Introductions

Hello! From Kendall K

Hi guys! I’m Kendall, I was born and raised in Fairbanks, and i’m going to be going on my 3rd year at UAF next year, but I am taking 5 years to graduate because I will be getting degrees in psychology and biology! I want to specialize/ focus on plant biology/Alaskan flora within my biology degree, so this class is just perfect! Can’t wait to become fluent in botanical language and be able to identify all the things I come across on my runs and hikes and skis across Alaska and the US! I cross country run and ski for UAF and admire plenty of plants along the way, so that is the extent of my plant knowledge and experience thus far! A pretty fun fact about me is that I have 14 tattoos, and most of them are botanicals that represent my friends and family’s favorite plants! Here is a tour: (I tried to find the botanical nomenclature terminology for each specific plant, but I may have made a few mistakes and would more than welcome any corrections!)

Northwestern Lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina(L.)) is my favorite plant! This is because I love how ancient they are, the symmetry and fluffiness is really satisfying and amazing to me, and I am obsessed with the stomata for some reason! + you can see the daisy (Bellis perennis) for my grandma on my shin.
Tulip (Tulipa Apeldoorn) for my best friend, sunflower (Helianthus annuus) for my mom, and fireweed (Chamerion angustifolium) for my aunt!
Hibiscus flower (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) for my cousin! I also have a dandelion (taraxacum officinale) tattoo on my shoulder matching with my best friend.
Taken with my disposable camera this spring!
On a run on a bouncy bridge in Whistler, BC, Canada a few days ago for a US ski team junior camp!

No pictures of my magnification setup as its coming in the mail on Monday 🙁 Talk to you guys later!

-KK

One comment

  1. Stefanie Ickert

    Welcome Kendall,
    wow, you truly are dedicated to botanical illustrations! I hope this class will allow you to perfect your identification skills, and enjoy more of the plants you will encounter during your travels, hikes and runs. Figuring out that some of those plants you are so familiar with from Fairbanks, also happen to grow in British Columbia and other places around the country will be eye-opening. I see some spruce in the background of your BC picture, so this picture could easily be from Fairbanks as well. Maybe you have done some drawings of plants, I find it very relaxing and it helps me observe the plants more deeply. In my other class, BIOL331, students have to do journaling and turn in their journals of the lectures each week. The drawings do not need to be artistic and everybody has a different style, but students have commented very positively about journaling and sketching. Here is one of my watercolors of one of the favorite AK plants. Recognize this one from somewhere? Enjoy the class, looking forward to some great observations from your trips.

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