This weekend the bunkhouse has gotten pretty crowded with the temporary addition of a group of lichen researchers stopping here on their way to the preserve. Last night, one of them agreed to take a couple of us out into the mountains to teach us about our local lichen varieties.
I guess it shouldn’t have been a surprise, but I was nonetheless impressed by the diversity of lichens growing on the tundra. Although I’ll never remember all the names, there were nearly a dozen different types we encountered within just a couple hours of exploring the slopes. Two or three reindeer lichens, dog hide lichens, several different crustose lichens, many foliose and fruticose varieties carpeted the landscape.
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| The mountains |
Before heading back, we stopped at Anvil Rock, a prominent overlook outside of Nome. It had spectacular views of town, the mountains beyond, and sea.
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| Nome on the coast, mining operations in the foreground |
This orange crustose lichen is one of my favorites — it only grows in nitrogen-rich environments, particularly where bird feces are common. It sounds kind of gross, but it’s actually a good way to find bird nests and roosts in the mountains because the orange stands out so well and there is likely to be a lot of bird activity in the vicinity.
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| View under Anvil Rock |
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| Anvil Rock (approx. 9pm) |
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| Monk’s Hood wildflower |
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| The Cold War missile detectors |
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| Getting windblown on top of Anvil Rock |
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| Wind turbines on the tundra |
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| Abandoned gold dredge |
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| Flower whose name I can’t remember |
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| Common Butterwort |
The Common Butterwort was another favorite of mine — it’s carnivorous! This unassuming looking flower has sticky leaves at the bottom and traps small gnats and insects for nutrients.
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| Musk ox butts |
On our way back down the mountain, we came upon a trio of muskoxen. They were utterly uninterested, but adorable nonetheless.
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| Muskox doesn’t give a hoot |
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