I am indebted to Carmel Tysver (on behalf of the Alaska Rock Garden Society) and Ed Buyarski (through the Juneau Garden Club, American Primrose Society and the Jensen-Olson Arboretum) for sponsoring and making the majority of arrangements for the Alaska leg of my North American lecture-tour. Carmel also hosted me in Anchorage and took me to see the Alaska Botanical Garden and magnificent Portage Valley. Verna Pratt, the authority on Alaskan wildflowers See: http://www.amazon.com/Field-Guide-Alaskan-Wildflowers-Commonly/dp/0962319201 showed me the best of the mountain flora close to Anchorage, accompanied by Kathleen Swick. Mark White enabled me to visit Ninilchik. Teena & Peter Garay hosted me in their home above Homer, which enjoys glorious views of mountain peaks and glaciers across Kachemak Bay. Pete, a pilot for commercial ships, took me out fishing and wildlife-spotting on his boat - an exceptional experience. See: http://www.homeralaska.org/ Whilst in Juneau, Ed took me to view the Mendenhall Glacier. Merrill Jensen accompanied me up Mount Roberts and hosted me at the Jensen-Olson Arboretum - which has one of the best views of any botanical garden in the world. See: http://www.juneau.org/parkrec/arboretum-main.php Not bad for a first ever day's fishing - a 20lb King Salmon! With a lot of help from Peter Garay © Chris Chadwell © Chris Chadwell View from glacier valley, Anchorage © Chris Chadwell Dwarf Cinquefoil (Potentilla sp.) in Glacier Valley © Chris Chadwell Portage Valley in Chugach National Forest © Chris Chadwell Hanging glacier © Chris Chadwell 'Snow-Bed Buttercup' (ARCTERANTHUS COOLEYAE syn. Ranunculus cooleyae) © Chris Chadwell Ninilchik Russian Orthodox Church © Chris Chadwell Leo Steik Memorial Wall, Russian Cemetery © Chris Chadwell View of high peak from Ninilchik © Chris Chadwell Kathleen Swick and Verna Pratt amongst 'Mountain Avens' on flat-top mountain, Anchorage © Chris Chadwell Verna Pratt beside impressive expanse of 'Alpine Azalea' (LOISELEURIA PROCUMBENS) © Chris Chadwell © Chris Chadwell 'Lapland Diapenisa' (DIAPENSIA LAPPONICUM) © Chris Chadwell 'Purple Oxytrope' (OXYTROPIS PURPURASCENS) © Chris Chadwell DWARF WILLOW (Salix sp.) © Chris Chadwell Sea Otter enjoying the sun in Kachemak Bay © Chris Chadwell FOR THOSE WISHING TO IDENTIFY ANY WILD FLOWER FROM ALAKSA, MAY I DRAW YOU ATTENTION TO: http://www.alaskawildflowers.us/. THIS LOOKS PROMISING ON FIRST INSPECTION (SEPTEMBER 2014) - SHALL COMMENT FURTHER, WHEN HAVE INSPECTED IT FURTHER. *************************************************************************************************************** |