Grizzly bears help huckleberries thrive in a changing climate BySanjana Gajbhiye Earth.com staff writer Who knew that there’s a significant bond between grizzly bears and huckleberries? Their interaction transcends the simple paradigm of consumption, offering a deep dive into the realm of plant ecology. In a recent study led by scientists from the University […]
It is good that others are taking up where Dr. Dan Barney left off with his huckleberry research. Here is a recent story from Idaho Ag Today on the work of University of Idaho Professor Stephen Cook: Domesticating huckleberries Idaho’s state fruit isn’t commercially produced, nor are there any domesticated huckleberry varieties available. Native to the […]
There is new research from the University of Idaho study on huckleberries: the Idaho state fruit. Historically, the domestication of wild huckleberries has been a challenging project. Dr. Dan Barney did manage to make some serious progress, but unfortunately, his research project was halted in 2010. Much of his research is listed on this site: […]
If you have never tasted huckleberries, you may be confused between the two different berries: Huckleberries and Blueberries. Add in Bilberries, and you may really be confounded. According to Wikipedia: Blueberries are a widely distributed and widespread group of perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. They are classified in the section Cyanococcus within […]
Despite the hot temperatures in the Pacific Northwest, we are hearing that the huckleberries are beginning to ripen. Depending on where you live and pick, you might want to start searching around your area or your favorite patches to see how they are doing. In the meantime, enjoy some random fun huckleberry facts (Some taken […]
In April, we shared an article about research ecologist Tabitha Graves and biologist Nate Michael mapping out huckleberry patches in Glacier National Park: Locating Huckleberries from Space. As an update, Graves and Michael’s research is also used to protect the grizzly bear population. Futurity.org shares the background for this research: Tracking where huckleberry plants live […]
The International Wild Huckleberry Associate was first founded to share the research of Dr. Dan Barney on the domestication of wild huckleberries. When Dr. Barney’s facility at the UI Research Center in Sandpoint closed in 2010, and he retired a few years later, others took up his quest to domesticate the wild huckleberry. (If you […]
The Pinchot Partners from the Packard, Washington area are working with the Gifford Pinchot National Forest to aid in the restoration of the forest and huckleberry crop. According to The Chronicle, serving the greater Lewis County, Washington area, a meeting was held on May 24 to discuss the problem: Those in attendance will learn about […]
While many of us in huckleberry country are still digging out from one of the snowiest winters, I am wondering what impact the snow will have on the huckleberry crop this summer. Here are some excerpts on the impact of weather on huckleberries: Huckleberries purple gold by Laura Roady Each year’s huckleberry crop depends on […]
We hear lots about how important huckleberries are to the Native Americans, commercial pickers and gourmet food producers, but we seldom think about how huckleberries are important to animals living in the forest. Last year, we shared a couple posts about the huckleberry research Tabitha Graves was conducting. Huckleberry Forecast in Montana More on Tabitha […]
