All the Galls Around Y'Alls @ Irvine Regional Park

MUST SECURE RSVP: CALL 714-639-8480 or EMAIL [email protected] # in party to confirm participation.

Join Chris and Moe from the State of the State Parks podcast as they take you on a discovery tour through Irvine Regional Park to observe all the galls you can find! What are galls, you may be asking yourself? “Galls are odd and sometimes elaborate structures produced by complex interactions between plants and the gall inducer (generally an insect or other arthropod, though fungi and bacteria may also be culpable). These structures-anything from simple swellings to peculiar urchin-like tubercules that plants grow on their leaves or stems-are stimulated by mechanical or chemical signals from the inducing organism and built by the plant host. Far more than instances of simple parasitism, galls can be the foundation of entire eco-systems involving dozens of species.” (Excerpt from a review for Ronald Russo’s fabulous book Plant Galls of the Western United States by David Carroll for Bay Nature Magazine.) We will be using our digital tools during this tour, so make sure you have your phone charged and download the apps Merlin Bird ID and Seek/iNaturalist!

NO DOGS: For this wildlife focused experience, we kindly ask that dogs be left at home. Thank you.

DIFFICULTY: Easy. 1-2 miles round-trip. Mix of sun and shade. Uneven terrain.

WHERE: Meet at Parking Lot Q in Irvine Regional Park. See park map.

IRVINE PARK VEHICLE ENTRANCE FEE: $5

NO ORANGE HEIGHTS: https://noorangeheights.org

DONATIONS OPTIONAL: https://www.zeffy.com/donation-form/no-orange-heights

Host or Publisher Joel Robinson