Hand in hand: berries and bears on your public lands

It’s a favorite Alaskan summer pastime: berry picking. We bake them, freeze them, can them, the possibilities are almost endless. But to truly savor the flavor, you need to know the good, the bad, the benefits, and the guidelines before picking Alaska’s wild berries this season. 
 
Alaska has almost 50 kinds of edible berries you can forage for. The season begins in mid-summer and lasts just until the first frosts. You can probably find a great spot on BLM-managed lands in Alaska. (Hint: you can go to blm.gov/visit and search for berries). 
 
Enjoy this guide to berry picking in Alaska, while it is not exhaustive, it should get you off on the right foot to enjoy healthy berries and keep you from stumbling into trouble.  

The Berries 
You can find these berries in the last frontier: 

• Blueberry 
• Bunchberry (dogwood) 
• Cloudberry 
• Cranberry (highbush) 
• Crowberry 
• Currants 
• Elderberry 
• Gooseberry 
• Huckleberry (Red) 
• Lingonberry (lowbush cranberries) 
• Nagoonberry (Arctic raspberry or Arctic bramble) 
• Raspberry 
• Salmonberry (also low-bush salmonberry, aqpik, baked apple berry, and cloud berry) 
• Serviceberry 
• Strawberry 
• Watermelon berry 

 
The Scary: 
Avoid any white berries you may find in Alaska; they’re likely poisonous! The most poisonous berry in the state is called the Baneberry and looks a lot like high-bush cranberries. It can be white or red. The seed on a cranberry will be a flattened stone shape, while the baneberry’s seed will be crescent shaped. Teach children to stay away from all berries unless they’re with an adult. 

Berries can also contain immature or dormant stages of insects. Affected berries will usually be wrinkled or distorted. Make sure to pick through and discard those berries. Or you can make a brine with ½ teaspoon salt to 1 gallon lukewarm water. Soak the berries in the brine for an hour; it will cause the worms to escape from the berries into the brine. Then make sure to rinse and drain the berries. 
 

The Benefits: 

Berries are packed full of antioxidants. They also have essential nutrients like vitamin C, niacin, manganese, and folate. They are a source of natural sugars and fiber. They are naturally low in fat, sodium, and calories. And berries are cholesterol free. 

Alaska’s berries have higher levels of antioxidants than commercial fruits when they were compared by researchers. Researchers found Alaska blueberries had an antioxidant score of almost double the lower 48 berries they were compared to (111 vs 48). A score above 40 is considered high. Meanwhile Alaska’s high bush cranberries and lingonberries have almost three times as many (172) as the lower 48 berries! 

The Guidance: 
You can’t pick berries everywhere they grow. Gathering berries is not permitted on Campbell Tract in Anchorage or along the Trans Alaska Pipeline System corridor. Check blm.gov/visit and search for berry picking to find prime locations. 

If you plan to sell the berries you collect on BLM-managed lands, you’ll need a permit (form 5450-24) for a small fee. Once you decide where you want to pick berries, you can get your permit from the nearest BLM office either in person or by mail.   
 
The Cooperative Extension Service at the University of Alaska Fairbanks publishes guides to Alaska berries. They are produced in color and include lots of important information. You can also find berry guides for purchase at local bookstores or online. 

 

Be bear aware! 
Alaska’s bears love berries too.  Here are some pointers to practice: 

• Make noise so you don’t surprise a bear 
• Buddy up! You are safer in a group in bear country (Alaska is bear country) 
• Use your senses to stay aware – Don’t wear headphones! 
• Move cautiously, especially along creeks, on blind corners and in heavily vegetated areas. High speed = high chance of surprise 
• Leash your pet or leave it at home 
• Carry bear spray, have it readily accessible, and know how to use it 
• Don’t feed bears. Handle food, fish, and other attractants responsibly 
• Never run from a bear! 
• Learn more about bear behavior at alaskabears.alaska.gov (they have a bear aware coloring book for kids)