tribe passes away, their name goes to the next born and they take on his likeness. My ex-father-in-law passed away a couple of months before my son was born, so my son is his Eskimo namesake. The elder really loved blackberries, my son is obsessed with them.

Empetrum Nigrum, www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/shrub/empnig/all.html. Accessed 14 Sept. 2023.

הועלה ב-ספטמבר 14, 2023 07:27 אחה"צ על ידי amyfrances52 amyfrances52 | 3 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

ספטמבר 9, 2023

September 8, 2023

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/182407168

Today I observed blueberries on the tundra near the airport in Nome, Alaska. Blueberries are found all through out Alaska, though there are different types found through out the state. The ones in our region are known as bog blueberries. Today was the first nice day we've had in what feels like months, everyone has been calling it the 3rd day of summer. Its sunny, clear skies, minimal wind and 39 degrees out but feels more like 50 degrees. You can see mountains in the distance covered in snow. As I mentioned earlier, its been nothing but rain and high winds for what feels like months, so it was nice to get out and enjoy the tundra. I came upon some late season blueberries. They were pretty soft and mushy, the insides were very dark when smooshed. Blueberries are picked here in Nome and used for many things. We use them for jams and jellies, pies, ice cream, or eat them with canned milk and sugar. There are many other deserts that blueberries are used for but the one that is by far the most famous is called blueberry delight. Its a desert with a graham cracker crust and layers of whip cream and cream cheese, blueberries and jello.
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הועלה ב-ספטמבר 9, 2023 02:35 לפנה"צ על ידי amyfrances52 amyfrances52 | תצפית 1 | 2 תגובות | הוספת תגובה

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