Researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks just published their debut “berry brochure.” The publication is part of an overall effort which explores how Alaska’s wild berries, as the climate heats up.
Berries, irrespective of their species they are an integral component of Alaska’s rural subsistence life. They’re often the only local, fresh fruit that is available within remote communities. The value of these fruits is evident by an Alaska Climate Science Center tribal resilient liaison Malinda Chase.
“Well, berries bring my joy” the woman said while sitting at her house in Fairbanks. Chase was raised somewhere between Anvik as well as Anchorage.
“To observe your berry bucket grow full and to be aware that this is a part of our lovely country. It’s food that tastes delicious It’s something we share as families as a community as friends who are good,” Chase said.
A warmer climate is the location and method by which people gather berries are changing. In the past people across Alaska have come up with climate mitigation and adaptation plans to climate change.
A couple of years ago, Chase’s coworker, University of Alaska Fairbanks Research Association Professor Katie Spellman, started reading the books.
“Malinda told me to take the time to read all of Climate adaptation strategies and begin there, since that’s the place the crucial research has to be”” Spellman said.
Within the hundreds of plans she read Chase stated that she discovered two references to research pertaining to berries.
“It proved that the scientific research behind the berries, an area that Alaskans take a keen interest in is not available,” Spellman said.
“Scientific papers can be really difficult to comprehend if you’re not educated to read them,” explained Christa Mulder who is a plant ecologist at UAF. “They’re very difficult to read. They’re full with difficult words So what we chose to do is basically translating the project.”
Mulder stated that the group determined to find out all it was possible to learn about climate changes and how they might impact the plants that people are concerned about.
Mulder, Spellman, and Chase attended the listening session with three berry pickers from 50 communities. In the month of March they’ve published the first of the series of six booklets. The idea is to mix the latest research in science with traditional knowledge and observations of the effects of climate change on the location and way berries grow in Alaska. Chase stated that it’s excellent beginning.
“You are aware that we have a myriad of beliefs and traditions centered around fruit, and they’re essential to a lot of our family’s time together and our time in the countryside and the importance of that,” Chase said.
The first booklet on berries that focuses on the berries of cloud, was published in the middle of this month. Also known as akpiqs Inupiaq or atsalugpiaq in Yugtun cloudberries are round, soft bright orange berries which grow in Alaska’s tundra. Some call them “salmonberries.”
Spellman declared that they’re interesting.
“It is a male and female flowers and if the weather at the time of pollination isn’t right It will influence the amount of fruit and berries are produced during that time,” Spellman said. “I believe it’s beautiful and delicate fruit that is dependent on pollinators.”
The pollinators that fly can’t do so in cooler temperatures, as per the book on cloudberries. However, a warmer climate could aid pollinators.
Mulder explained that the team had worked hard to ensure that the booklets include the possible benefits of a changing climate. She added that the guides provide tips on how people who rely on fruit can benefit from them.
“So simple pruning, for instance, of blueberries, can yield the world a zillion blueberries in one plant. It’s not an answer for all situations however, in the case of Elders who don’t get very far, having a patch of forest that cultivate, semi-cultivate or have some sort of food forest might be very beneficial,” Mulder said.
Five more booklets are scheduled to come to be released over the next few months. The focus will be on lingonberries; blueberries often referred to as low-bush or low-bush cranberries, crowberries sometimes referred to as blackberries along with red currants. The booklets have already gathered an enormous amount of attention and interest that our team has been currently looking at ways to integrate all of the guides to create a single source.
