Sitka Burnet:

Sitka Burnet is part of the Rose family and can be found in bogs or meadows around the southern part in Alaska. It can also be found in the Alaskan Range.  It’s a perennial plant that can reach 1-2’ in height containing toothed leaflets. Tiny flowers with 5 greenish-white sepals bloom in July and August. Leaves are edible when the plant is in its infant stages but become tough as they mature.

Pratt, Verna E. "White and Cream Flowered Plants." Field Guide to Alaskan Wildflowers. Anchorage, AK: Alaskakrafts Pub., 1989. 53. Print.

Dave's Garden. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014. <http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/2003/10/04/Weezingreens/8f89ed.jpg>.

Horsetail:

Equisetum, commonly known as Horsetail is a slender potentially two feet tall plant with joint stems with whorls of branches. At their tips, a small spore-producing cone arises from separate stems. They can be found in moist woodlands, roadsides, swaps, mountains, and gardens. This plant is very old and can grow a new plant from any part of the old stem making this is very difficult plant to get rid of if unwanted.

Kavanagh, James, and Raymond Leung. The Nature of Alaska: An Introduction to Familiar Plants, Animals & Outstanding Natural Attractions. Phoenix, AZ: Waterford, 2005. Print.

OSU, n.d. Web. 26 Sept. 2014. <http://oregonstate.edu/dept/nursery-weeds/weedspeciespage/horsetail/early_habit_750.jpg>.

Thompson Pass

1.      9/24/14, 2:15 PM, Thompson Pass

2.      Weather: 61 degrees, felt like low 40’s, Windy 10-20mph, Sunny

3.      Geological Features: Chugach Mountains, Alpine tundra

4.      Plants:

·         Fireweed

·         Alpine Spirea (Luetkea pectinata)

·         Sitka Burnet (Sanguisorba stipulata)

·         Red Stem Saxifrage (Saxifraga Lyallii)

·         Siberian Aster (Aster sibiricus)

·         Alaskan Cotton (Eriophorum)

·         Peat Moss (Sphagnum)

·         Liverwort (Marchantiophyta)

·         Blueberry (vaccinium)

·         Willow (Salix)

·         Artic Willow (Salix artica)

·         White spruce (Picea glauca)

·         Moss Heather (Cassiope stelleriana)

·         Artic Kidney Lichen (Nephroma articum)

·         Turgid Aulacomnium (Turgidum)

·         Northern Rock Tripe (Umbilibaria)

·         King Bolete Mushroom (Boletus edulis)

·         Yellow Mountain Heather (Phyllodoce glanduliflora)

·         Reindeer Lichen (Cladonia rangiferina)

·         Artic Lupus

·         Lycopodium

·         Labrador Tea (Pyrola grandiflora)

Worthington Glacier

1.       9/23/14, 2:25, Worthington Glacier

2.       Weather: Sunny, Wind 10-15 mph, 52 degrees

3.       Geological Features: Chugach Mountains, Glacier streams and lake

4.       Plants:

·         Horsetail (Equisetum)

·         Alder (Alnus)

·         Willow (Salix)

·         Fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium)

·         Algae

·         Filamentis

·         Shelf Mushroom (Laetiporus)

·         Deceiver Mushroom (Laccaria Laccata)

·         Moss (Bryophyta)

5.       Animals:

·         Duck flats: Cackling Goose

·         Lowe River: 8 Bald Eagles

·         Possible worm tracks in mud

·         Small dog or possible fox tracks

September 24, 2014 2:00 pm Thompson Pass

weather: clear, sunny, chilly, felt like 45 degrees (unless you laid down in the moss, that was pretty comfy)

geo: alpine tundra

animals: found a small hole in the ground, probably vole or ground squirrel

plants & such:

alpine spiraea Luetkea pectinata

sitka burnet Sanguisorba stipulata

red stemmed saxifrage Saxifraga lyallii

moss Lophozia sp.

siberian astor Astor sibiricus

alaska cotton Eriophorum Scheuchzeri

deceiver mushroom Laccaria laccata

bog blueberry Vaccinium uliginosum

arctic willow Salix arctica

moss heather Cassipe stellariana

turgid aulacomnium moss Aulacomnium turgidum

crowberry/mossberry Empetrum nigrum

king bolete mushroom Boletus edulis

yellow mountain heather Phyllodoce glanduliflora

white spruce Picea glauca

red alder Alnus rubra

I lost access to the guide book for the following:

northern rock tripe

ranger lichen

snow lichen

Works Cited:

Pojar, J., MacKinnon, A., & Alaback, P. B. (1994). Plants of the Pacific Northwest coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia & Alaska. Redmond, Wash.: Lone Pine Pub..

Pratt, V. E. (1989). Field guide to Alaskan wildflowers. Anchorage, Alaska: Alaskakrafts Pub..

Armstrong, R. H. (1981). A guide to the birds of Alaska (5th ed.). Anchorage, Alaska: Alaska Northwest Pub. Co..

Time: 2:20

Location: Alpine Tundra 

Weather: Sunny, windy, and dry, felt like 50 degrees

geological features: Mountains, water, gravel rocks, etc.

 Fireweed, Epilobium angustifoliumAlaska SpiraeaAlpine SpiraeaLophozia mossSitka burnetRed stem saxifrage
Siberian aster, Eurybia sibirica

Peat moss, Sphagnum

Alaska Cotton, Eriophorum angustifolium

Artic willow, Salix arctica

Turgid Aulacomnium, Aulacomnium turgidum

Crow berry, Empetrum nigrum

Green reindeer moss, Cladonia rangiferina

White spruce, Picea glauca

http://www.pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?latinname=Empetrum+nigrum

Crowberry: 

The crowberry has green needle-like leaves that grow up to 7mm long. The have a purplish crimson, appearing in very early spring. The fruit is very juicy, almost blackberry like and has big white seeds, in very small clusters. Crowberries are found in low exposed coastal land with bogs, in mountains of slopes, sub alpine parkland, and in alpine tundra. 

