Voucher Specimen – BIOL F190: Intro to Alaska Flora

Sorry this is so late. I think this assignment was a learning lesson for me. I pressed a plant and wasn’t fully thinking about how it would turn out all flat. I wish I had taken one of the flowers off and put it face down so I could see how the actual flowers looked better than being squished sideways. Oh well, now I know for next time! Also, it’s kind of hard to tell, but the toothed leaf is showing the front side, while the fused oblong leaves are showing the back side.

Author: Katie

I'm from Barrow, AK, but currently live in Anchorage. Last May I graduated with my bachelors in biology and have since been trying to get more into traditional medicine used by Inupiat people (my people). I really want to become a practicing traditional doctor for the North Slope, because we don't have that available. I really believe that it would benefit the communities to have tribal medicine as a possibility for health care. Even at the very least, the exposure to that sort of knowledge would allow them to start to get back into the medicines available right outside their doors. I've been slowly working on learning the different ways local plants can be used and what they are capable of. So far I've had a little practice making salve with stinkweed, learned which greens to gather during the summer, and I've gathered some knowledge on some of the medicinal plants.

View all posts by Katie →