Hello! As my 4-year-old has taken to reminding me, he and sis are Alaskans and Mommy is “just a Kansan”! So I’m a proud Alaska transplant of 12 years raising 2 even prouder little Alaskans:) We love to identify the plants we know on hikes, forage a bit close to home, and use the rhubarb and currants that grow prolifically in the yard. Both my grandmas were avid gardeners and taught me a bit about the flowers and bushes in their yards in the Midwest. Alas, even with this heritage, my own thumbs seem to be black – no gardening for me. This makes me appreciate nature’s bounty all the more and desire to continue to learn about sustainable, responsible foraging. Pineapple weed is one of my favorites for its smell and taste. Blue spruce trees are another, for their sheer beauty. There’s also a “Mat-su Valley early summer” smell that fills me with joy every year, I’d love to learn from which plant it exudes. I’m eager to learn more about specific plants as well as flora in general in this class.
Welcome Jessica,
yes, our youngest has a similar saying “You were not born here, I am Alaska-tough!” The winters are a bit out of my comfort zone, but mostly it is a matter of putting on the right gear. I find it amazing how quickly we adjust to these amazing summers after the winter blast that seems to be an endless array of snowfall, long nights and cold temperatures. But look at it now, endless daylight and we get rewarded with so many wonderful treasures on our hikes, and the bounty of berries to come makes enduring the winters so worth it. We have a few productive apple trees at our house in Fairbanks, and those are very delicious…
Thanks for adding some images to your post Jessica! Love the photo of Saskatoon berry Amelanchier alnifolia, we have a few around Fairbanks.