Dwarf Fireweed

Dwarf Fireweed or River Beauty willow herb, scientifically known as the Chamerion latifolium. This whole herb is eatable, from the pink flowers with long capsules, thin green stems to the long oval green leaves they flower June to August. Natives use it for many things, such as tea in salads and just eaten raw. It has pretty much the same taste as spinach would. You can see this plant grow in clumps along river banks, gravel sandy areas and sometimes in alpine areas without wetlands in Alaska , Canada, to Colorado also California.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapindus
http://nhguide.dbs.umt.edu/index.php?c=plants&m=desc&id=145
http://troymullens.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/dwarf-fireweed-chamerion-latifolium/
http://www.ipmimages.org/browse/detail.cfm?imgnum=5391244

Mourning Cloak

Mourning Cloak or Nymphalis antiopa is a butterfly with no similar species. They feed on sap, rotting fruits and flower nectars, they live in open areas, the woods and small water areas. They mate in the spring and the eggs are laid on twigs of their plant host, then the adults die. the caterpillars hatch and eat the host plant, when they are ready to turn to butterflies they cocoon and when they emerge with a wingspan of 2 1/4 to 4 inches. They then fly south for the fall and then the pattern repeats again. They can be found anywhere between the Tundra and central Mexico.

References

Image only- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphalis_antiopa

http://www.chicagowildernessmag.org/issues/winter2002/mourning.html

http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/lepidopt/nymph/mcloak.htm

http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Nymphalis-antiopa

Bog Rosemary

BOG ROSEMARY


The Bog Rosemary, Scientifically known as Andromeda polifolia. Now this is not the kind of rosemary you cook with, because every part of this evergreen shrub is not edible. Bog Rosemary is in Greenland to Alaska, Canada, Idaho and all the way to New Jersey. They grow in peat bogs because the roots can stay cool and like full to partial sun with some shade. Bog Rosemary has a thin stem that grows to be about 20 cm tall and has thin long spiky dark green leaves, which turn purplish in the winter. The bell like white-pinkish flower blooms in spring.
Not many animals eat the bog Rosemary, But moose on the Kenai peninsula have been known to munch on this shrub.






http://www.daytonnursery.com/encyclopedia/trees_shrubs/Andromeda.htm
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/poison/Andropo.htm
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/andpol/all.html#DISTRIBUTION%20AND%20OCCURRENCE

Water Striders

Water Striders are part of the Gerridae family, there are over 500 different species of the strider. They can be found throughout the world and all over north america and found all year round as long as the water isn't frozen in small ponds, marshes and small pools by rivers. They feed on both living and dead insects like dragonflies, mosquitos, and various others such as beetles and butterflies, also mosquito larvae. Water Striders are between 3 to 16 mm or 1/2 inch in size and has 6 legs, the front are used to grab prey the back 4 are used to push around on the water allowing them to move very quickly. They are able to glide over water because they are so light and have water proof hairs on their legs. The females lay their eggs along the edges of pond or on grass to protect the larvae form predators.

References

http://www.biosurvey.ou.edu/okwild/misc/waterstrider.html

http://bugguide.net/node/view/163

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/common_water_strider.htm

http://www.ehow.com/about_6535495_water-strider-habitat.html

Gilahina Trail

Gilahina River Trail

June 3,2011
57degrees, Cloudy
3pm

Plants Observed-

Yellow Anemone-Anemone ranunculoides
Jacob latter-Polemonium pulcherrimum
Wild Rose- Rosa acicularis
Fireweed-Epilobium angustifolium
Green Alder-Alnus viridis
Horse Tail-Equisetum
Labrador Tea-Rhododendron tomentosum
Bearberry- Arctostaphylos
BlueBells-Mertensia
Quaking Aspen-Populus tremuloides
Powder Orange Liken-Teloschistes flavicans

Root Glacier Trail
June 3, 2011
60 Degrees, partly Cloudy
1pm

Plants Observed-

Freckled Pelt-Peltigera aphthosa
Frog pelt-Peltigera neopolydactyla
Wild Rose-Rosa woodsii Lindl.
Twin Flower-Linnaea borealis L.
Crowberry-Empetrum nigrum
Stiff-club moss-Lycopodium annotinum
Northern Black Currant-Ribes hudsonianum var. petiolare
Low bush Cranberrie-
Vaccinium vitis-idaea
Blue Bell-Hyacinthoides non-scripta
Tall Jacobs ladder-Polemonium acutiflorum
Labrador Tea-Rhododendron tomentosum

Kennecott Glacier Trail

Kennecott Glacier Trail
June 2, 2011
1pm
65 degrees partly cloudy~ beautiful day for a hike

