Creeks and wildflowers may have disappeared for the season, but there’s still plenty of wonderful nature to explore and enjoy, and fall is an especially ideal time to look for all sorts of plant galls, some of nature’s most unusual creations. We’ll explore various plant communities to look for these structures that are in an unusual relationship between plant, animal, and usually a type of insect. We will hope to see the striped volcano, witch’s hat, spined turban, urchin, willow leaf, spiny leaf, and “oak apple” galls.
Explore this amazing world with Carolyn Greene, an endlessly curious general naturalist, who has been observing, pondering, and asking questions about botanical wonders, for decades. Her undergraduate degree is in biogeography from U.C., with a specialty in botany. She has worked as a field biologist, conducting wildlife, plant, and restoration research for the past 25 years, for local parks, the California State Parks system, and the U.S. National Park Service. Carolyn is also a certified California Naturalist and “Cal Nat” trainer. Also, Marie Kay Hansen, an avid native plant botanist, an active member of the California Native Plant Society, a docent for guided nature hikes at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, and a Certified California Naturalist and Climate Steward through the program run by Sonoma Ecology Center and UC Ag and Natural Resources.
See the gallery below of various galls recently seen in the Park by Jim Webb
L-R
- Red Cone Gall Wasp-Feron kingi
- Disc Gall Wasp-Feron parmula
- Club gall wasp-Xanthoteras clavuloides
- Saucer Gall Wasp-Feron (Andricus) gigas
Bring water, a snack, layered clothing, good hiking shoes, optional poles, and your sense of wonder and curiosity.
Participation is limited to 12
WHEN: Sunday, November 2, 2025, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
WHERE: Meet in the Ranch parking lot on the right as you enter the park
Price: $10.00
