Project Wildflower 2012
Jake photographing various species near the Eielson Visitor Center as part of his wildflower project. NPS Photo / Tim Rains "Taking pictures of flowers helps me to remember the names so that I can later share my knowledge with visitors," Jake said. In 2012, Jake had a plan to take it to the next level. He wanted to see how many species of wildflowers he could find in a single season. His goal: 120 species. "People are so surprised by the diversity of wildflowers in Denali. During peak wildflower season [early July], it's possible to see fifty or sixty species on a single hike. I wanted to showcase the diversity of Denali's wildflowers to everyone, even people who have never been here, using social media." After ten weeks of exploring Denali's marshes, bogs, riverbeds, mountains, drainages, tundra, and taiga, he was able to identify 185 species, including a species (Gentianella tenella) never before seen on the north side of the Alaska Range. "Every week I just kept finding more and more. It even surprised me how many I ended up seeing." When asked if he will try and beat his record next year, he replied, "I think I want to try mushrooms next." You can find all 185 images in the gallery below, as a set on Flickr or in a Facebook gallery. You can also download the free "Wildflowers of Denali" poster inspired by Jake's 'Project Wildflower 2012.' |
Did You Know?
Did you know that Mount McKinley, located within Denali National Park and Preserve, is the highest mountain on the North American continent? Measured from the 2,000 foot lowlands to its snowy summit at 20,320 feet, the mountain’s vertical relief of 18,000 feet is greater than that of Mount Everest.