January 31, 2023, by Alex McCarrel

Vibrant, delicious, and abundant. Berries are a treasured resource across the vast state of Alaska. Throughout history they have been a reliable food source: supplying Native Alaskans with fruitful harvests and providing a nutritious meal for local wildlife.

But what happens if that food source is threatened by a rapidly changing climate?

New research being conducted at the Sitka Sound Science Center explores the factors impacting berry quality and availability. The pilot project was developed in response to growing concerns from tribal representatives from natural resource departments in Southeast. Conducting science that reflects community needs and interest, the project aims to address the following questions:

1. What is the local variation in berry production and timing in Sitka?
2. What factors affect local plant growth and berry development?

Through long-term monitoring, we can better understand the ecological and cultural impacts of changing berry abundance and phenology (the changing of the timing of major life stages, such as flowers blooming and berries ripening). Southeast Alaska has an impressive variety of berry species, and salmonberries (was’x’aan tléigu) are first in line to be studied.

The hope is to engage citizens in collecting information, additionally, the project will combine citizen science, climate monitoring technology, and remote game cameras to track berry development. With multiple cameras placed throughout Sitka, we have begun to collect visual data to track year-round changes in berries and the microclimates that may affect their abundance.

Interested in becoming a 2023 salmonberry monitoring participant? Contact SSSC Research Coordinator Alex McCarrel at amccarrel@sitkascience.org for more information.