Earlier this month, our community of volunteers, scientists, and staff came together to identify gall species at Patwino Worrtla Kodoi Dihi Open Space Park. Plant galls are abnormal growths of plant tissues—similar to tumors or warts in animals—caused by insects, mites, fungi, bacteria, or other organisms. They're often intricate structures that can identify the species that made them, even when that organism isn't visible. Apparently, the power of something so peculiar as an abnormal growth on a tree has the power to attract. This community science effort attracted new volunteers and longterm ones alike. 

Our two gall guides, Karlyn Lewis and Cindy Apaka, were fantastic. Karlyn runs Gall Formers, a gall identification page. With their help, volunteers identified over ten unique gall species. We even identified an unclassified gall which Karlyn first discovered at Rockville Regional Park nearby. 

Patwino Worrtla Kodoi Dihi Open Space Park is a great gall research site because of its blue oaks. They are one of the most popular host plants for various gall-forming entities. That being said, volunteers saw galls on blue oaks, scrub oaks, live oaks, coffee berry, and coyote brush. 

From the Solano Land Trust staff, this project was spearheaded by Jasmine Westbrook-Barsukov (Stewardship Manager) and Olivia Freitas (Stewardship & Project Manager). "How this project came together is indicative of the way our community comes together," Westbrook-Barsukov said. "Cindy Apaka, a relatively new volunteer (and future docent) to Solano Land Trust, told us about the international gall bioblitz during a previous volunteer event. Olivia and I became determined to participate." This determination led to an enriching day for all in attendance and helped us all learn a thing or two about our local ecosystem.