Reference Guide. (1994). In J. Pojar (Ed.), Plants Of The Pacific Northwest Coast (p. 528). Canada: Lone Pine Publisher.

(no photo because phone is being a stupid)

September 23, 2014 2:00 pm Worthington Glacier

weather: sunny, partially cloudy

geo: alpine tundra

animals: cackling goose Branta hutchinsii, bald eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus, worm(?) tracks, flies(tiny grey ones)

plants (and such):

red alder Alnus rubra

willow Salix sp.

common fireweed Epilobium angustifolium

scouring-rush Equisetum hyemale

unidentified grass and small mosses

filament algae (of some sort)

deceiver mushroom Laccaria laccata

Pojar, J., MacKinnon, A., & Alaback, P. B. (1994). Plants of the Pacific Northwest coast: Washington, Oregon, British Columbia & Alaska. Redmond, Wash.: Lone Pine Pub..

Pratt, V. E. (1989). Field guide to Alaskan wildflowers. Anchorage, Alaska: Alaskakrafts Pub..

Armstrong, R. H. (1981). A guide to the birds of Alaska (5th ed.). Anchorage, Alaska: Alaska Northwest Pub. Co..

Day 1 McCarthy Trip

September 5th, 2014 3:02 pm

Weather-Approx. around the 50's, very low clouds, rain

Geological features: Wrangell Mountains

Fireweed

Epilobium angustifolium 

      The fireweed is around 5-20 cm long, with short hairy leaves on the upper part in the color of green. There is purple flower attached and around 2-4 cm long. The living environment is usually in moist areas. You can find them along the roadside, in meadows, and even on avalanche tracks. The haida is used in order to make the cord of the fireweed. 

http://www.dontveter.com/howtogrow/fireweed2000.jpg

Day 2 McCarthy Trip

September 6th, 2014 4:05pm

Weather: Wet, low clouds, dried up at the end of the day

Kennicot Mines

Geological features: glacier tills

Frog Pelt

Peltigera neopolydactyla

     It is a green, leafy type of lichen and around 10-25 mm wide. It can also be blue mixed with grey at times with a hairy upper surface. It is on raised lobes and is cottony with blackish veins. Its can be found on rocks, soil, and on logs. It has almost like a burnt look to it on the top of the leaf, because of the dryness. 

http://walts.org/lichens/frog-pelt/images/frog%20pelt-2.jpg

Observing the glacier: 

- different levels of marine, glacier till covering most of the glacier

- can see the pretty blue on some of glacier

-sunny outside with a little drizzle

- lots of ricks surrounding

- has a very calm feeling to it

- glicer on the right, whitish blue, big rocks surrounding 

Day 3 McCarthy Trip

September 7th, 2014 10:07 am

Wather: Sunny, wet ground, cold 

Wood hiking trial

Geological Features: muskeg

very mushy and wet

Paper Birch

Betula Papyrifera 

Paper birch is very thin looking strips of the tree that falls off easily. The easy to peel of birch is waterproof and was useful to native people back then. It is white to copper brown looking and has brown horizontal lines running up and down the tree. It has oval leaves on it and can get up to 10 cm long. Catkins is one type of flower that can be found on the paper birch tree. You can find paper birch trees in moist, dense woods and sometimes around bogs and more wetland.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=&imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Famc-nh.org%2Fresources%2Fguides%2Ftrees%2F&h=0&w=0&tbnid=NpXNac9fTaR4BM&zoom=1&tbnh=192&tbnw=262&docid=4ozZfftXlGJVxM&tbm=isch&ei=TZ8SVMXRBY6gyATYjYKQAQ

Plants, Animals, and Fungi	Scientific Name
Day 1
Fireweed	Epilobium angustifolium
Birch	Betula
Bear Berry	Kinnikinnick
Poplar	Populus
Lichens	Flavoparmelia caperata
Shaggy Mane	Coprinus comatus
Dryas	Dryas Octopetala
Animals	Animalia
Raven	Corvus corax
White Spruce	Picea glauca
Young/ Old Poplar	Populus
Liverwort	Marchantia acaulis
Bear Berries	Kinnikinnick
Cotton Grass	Eriophorum
Day 2
Moose	Alces alces
Feathered Moss	Hylocomium splendens
Pelts (Freckled)	Peltigera aphthosa
Frog Pelt	Peltigera neopolydactyla
Artic Lupine	Lupinus arcticus
Red Alder	Alnus rubra
White Spruce Tree	Picea glauca
Wild rose	Rosa acicularis
Bear Berries	Kinnikinnick
Blueberries	Cyanococcus
Crow Berries	Empetrum nigrum
Green Wintergreen Pyrola	Pyrola chlorantha
3 Toothed Sassafras	Doryphora sassafras
Day 3
Muskeg
Freckled Pelt	Peltigera aphthosa
Dwarf Dogwood	Cornus canadensis
Bear Berries	Kinnikinnick
Puff Balls	Lycoperdon perlatum
Cranberry	Vaccinium oxycoccos
Club Moss	Lycopodium
Wintergreen	Gaultheria procumbens
Paper Birch	Betula papyrifera
Squirrel (Red)	Sciurus vulgaris
Poplar Tree	Populus
Slime Mold	Dictyostelium discoideum

Reference Guide. (1994). In J. Pojar (Ed.), Plants Of The Pacific Northwest Coast (p. 528). Canada: Lone Pine Publisher.