Experience the iconic Alaskan boreal forest in a way you never imagined! In this guided forage we’ll be winding through our private nature trails, observing, smelling, feeling, TASTING!, and learning all about this unique ecosystem and it’s edible and medicinal treasures. Here’s a little bit of what you’ll encounter, depending on the season:
Witness the highly medicinal chaga mushroom (Inonotus obliquus) emerging from a slowly dying birch tree (Betula neoalaskana). Feel what it’s like to walk
on a carpet of native trailing raspberry (Rubus Parvifolius) and taste it’s juicy red fruits.
See how Devil’s Club (aka Alaskan ginseng; Oplopanax horridus), is every bit as intimidating as its name would suggest, but is actually edible and has a wide range of medicinal characteristics. Taste the sweet astringency of plump black currants (Ribes hudsonianum) or the delicate floral notes of the ubiquitous wild rose (Rosa acicularis). Hear the soft music of the trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) and smell the tell-tale spring fragrance of the balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) buds.
Sample the fresh spring shoots of twisted stalk (Streptopus amplexifolius) or it’s “watermelon berries” later in the summer. The iconic Alaskan fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium) is sure to delight the senses, and lets us know that winter is only 6 weeks away!
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