Diario de lerajimmerson

I used to be terrified of porcupines, burdened by the idea that they could shoot their quills at me. Since my friend broke the news and that weight was lifted, I have been obsessed with these defensive, waddling creatures. I almost walked right by this guy on the Salmon Creek Dam trail, but a random conversation about volleyball led me to pretend to set a ball with my hands. The circle I made with my hands fell perfectly on this porcupine's hunched body! It surprised me and I had to get a picture.

The porcupine's scientific name is Erethizon dorsatum, which means “quill pig". (Chesapeake) Following beavers, porcupines are the largest rodents found in Alaska and North America as a whole. They are covered in quills and hair, as well as a "thick layer of body fat" that keeps them warm in the winter (North American Porcupine Species Profile). Porcupines are not aggressive but are defensive when they are attacked. When a predator or unassuming creature comes near them, they emit an unpleasant smell to repel their attacker. If that doesn't work, they strategically move their bodies to insert their quills into their attacker. (Chesapeake). Quills are actually just barbed hairs. Porcupines have around 30,000 quills. Porcupine weight ranges from 15-30 lbs for males, while females often weigh around 2- 4 lbs less than males (North American Porcupine Species Profile). They can live up to 30 years old. To my surprise, the main diet of porcupines is various parts of trees! They eat various tree bark, needles, and leaves. They also tend to feed on dead animal bones "to obtain sodium and calcium" (North American Porcupine Species Profile). Porcupines make many sounds, "ranging from whimpers to screams" (North American Porcupine Species Profile). Porcupines only have one baby in their lifetime, called a "porcupette" (Porcupine - Wildlife Viewing).

Porcupines are used all over Alaska. Athabaskans use porcupine quills for decoration (North American Porcupine Uses). Other native groups use porcupine quills for clothing, art, and jewelry. They often dye the quills for these purposes. Some people eat porcupines while others do not enjoy their meat (North American Porcupine Uses).

Works Cited

Chesapeake Bay Program. “North American Porcupine.” Chesapeake Bay, www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/field-guide/entry/north-american-porcupine#:~:text=The%20porcupine%27s%20latin%20name%2C%20Erethizon,with%20beavers%20as%20number%20one. Accessed 5 Oct. 2023.

Prescott, Vivian Faith. “Planet Alaska: Gifts from the Porcupine.” Juneau Empire, 28 Nov. 2019.

"North American Porcupine Species Profile". Alaska Department of Fish and Game, www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=northamericanporcupine.main. Accessed 5 Oct. 2023.

"North American Porcupine Uses". Alaska Department of Fish and Game, www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=northamericanporcupine.uses#:~:text=Natives%20used%20to%20kill%20porcupines,%2C%20earrings%2C%20and%20artistic%20items. Accessed 5 Oct. 2023.

”Porcupine - Wildlife Viewing". Alaska Department of Fish and Game, www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=viewing.landmammals&species=porcupine#:~:text=The%20porcupine%20is%20found%20throughout,Lawrence%20islands. Accessed 5 Oct. 2023.

This red maple leaf was handed to me by a four-year-old girl on the playground who was very excited to show proof of the fall weather around us. I was curious to find out what kind of tree this leaf came from. There are 132 species under the Genus of Acer, commonly known as maple trees, and so I had a difficult time pinpointing which tree created this leaf. After looking into which maple trees are most common/able to survive in Alaska, my guess is that the leaf came from a Douglas Maple Tree.

The Douglas Maple is native to Southeast Alaska, parts of Canada, and the Northwest states of the US. Its name, Douglas, comes from a man named David Douglas who was a Scottish botanist (Wikimedia). He named the tree in the 1800s. Its scientific name is Acer glabrum. Glabrum means smooth, referring to its smooth leaves. The Acer Glabrum species has a few variants. Another common variant is the Rocky Mountain maple, for the tree's presence near the Rocky Mountains. Douglas Maples are deciduous (obviously from their bright colors!). These trees provide shelter for many animals during the year and small mammals eat the seeds. Since the wood is pliable, Indigenous people use Douglas Maple for "snowshoe frames, saddle frames, spoons, dipnet or fishing hoops, bows, rattles, masks, and headdresses (Douglas). Leaves of this tree have 3-5 lobes (Pitto).

