Summary of Mineral Creek Summer 2011

Time: 6:00-9:00 pm
Date: Wednesday 8 June, 2011
Place: Mineral Creek and Bog
Weather: Light wind, light rain, and cloudy

Plants:

Sitka Alder---Alnus viridis

Sitka Willow---Salix sitchensis

Sitka Valerian- Valerina sitchensis

Black Cotton Wood- Populus trichocarpa

Dwarf Dog Wood- Cornus pumila

Trailing Black Currant---Ribes laxiflorum

Red Berry Eilder---Sambucus racemosa L.

Fireweed- Epilobium angustifolium

Large Leaf Avens- Geum macrophyllum
Common Dandelions- Taraxacum
Fireweed- Epilobium angustifolium
Forget-me-not- Myosotis
Narcissus Flower Anemone- Anemone narcissiflora
Salmon Berry- Rubus spectabilis

Alaska Spiraea- Spiraea beauverdiana
Shepherd's Purse- Capsella bursa-pastoris
Trailing Black Currant- Ribes laxiflorum

Marsh Violet- Viola palustris
Wild Iris- Iris missouriensis
Chocolate Lilly- Fritillaria biflora
Sundew- Drosera
Nagoon Berry- Rubus arcticus
Star Flower- Borago officinalis

Crow Berry- Empetrum

Narcissus Anemone---Anemone narcissiflora

Cloud Berry- Rubus chamaemorus
Bog Blueberry- Vaccinium myrtillus

Marsh Cinquefoil---Potentilla palustris

Alaska Violet- Viola langsdorfii fisch
High Bush Cranberry- Viburnum trilobum

Bog Cranberry- Vaccinium oxycoccos

Devil's Club-Oplopanax horridus
Northern Red Currant- Ribes triste
Spiny Wood Fern- Dryopteris expansa
Cow Parsnip- Heracleum maximum
Smooth Alumroot- Heuchera glabra

Kelloggs Sedge---Carex Kelloggii

Horse Tail- Equisetum
False Hellebore- Veratrum viride
Bog Labrador's Tea- Rhododendron groenlandicum
Fern- Matteuccia struthiopterisSphagnum Moss
Fir Club Moss- Huperzia selago

Animals:

Bald Eagle- Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Caterpillar- Lepidoptera spp.
Violet Green Swallows- Tachycineta thalassina

This was a great trip, there was lots to be seen even before we arrived at the bog. The bog itself was amazing, full of mosses and a couple of wildflowers. This was the first time most of us had seen a sundew. On our way back we identified a couple more species, and the mosquitoes weren’t out as bad as they were on the way in.

Summary of Worthington Glacier Summer 2011

Worthington Glacier

Plants

Fireweed---Eqilobium angustifolium

Sitka Alder---Alnus sinuata

Variable Willow---Salix commutata

Black Cottonwood---Populus trichocarpa

Creatures

Mew Gulls---Larus canus

Dwarf Willow- Saliz herbaccea

Crowberry - Empetrum nigrum

Artic willow- Salix arctica

Common Dandelion- Taraxacum officinale

Corral lichen- Cladia retipora

The glacier was an interesting trip. It is a very important place for a natural history student to visit, because this whole area was carved by ice, much like that one. It was cool identifying all of the pieces of the glacier and glacial area. The most interesting part of this area was simply the lack of plant life. Of course there isn't much for a reason, but it was cool to see the willows and dwarf fireweed doing what they are known for.

Summary of Thompson Pass Summer 2011

Thursday 6/9/11

4:00PM-8:00PM

Cloudy, 53F, 11mph winds, Very little sunshine

Wildflowers

Common dandelion- Taraxacum officinale

Dwarf blueberry- Vaccinium cespitosum

Lapland diapensia- Diapensia lapponica

Mountain avens- Dryas octopetala

Kamchatcha Rockcrest- Arabis kamchatica

Crowberry -Empetrum

Labrador tea -Ledum groenlandicum

Mountain buttercup -Ranunculus populago
Small flower paintbrush- Castillja coccinea
Alpine azalea- Loiseleuria procumbens

Alpine blueberry- Vaccinium uliginosum L

Bell heather- Erica cinerea

Narcissus Flower Annenome Anemone narcissiflora

Villous Cinquefoil- Potentilla villosa

Starflower- Trientalis borealis
Alp lily- Lloydia serotina

Alpine bearberry- Arctostaphylos alpina

Pale gentian- Glaucous gentian

Blackish oxytrope- Oxytropis nigrescens

Mosses

Fir clubmoss- Huperzia selago

Moss heather- Cassiope mertensiana

Moss campion- Silene acaulis

Star campylium moss -Campylium stellatum

Moss heather-Cassiope mertensiana

Insects

Bumble Bee-Bombus

Birds

Bald Eagle- Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Lichens

Frogs pelt-Peltigera neopolydactyla

Star-tipped reindeer lichen cladina stellaris

Witches hair lichen- Alectoria ochroleuca

Cetraria nivalis

Red Capped Lichen-Cladonia cristatella

False Pixie Cup-Cladonia chlorophaea

Shrubs

Dwarf willow- Salix herbacea

Arctic willow- Salix arctica

Low-bush cranberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea

This was the very last trip that we took. It was one of the most interesting trips because we were able to see tundra plant life, and really see how they exist. Understand things like why they grow so small and why they will branch out in more peculiar ways. It was an impressive variety of plants in such small areas and a surprising amount of them were wildflowers. A very cool place with a great life system.