Plants Observed-

Soapberry-Sapindus
Prickly Saxifrage-Saxifraga
Yellow Anemone-Anemone ranunculoides
Large Flower Wintergreen-Pyrola
Narcissus Flowered Anemone-Anemone narcissiflora
Elegant Orange Liken-Xanthoria elegans
monks hood-Aconitum napellus
White heather-Cassiope tetragona
Early blueberry-Vaccinium ovalifolium
Paper Birch-Betula papyrifera
Jacobs latter Beautiful-Polemonium pulcherrimum
Dwarf Fireweed-Chamerion latifolium
Alpine bearbeary-Arctostaphylos alpina

McCarthy Road

McCarthy Road
June 1, 2011
2PM
60 degrees partly cloudy

Plants Observed-

Rosemary Bog-Andromeda polifolia
Pussy willow-Salix discolo
Lupin- Lupinus
Small yellow pond lily-Nuphar pumila
Yellow Dryas-Dryas drummondii var. eglandulosa
Bearberry-Arctostaphylos alpina
Kamchatka Rockcress-Arabis kamchatica

Animals Observed-

Wood Frog-Rana sylvatica
Butterfly
Dragon Fly

Root Glacier Trail

Kennicott

6/2/11

Root Glacier Trail

Plants

Soap Berry---Shepherdia canadensis

Common Dandelion---Taraxacum officinale

Prickly Saxifrage---Saxifraga tricuspidata

Green Map Lichen---Rhizocarpon geographicum

False Pixie Cup---Cladonia chlorophaea

Yellow Anemone---Anemone ranunculoides

Large Flowered Wintergreen---Pyrola grandiflora

White Spruce---Picea glauca

Narcissus Flowered Anemone

Elegant Orange Lichen---Xanthoria Elegans

Barclay Willow---Salix Barclayi

Monks Hood---Aconitum Columbianum

White Heather---Cassiope mertensiana

Sub Alpine Fir---Abies lasiocarpa Nutt.

Mountain Avens---Dryas integrifolia/octopetala

Paper Birch---Betula papyrifera

Lupins---Lupinus angustifolius

Mountain Ash---Sorbus americana

Beautiful Jacobs Ladder---Polemonium pulcherrimum

Lemon Lichen---Candelaria concolor

Dwarf Fireweed---Chamerion latifolium

Iceland Moss (Lichen)---Cetraria islandica L.

Twin Flower---Linnaea borealis

Alpine Bearberry---Arctostaphylos alpina

Kichatna Watercress---Nasturtium officinale

Balsam Poplar---Populus balsamifera

Creatures

Mourning Cloak---Nymphalis antiopa

Ants SP.

Black Beetle---Pterostichus melanarius

Swallow SP.

It was an cool trail being on the side of the hill like that like the whole town was. What a view too, seeing that Karst and hearing the glacier cracking was amazing. It was pretty to see all the other plants that grew there and see the difference between there and here.

McCarthey Trip

McCarthey Trip

6/1/11

Roadside to McCarthey

Plants

Yellow Mountain Aven---Dryas drummondii

Common Dandelion---Taraxacum officinale

Kinnikinnick Berry---Arctostaphylos uva-ursi

Creatures

Water Striders---Gerridae

Wood Frog---Rana sylvatica

At first i didnt expect to find anything in the water but it turned out there was a lot in there. Like the frog Carl caught and all the water striders on the surface and it was all fine until i saw the giant spider and then i had to get back in the car.

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

The magnificent bald eagle is a bird of the North American and Canadian territories. The bald eagle visits the Prince William Sound to breed and fledge offspring. They winter in the southern and central parts of the United States and spend their summers in Alaska and Canada. Bald eagles favorite meal item is fish and prefer habits nears lakes, rivers, and sea coasts where their prey is plentiful. They are a bird of prey that can grow to be over three-feet tall with a wingspan of eight-feet in length. Mature adults are easily spotted by people because of their white head and tail, however, juveniles are completely brown and often mistaken for another type of eagle. Bald eagles take up to five years to become sexually mature and return to their birthplace to reproduce. These birds can live 20 or more years in the wild and their life expectancy doubles in captivity. Bald eagles, on average, lay two eggs but it is rare for both offspring to survive to become a mature adult. Bald eagle relationshhips are similar to humans in many ways. They are monogamous animals when partnered. If one mate dies the other eagle will find a new mate; unlike another Alaskan bird the tundra swan that will not find another mate after theirs dies. Also, if the mating pair of eagles are not successful with reproduction they will break up and find other mates to try and reproduce with. Many Native American cultures saw the bald eagle as a guide between the physical and spirit world. Acting as messengers between the gods and the tribes.


Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haliaeetus_leucocephalus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tundra_Swan
http://www.kingfishermanor.com/Wildlife.html