Works Cited

Douglas Maple. British Columbia. (n.d.). https://www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/library/documents/treebook/douglasmaple.htm

Pitto, T. (2023, April 15). Can you grow maple trees in Alaska? which types?. Tree Vitalize. https://treevitalize.com/maple-trees-in-alaska/

Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, October 12). David Douglas (botanist). Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Douglas_(botanist)

Taking my usual stroll through the neighborhood, wondering what species I hadn't noticed yet, I came upon this leaf. It looked familiar, and it wasn't long before I realized it was part of the dandelion plant. I had not realized their leaves/roots stayed around like this into fall, although it is visibly deteriorating.

I decided to research this plant because I am a believer that weeds are beautiful and purposeful. They make Juneau spring flash into life with color and unfortunately, quite a bit of pollen. However, I always await their appearance and am saddened when I see large industrial grassmowers cutting them down. It's a good thing they're so persistent!

The common dandelion's scientific name is taraxacum officinale. These weeds, or flowers, or whatever you wish to call them, have a deep-rooted history on many continents, dating all the way back to the Ice Age (Wilkinson, Kershaw, & Cotterill). They were used in Ancient Rome, Greece, Egypt, and Asia. Dandelions likely came to America in the 1600s with the first Europeans (Sanchez). It is also likely that dandelions were brought intentionally since their flowers and roots have a wide variety of uses. Dandelions do not actually need pollinators to carry on, but undergo the process of apomixis where the "female parts of the flowers develop seeds on their own" (Dandelion). This is why they are able to spread rapidly bringing forth plants that are clones, or identical to their parents.

Dandelions are safe to eat and use medicinally, apart from potential allergies. It is full of "vitamins A, B, C, and D" and various minerals (Dandelion). Some use the leaves in salads, teas, wines, and even coffee substitutes, which I would love to try. Medicinally, dandelion roots and leaves have been utilized to fight against liver, kidney, skin, heart, and stomach issues, as well as inflammation, fever, and diarrhea (Dandelion).

Works Cited

Dandelion. Mount Sinai Health System. (n.d.). https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/herb/dandelion

Sanchez, A. (2021, October 5). Ten things you might not know about dandelions. Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners. https://www.mofga.org/resources/weeds/ten-things-you-might-not-know-about-dandelions/

Wilkinson, S., Kershaw, L., & Cotterill, P. (2002). PDF. Alberta. https://anpc.ab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/dandelion.pdf

These bright yellow plants signify springtime in Southeast with their wonderfully horrid smell, which is actually used to "attract beetles as pollinators" (Phillips). This smell is also the reason for its comical common name. The ones in our unkept hill-yard have been dead for a while, but was a nice reminder of the springtime to come.

The Western Skunk Cabbage, scientifically known as Lysichiton americanus, is part of the Arum family and is found in the Pacific Northwest (Phillips). While researching, I discovered a species of plant called Eastern Skunk Cabbage, which is fairly similar to the Western species apart from its deep red color.

The Western Skunk Cabbage leaves can grow up to 54 inches long at their peak, exceeding the size of any other plant in its commonly wet and marshy habitat (Sudan). They can live up to 20 years old (Sudan).

The roots of this plant are eaten "by bears, elk, muskrats, and other animals" (Phillips). Indigenous peoples have used skunk cabbage medicinally for colds, skin conditions, and respiratory conditions. The roots and leaves are also edible, but must be cooked or else may leave painful sensations in the mouth (Phillips). They can also be used to wrap foods and preserve moisture while cooking food (Phillips). Assumingly not the tastiest, various groups of indigenous people have eaten skunk cabbage during famines.

I find skunk cabbage to be a comforting sight, and even the smell brings warming nostalgia to my soul as it creeps throughout Juneau in the spring. When boating out of Whittier, my fiancé had to spend the night on an uninhabited island due to bad weather, and my favorite part of his story was by far his first encounter with the smell of skunk cabbage.

Works Cited

Phillips, P. W. (n.d.). Skunk cabbage. The Oregon Encyclopedia. https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/skunk-cabbage/

Sudan, R. (n.d.). U.S. Forest Service. Forest Service Shield. https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/Lysichiton-americanus.shtml