Alder — Uqgwik Uqgwit kua’akameng cillkataartut. – When alders burn they make a crackling sound. Sitka alder (Alnus crispa) is a large shrub that grows up to twenty feet tall. Found commonly across the Kodiak Archipelago, this plant thrives in a wide range of environments, from mountain slopes to coastal meadows and the banks […]
Puffins — Tunngat Tunngat manigtut p’hnami. – The puffins are laying eggs on the cliff. Puffins, also known as sea parrots, are members of the auk family. The Kodiak Archipelago is home to two varieties of this bird, the tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) and the horned puffin (Fratercula corniculata). Both have large, brightly colored, […]
Vole, Mouse — Kriisaq (N), Ugna’aq (S) Kaugya’at ugna’anek nertaartut. – Foxes eat voles. The northern vole (Microtus oeconomus), also known as the tundra vole or root vole, is one of Kodiak’s original residents. This small rodent feeds primarily on the bark and roots of plants, particularly sedges and cotton grass. In search of […]
Limpet — Sawak’iitaq, Spuungqulaq Suupaligua sawak’iitanek. – I am making soup from limpets. Limpets (Lottia spp.) are among the intertidal organisms that encrust the rocky shores of Kodiak. The archipelago is home to a variety of these small invertebrates: the keyhole limpet, the tortoiseshell limpet, and others. Limpets are grazing animals that form distinctive cone-shaped […]