Galls, Burls and Brooms! Oh My!

This workshop will focus on exploring the lilliputian world of galls, burls, witches brooms and non-metazoan plant diseases as well as the plants they grow on.

Galls are little hidden insect homes inside plants. You’ve definitely seen some before, such as the ping-pong ball sized lumps on goldenrod.

We will start with some basic ID skills before heading out for a hike at Park Point, training our eyes to notice lumpy leaves and other plant deformities, perfecting our identification skills as we go!

We will find many new-to-you species and are guaranteed to come across some species unknown to science! We’ll also stop to appreciate all the other cool stuff we find along the way!

By the end of the workshop, you’ll never be able to walk in the woods without seeing a gall, ever again!

Registration Includes

Students will go home with a copy of “Galls, Burls and Brooms of the North Woods” and knowledge of how to find, and identify galls.

Warning: Participants may develop a “naturalist amble” afterwards and friends/family may complain hiking pace is “too slow”

What goes into our class pricing? As a local nonprofit, Duluth Folk School is committed to supporting both our instructors and community. We want to compensate our instructors fairly, keep class sizes small, and keep our doors open—while also keeping prices as low as we can.

Thank you for participating in our local handcraft and education economy! Together, we help keep Duluth a fun and vibrant place.

Student Requirements

• Skill Level/Prerequisite Skills: No previous experience necessary but love of the natural world recommended!
• Best for Ages: 13 and older
• You should bring: We will be hiking at Park Point . These paths are unpaved, and contain many rough, uneven surfaces. We will not be traveling quickly and likely won’t go very far (due to the amount of stuff we will find) but be prepared to walk on these surfaces up to two miles round trip. Make sure you dress to be outdoors. This also includes packing any water or snacks you may need.

• • Required Tools All Students Must Bring
    • Hiking shoes
    • Water bottles
    • Clothing to be comfortable outdoors (such as a wind breaker, rain jacket, hat, etc.)
    • Snacks as necessary

• • Optional Tools that Might be Helpful
    • A backpack
    • Notebook and writing utensil
    • Hand lens
    • Small sample containers
    • A small pair of pruning shears or pocket knife
    • Small digital camera or Smartphone with camera
    • Smartphone internet access to use iNaturalist app account or gallformers.org
    • Plant identification field guides

Location

Class will be meeting at the Park Point Nature Trail Trailhead 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.