ebanaszak11's Journal

I have been in love with these little pink shells my whole life. They are so cute and such a beautiful pink, and they have always caught my eye. The scientific name is Baltic Macoma, but it is more commonly known has the the Tiny Pink Clam (Fretwell and Starzomski).

The Wikipedia article "Limecola Balthica" says their shells are ovular in shape, smooth, and no bigger than 30 mm long. Even though I took a picture of and am talking about the pink ones, they also come in many other colors, such as "pink, purple, yellow, white and may be blackened in sulphide-rich sediments" (Budd and Rayment).

The Tiny Pink Clams live buried in the mud and silt, with their two siphons extended to feed on organic matter (Limecola Balthica). This same article also states that these clams are "capable of living in a wide range of water salinity" and they usually live in intertidal zones, estuaries and bays.

These clams live all over the world, "from temperate to arctic coastal waters in both the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans" (Budd and Rayment)

There is little to no information on the human uses of this clam. All I could find is that they are "prized by beachcombers" (Fretwell and Starzomski).

Fretwell, Kelly, and Brian Starzomski. “Baltic Macoma • Macoma Balthica.” Biodiversity of the Central Coast, 2014, www.centralcoastbiodiversity.org/baltic-macoma-bull-macoma-balthica.html.

Budd, Georgina C, and Will J Rayment. “The Marine Life Information Network.” MarLIN, 2001, www.marlin.ac.uk/species/detail/1465.

“Limecola Balthica.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 25 July 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limecola_balthica

The Common Raven is a raven seen everywhere in Southeast Alaska, from when you're walking in the forest, to walking around in the city. They are literally everywhere. To some, they are seen as a nuisance that get into trash cans and make a mess, but to others they are known for their cunning intelligence.

Ravens are part of the Corvidae species along with jays, magpies and crows. Ravens are one of the most intelligent birds on earth and can solve problems using logic and are able to recognize different ravens and humans. (Alaska Department of Fish and Game, no pub. date)

Ravens are very sacred to the native people, as they see raven as the creator of the earth and the one who brought the sun, moon, and the stars. There are countless other stories about the "trickster" raven that are key aspects of the Native cultures in southeast. These stories are very important to these cultures and the raven is a huge part of the native Mythology. My whole life I have heard countless of stories about the raven, and I loved all of them and how they explained different aspects of nature and the world.

Some fun facts I have found are (Alaska Department of Fish and Game, no pub. date):

-They like to play catch with each other with things like sticks and feathers
-They are the largest species of songbird, and the largest all black bird on the planet
-Ravens can mimic lots of sounds, including human words
-"The Migratory Bird Treaty between the United States, Canada and Mexico was amended in 1972 to include the Corvids, thus giving federal protection to these species." (Alaska Department of Fish and Game, no pub. date)

(Everything with only parenthesis after it is info from ADFG written in my own words)

"Common Raven (Corvus Corax)." Alaska Department of Fish and Game, www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=commonraven.printerfriendly. Accessed 8 Mar. 2024.

In my home town of Juneau Alaska, there are Sitka Spruce trees everywhere you look. It is one of the most commonly seen here. This particular spruce is on a small footpath along a creek behind my house. Its a very beautiful area, nice and quiet. Sitka spruce trees grow from northern California all the way to the Aleutian chain.
The Sitka Spruce or "Picea sitchensis" is a tree that lives along coasts, which has caused it to developed a tolerance for sea water. It can only live in low elevations along these coasts, and can only be far away from coasts if they are near large, ocean flowing rivers. Because it is so restricted to these conditions, the presence of Sitka Spruce is used to identify forest zones. (Personally I think that is really cool) Forests containing these trees have very high productivities on the planet.
It also has one of the highest strength to weight ratios. It also has the shortest lifespan of all western conifers, as one has never grown older than 400 years.
The Native people of Alaska and the northwest have many uses for Sitka Spruce trees. The resin is used as chewing gum, caulking in canoes, and treatment for skin irritants.
Its tips are also used in brines and teas, and used it as an antiseptic for treatment of the lungs and sores. They also use the inner bark for traditional weaving, and it was consumed for treatments of colds and tooth pain.

"Sitka Spruce (Picea Sitchensis)." Washington State Department of Natural Resources, efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/lm_hcp_west_oldgrowth_guide_ss_hires.pdf. Accessed 1 Mar. 2024.

"Sitka Spruce." Pierce Conservation District, piercecd.org/474/Sitka-Spruce. Accessed 1 Mar. 2024.

Griffith, Randy S. "Picea Sitchensis." United States Department of Agriculture, www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/picsit/all.html#:~:text=Sitka%20spruce%20acts%20as%20an,the%20coastal%20forests%20%5B22%5D. Accessed 1 Mar. 2024.

(None of these sites had publication dates)