Alder and willow shrubs cover the landscape in the No-Name Valley in Chugach State Park near Anchorage, AK. The moose spend lots of time foraging in the patches of willow. According to the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, moose eat woody shrubs, primarily willow species, but they also munch on aspen, cottonwood and birch. UAF says some species like alder are rarely eaten. On our last full day in Alaska, while we kept our eye on a resting moose, I noticed a stand of red alder shrubs lining the Power Line Trail. They were not pruned back as most of the willows were. As I paced up and down the trail to keep warm, I couldn’t resist taking a few shots of the tiny cones on the dried alder branches.
