Surprisingly Colorful

Some of the most frequent questions I received while working at a Visitors' Center were about the flora of the state. A lot of people didn't expect Alaska to be so full of colorful plant varieties. In truth, we can support a wide range of plant life and there are plenty of wildflowers across the state. We even have problems with invasive plant species taking over critical habitat areas and killing the native plants which are important to the wildlife. A large part of this problem is from the seed mixtures construction companies use along highways when re-seeding new road sections. Another part of the problem are the large "box" stores we have up here now. In the summer, these stores get shipments of plants which aren't native, but do quite well in our climate. The birds end up spreading seeds along riverbanks, which carry the plant material downstream and eventually we end up with important waterways being overrun by plants which aren't great for our wildlife or native plant life. It's sad to see less and less of our beautiful fireweed or lupine along the roads.

Alaskans tend to get pretty excited when presented with a new plant choice. Even I filled my garden with non-native plants at one time. Alaska is behind the times with a lot of things, and one of the biggest things is shopping. When I was a kid, my family had to drive into Anchorage for shopping. Once a month, we'd unwillingly pile in the car for the long ride to the "big" city. We got almost all of our food, clothes and essentials from Anchorage. Now, I get into Anchorage once every year or two, if I must. Suddenly, big box stores began popping up in Anchorage, and then closer to home. It was a big deal to finally be able to shop at these places. New merchandise and a wider variety of choices was a thrill to many Alaskans. I've heard people scream with excitement when hearing we'll be getting a new restaurant or store chain. Most people living here are not born and bred Alaskans like I am. They are transplants from states like California, Texas and Maryland. Those are the top three states from which "Alaskans" now hail. My parents came from Maryland before I was born, thank goodness, but I met my husband there. After getting married, it didn't take much to convince him we needed to live in Alaska, and he's never gone back. Along with many of these "transplants" come their desires for a bit of "home." A store or restaurant which they may have frequented in their home state is like getting a piece of home back.

Unfortunately, not all of what these stores bring from other states is good for our own beautiful and wild land. A person sees a cherry tree and they don't just see a plant, they see a part of their past. Nostalgia sells in Alaska. Extremely well. Gardens become full of plants which grew in a person's home state. While trying to re-create the past, people are unwittingly destroying Alaska's present. We need more people to start appreciating what Alaska has to offer. There are plenty of beautiful native plant species, but the popular big stores don't sell them. It has become an epidemic and the struggle to keep invasive plants under control is getting harder. Soon, all of the flowers a visitor may see on the roadside will no longer be Alaskan wildflowers. I have become very interested in documenting Alaska's wildflowers with photography. When I started taking pictures of flowers, it was a way to identify Alaska's plants. Now it may be the only way to preserve them.

Some of the beautiful wildflowers I've come across during camping trips around the state.
Names and descriptions of many wildflowers can be seen on my Flickr page here.

Sightseeing in Alaska

While sightseeing in Alaska, it's a good idea to take it slow and keep an eye open for wildlife.  During long summers when the sun barely sets, a photographer can snap away well into the night and next day.  The best viewing hours begin at dusk and end at dawn, but in the far north those terms don't really apply.  I've found that 8 to 9pm are good times to start searching the roadsides for a moose or a dozen.  Many areas across the state are well-traveled by the largest ungulate.  They can also weigh 1800 pounds, so keep in mind the damage it will do to an unaware driver.  

Bears have pockets around the state where they can be seen more than others.  Black bears appear frequently in and around Anchorage in the spring.  I've found luck in seeing them in Hatcher Pass, near Palmer.  The Knik River and Glacier area are hot spots when the fish are running.  Valdez has been a great spot for coastal brown bears in recent years.  I had only seen black bears in Valdez until about 4 or 5 years ago when brown bears began showing up to share some pink salmon.  I don't know if this has anything to do with the rehabilitation of Prince William Sound after the oil spill.  I've also seen an increase in bald eagles at Allison Point, where the Alyeska pipeline ends.  Plenty of marine life as well.

Whatever animals you may see, it's important to obey the rules of wildlife photography and viewing etiquette.  Denali National Park strictly enforces wildlife viewing guidelines, and I think it's a good idea to adhere at least loosely to these same guidelines wherever you are.  While traveling through Hatcher Pass state park area, my husband saw a black bear off the road.  We carefully backed up and pulled off the road at a safe distance.  For bears, a safe distance should be far enough away that the bear doesn't acknowledge your presence.  Bears like this sow and cub were probably very hungry.  Hibernation had just ended and the sow was nursing her cub, which was out of sight.  A sound of a car pulling up in front of them made the mother jump up and the cub had to peek out for a look.  A tourist pulled right up to the bears and stopped (also blocking our camera view).  Then a man got out and walked towards them for photos.  The sow sent her cub up a cottonwood and she became defensive.  This ended the whole photo session for everyone not to mention feeding time for the cub.  

This all happened some years ago, but it still bothers me.  I see people do this all the time. A bear is literally starving when it comes out of hibernation and it's important not to disturb its chances at survival.  I recommend getting a camera with telephoto lenses for good wildlife shots.  The best wildlife photographs are taken when an animal isn't aware of us.  When spotting an animal off the road, it's also important to pull over in a safe area and walk back if necessary.  

Though the sun stays out for most of the day, it's also good to have your camera mounted on a tripod while searching for animals at night.  A high sun in the sky can also ruin your shot.  I like to keep a pair of oversized sunglasses on the dash and place them over the lens instead of having to change camera parts.  It's great for the sunsets up here, too.  Snow covered mountains are best when photographed in the morning or evening when shadows are present.  Swamps are a good place to find moose and they don't require as large a viewing distance as bears.  If you're interested in viewing more wildlife and Alaska scenes, you can view my photos here.