The Alaska Native Plant Society (AKNPS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to studying and conserving Alaska native plants. General membership meetings are open to the public and are held on the first Monday of every month from October through May. Various guest speakers give presentations on topics related to native plants and AKNPS members give informative slide shows, plant family, and mini- botany talks. During our October meeting, members share photos from their summer adventures. See our Recent News to learn about recent activities.
There are numerous volunteer opportunities including leading public hikes, invasive plants control, plantings and cooperative work with other local groups. Local events are listed on the Upcoming Events page.
The Alaska Native Plant Society was formed in 1982 by a small group of enthusiastic amateur and professional botanists for the purpose of educating Alaskans about their native flora and the growing need for its protection. We accomplish this through:
We're looking for a few more volunteers to join this week's Alaska Native Plant Society's wildflower garden work parties at the Campbell Creek Science Center in Anchorage. Join us either: + Wednesday (Aug. 28), 5:30-7:30 pm + Friday (Aug. 30), 9 am-12 pm Learn more & sign up here: https://bit.ly/CCSC-Work-Parties
Alert: Space is available on our Saturday, Aug 3 field trip to Falls Creek, located along Turnagain Arm. RSVP ASAP to the trip leader if you are interested in joining this trip. Time & Location: 9 am, Falls Creek parking lot at mile 105.5 of the Seward Highway Leader: Glenn Brown, gbrown@aknps.org Description: Expect 6+ hours; total distance to the tarn is about 10 miles with 2800 feet of ascent. The trail follows Falls Creek up a valley with steep sides and then opens to a broad alpine area and then a small lake. It is a moderately difficult hike, and portions of the trail will be muddy and brushy. Bring a lunch and warm garments as weather can change quickly above tree line. RSVP Required: It is required to contact Glenn (gbrown@aknps.org) a few days before to confirm space and get an update about possible changes to the plan. Participants will be required to fill out the AKNPS field trip liability waiver.
Alaska Native Plant Society 2 months agoGuest Post: Fireweed Galls By Ramsey Sullivan, AK citizen scientist & AKNPS member There’s a lot of buzz about our native plant of the year, fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium), well known for its aesthetics, usefulness, and important ecological roles. Less known, however, are its galls. A gall is a growth on a plant made of plant tissue but caused by another organism. The inducer lives out a portion of its lifecycle in the gall, receiving the benefits of food and shelter at the cost of the host plant. Under normal conditions, most galls cause little harm to their hosts. One of the most abundant yet overlooked fireweed galls is that of Dasineura epilobii, a circumboreal midge barely several millimeters in length, which galls the flower buds of fireweeds. The rounded galled buds never bloom and are easily distinguished from the slender non-infected buds. D. epilobii have multiple generations per year, with the last generation overwintering in the soil and emerging as adults in the spring to start the cycle over again. But don’t fret for the fireweed, nature has many checks and balances and this parasite has parasites of its own. Several parasitic wasps seek out the eggs and larvae of the midge, thus keeping populations in check. We'll have more information about this midge and the other galling organisms of fireweed in the plant society's fall newsletter! Photo description: Top Left: Enlarged fireweed bud gall from the right image. Middle Left: Dissected bud gall showing the midge larvae. Bottom left.