Summary of Shoup Bay Trail Summer 2011

Thursday, 5/26/11

Sunny, 68 Degrees

Trees:

Black Cottonwood- Populus trichocarpa

Sitka Alder- Alunus viridis

Shrubs:

Salmonberry- Rubus spectabilis

Red Elder- Sambucus nigra

Felt Leaf Willow- Salix Alaxensis

Red Current- Ribes triste

Scoulers Willows-Salix scouleriana

Nettles-Urtica Species

Scoulers Willows-Salix scouleriana

smooth leaf-Saxifraga integrifolia

schoulers willow-Salix scouleriana

Northern Red Current- Ribes triste

Devils Club- Oplopanax horridus

Alaskan Blueberry- Vaccinium alaskaense

Twisted Stalk- Streptopus amplexifolius

Wildflowers & grasses

False Indian Corn- Veratrum viride

Cow Parsnip- Heracleum maximum

Skunk Cabbage- Lysichition americanus

Ostrich Ferns- Matteuccia struthiopteris

Oak Fern- Gymnocarpium dryopteris

Fireweed-Chamerion angustifolium

Alaskan Violets-Viola langsdorfii

Stream Violets-Viola glabella

Watermelon Berry-Streptopus amplexifolius

Chocolate Lily-Fritillaria Camschatcencis

False Lilly of the Valley- Maianthemum dilatatum

Monkshood- Aconitum Napellus

Purple Iris-Iris germanica

Shooting Star-Hydrangea macrophylla

Meadow Barley-Hordeum brachyantherum

Yarrow-Achillea millefolium

Arctic Rush- Juncus arcticus

stream violet- Viola glabella

wild geranium-Geranium maculatum

marsh cinquefoil- Potentilla palustris

beach greens-Arenaria peploides

Horsetail- Equisetum arvense

Goats Beard- Aruncus dioicus

Spiny Wood Fern- Dryopteris expansa

Smooth Alumroot- Huechera glabra

Monks Root- Lewisia redivia

Arctic Dock- Rumex arcticus

Nagoon Berry- Rubus arcticus

Lichens:

pin cushion orange lichen-Xanthoria polycarpa

insects:

Water Strider---Gerridae

Bumble Bee—Bombus

Spider Mite---Tetranynchus urticae Koch

Birds:

Raven---Corvus corax

Mew Gull---Larus canus

American Robin---Turdus migratorius

This was probably my favorite trail. It was long and it was super hot outside but it was beautiful. We saw so many things that we hadn't before and the trail has so many different areas. There was a giant tree that took almost the whole class to hug the whole trunk. I ended up shin deep in mud, which was also very exciting. Eventually I want to walk to walk the whole trail.

Summary of Gilahina Trail Summer 2011

Friday 6/3/11

Sunny 68F

Trees:

Quaking aspen- Populus tremuloides

Green alder- Alnus viridis

Paper birch- Betula papyrifera

White Spruce---Picea glauca

Shrubs:

Wild Strawberry- Fragaria vesca

Lowbush Cranberry- Vaccinium vitis-idaea

Bearberry- Arctostaphylos

Wildflowers & Grasses:

Fireweed- Chamerion latifolium

Bastard toad flax- Comandra umbellata

Twin flower- Linnaea borealis

Tall lungwort- Mertensia bella

Narcissus flowered anenome- Anenome coronaria

Broomrape- Boschniakia rossica

Common Pink Wintergreen---Pyrola asarifolia

Yellow Anemone---Anemone ranunculoides

Dwarf Jacob's Ladder- Polemonium boreale

Dwarf Fireweed- Chamerion latifolium

Labrador Tea---Rhododendron groenlandicum

Wild Rose- Rosa virginiana

Horse Tail- Equisetum

Lichens:

Powdered Orange Lichen---Teloschistes flavicans

We stopped for lunch by Gilahina Creek and it had a neat little trail that right by the creek. We were all exhausted because this was the last trail we went on as we were heading home from our three day trip to McCarthy. Most of the plants there were ones that we had already identified, but there were some new once like the broomrape. It was a really nice, relaxing spot and I'm glad that we stopped there.

Fragaria vesca

The wild strawberry can be found in Alaska along with the rest of the northern hemisphere. It is a very tolerant plant that can withstand varying levels of water as well as soil quality. The further south you find the wild strawberry the more shade tolerant, the further north the more sunlight tolerant. It is a flowering ground level fruiting plant that shoots runners as well growing from seed banks in the soil. Humans and most other alskan animals such as voles, birds, and bears love this fruit. The wild strawberry blooms in mid-spring and starts to produce fruit throughout the summer. Wild strawberries have documented throughout history as favorite of the people even during the roman empire. In europes past villagers used to string wild strawberries to the horns of their cattle as an offering to elves.

Resources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_strawberry

http://www.plantpropagation.homehydroponics.info/seed-propagation/wild-strawberries-interesting-facts-about-the-virginia-strawberry

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/strawberries/history.cfm

Gilahina Creek

Firday, June 3, 2011, 2:45 pm- 4:00 pm
Sunny, patchy clouds
Temp: 68 degrees


Plants:
Wild Strawberry- Fragaria vesca
Fireweed- Chamerion latifolium
Bastard toad flax- Comandra umbellata
Quaking aspen- Populus tremuloides
Twin flower- Linnaea borealis
Tall lungwort- Mertensia bella
Narcissus flowered anenome- Anenome coronaria
Green alder- Alnus viridis
Paper birch- Betula papyrifera
Broomrape- Boschniakia rossica



This creek was very beautiful with multiple game trails. This was the firstplace that I had found wild strawberries in the wilderness. Despite others hestitation to explore this area I am glad that we got the opportunity.