Tagged: Alaska

Bunchberry leaves turning red here is Fairbanks

Well, it’s September, and I guess I have to admit that Fall is here, at least in Fairbanks. Two weeks ago I wrote that the highbush cranberry leaves were starting to turn colors, now...

Old City Hall part of modernization of downtown Fairbanks

By the 1930s, residents of Fairbanks were fed up with the fires that plagued downtown. In its short life, the city had already experienced two district-consuming conflagrations and numerous other building fires. Consequently, in...

A drawing of one of my favorite species of fish – the Arctic grayling

A drawing of one of my favorite species of fish – the Arctic grayling

The Arctic grayling (Thymallus arcticus) is a distant cousin of trout and salmon. It tastes great and is fun to catch. With its sail-like dorsal fin and streamlined body, it is one of the...

Groundhog at Birch Hill Cemetery

  Contrary to a popular misconception, there are groundhogs (Marmota monax) in Alaska, and they are not recent immigrants. I read one misinformed blog post that said they hitchhiked to Alaska after the Alaska...

Creeping and Common Juniper in my front yard

Creeping juniper, (Juniperus horizontalis) About five years ago I planted the two species of juniper that are native to Alaska, creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) and common juniper (Juniperus communis), in our front yard. I...