February 17, 2023

Gall Week Spring 2023 event!

Following two successful fall Gall Week events, let's try a spring gall event! Please mark your calendars: we will document observations between April 15-23, 2023. For more info and updates, please join the new project - https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/gall-week-spring-2023

Posted on February 17, 2023 01:47 AM by merav merav | 0 comments | Leave a comment

August 7, 2022

Gall Week 2022 - new project!

  • In case you've missed it -
    We've got a new project page for Gall Week 2022 - please join it!
    https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/gall-week-2022
    We will record observations from Saturday, Sept. 3rd to Sunday, Sept. 11th. Please note that you'd need to join the project and add your observations manually.

Posted on August 7, 2022 07:11 PM by merav merav | 0 comments | Leave a comment

August 3, 2022

Gall Week 2022!

It's already August, and we should pick a date for Gall Week 2022! Here in California, it's already fall gall season, and many galls would last till October. Last year people commented that the early October date was already too late for their state. So when should we do it this year? Please suggest dates in the comments, and let's choose something quickly!
Would late August or early September work? We can do a "long week" again, including the two weekends.
I tagged people who expressed interest last year, or were tagged last year. Please feel free to invite more people into the discussion.

@megachile @calconey @kemper @silversea_starsong @srall @major_bombylius @erikamitchell @llsrvd @madily @seraphinpoudrier @little_metal_weirdo @beartracker @jeffdc @izafarr @ceiseman @patsimpson2000 @beartracker @beartracker @a_emmerson @ozarkpoppy @dlbowls @nfurlan @cocokitty @matthew_wills @khashagen @madily
@nancyasquith @debkccb @milliebasden @naturesarchive @sea-kangaroo @susanmf @anudibranchmom @chilipossum @garth_harwood @leslie_flint @gyrrlfalcon @newtpatrol @catchang @eddiebug @chyroptera @truthseqr @joyceg @erikamitchell @anudibranchmom @ariel-shamir @claire2 @robberfly @tiwane @damontighe @jhintermeister @kbakkegard @kejwa @edwardrooks @metsa @moonlittrails @owicki @robberfly @virusmanbob @woolybear @clarkia11 @robinellison @teellbee @kdff @

Posted on August 3, 2022 10:05 PM by merav merav | 61 comments | Leave a comment

October 16, 2021

Gall Week 2021 - recap!

Thank you all for joining the first Gall Week project! Together we created over 6K observations of over 700 species. Galls were documented in 28 states in the US and 15 additional countries. This is incredible because this whole project was born two weeks before Gall Week began. I've also written a short post about gall week, including some figures, here - https://www.bioblitz.club/post/gall-week-2021-recap.
I would like to thank everyone who helped identify the galls, a task that hasn't ended yet. In fact, when you have a minute, please make sure that all your observations have their host stated somewhere, preferably in the "host" field. That will make identification and analysis much easier.
@megachile from Gallformers.org has asked that I include a survey link for everyone who used their website for identification. They would love to get some feedback! "It would be very useful for us to learn what people who aren't on the team and were new to the whole thing we're able to get from the site." Link to the survey -
https://forms.gle/Uyf9TnyLAeDPRuWw8
What's next? I don't know about you, but I'd like to do it again! Would you like to have Gall Week in Spring 2022? Some of the fall galls have spring gall generation; others occur only in the spring. It might be tricky to find a date that would fit different regions, so let's start a discussion in the comments.
Merav

Posted on October 16, 2021 02:13 AM by merav merav | 8 comments | Leave a comment

October 11, 2021

The week is over...

I'm not sure where to begin. This week has been so incredible - this wonderful community came together to document galls from so many countries. But we'll get to some overview later on this week.
For now, THE TIME TO PHOTOGRAPH NEW GALLS HAS ENDED, but please continue to upload gall photos taken between 10/2-10/10. If you have time, please do it in the next few days, while people are still here, enjoying the beautiful diversity of galls.
Also, Gallformers.org team would like to sponsor the purchase of a Gall Week 2021 t-shirt at the end of Gall Week. Final counts will be determined on 10/15/21 - see the previous journal post.

Posted on October 11, 2021 04:37 PM by merav merav | 7 comments | Leave a comment

October 8, 2021

t-shirts sponsored by Gallformers.org!

Posting for @madily -
In celebration of the success thus far, and to push for a final weekend rally, the Gallformers.org team would like to sponsor the purchase of a Gall Week 2021 t-shirt at the end of Gall Week for the following:

-Top 3 Observers
-Top 3 Species Observed
-Top 3 Identifiers

One prize will be awarded per individual for a total of 9 unique participants receiving a t-shirt. Final counts will be determined on 10/15/21 to allow participants time to post and identify observations that are added to the project.
We will reach out to the winners via iNat DM to coordinate size, color choice, and shipping address.

Posted on October 8, 2021 05:06 AM by merav merav | 1 comment | Leave a comment

October 7, 2021

We've got t-shirts!

Yes, really, Gall Week 2021 t-shirts!
Get your own from - https://my-store-c0e6aa.creator-spring.com/
All (small) profits will be donated to iNaturalist.
Please leave your feedback in the comments.

Posted on October 7, 2021 04:48 AM by merav merav | 3 comments | Leave a comment

October 3, 2021

Clarifying: how to add observations to the project

A few people had similar questions about adding observations to the project, so let me try and clarify:
This is a manual project, which means that in order to contribute observations, you'd need to join the project, and than add each observation to this project manually (just like you would to other gall projects).
After joining the project, it will appear on your project list. Now, every time you upload an observation that you'd like to include in it, simply choose it from your list of projects. You can do it as you upload the observations from your phone or your computer, or you could do it later, after you have already saved your observation.
Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Merav

PS - this is incredible! over 1,000 observations!!!

Posted on October 3, 2021 09:00 PM by merav merav | 4 comments | Leave a comment

September 29, 2021

How to get started?

Gall Week is starting in less than a week! During Gall Week we will try to document the incredible diversity of galls. Galls are little structures on plants, induced by a few different groups of organisms, mostly insects. They often have interesting shapes, and many of them are colorful and objectively pretty. They can be found on leaves, stems, buds, and even roots. For a good background about galls, listen to this podcast interview with Adam Kranz from Gallformes - https://podcast.naturesarchive.com/2021/09/14/galls/
For Gall Week, we are interested in documenting the galls themselves or the gall inducers (adult wasps for example). If you're lucky, you might be able to document one of their associated species - parasitic or inquiline wasps trying to lay their eggs into the galls. We could add these to the project as well.
Since all galls are a result of an interaction between the gall inducer (such as a wasp) and the plant host, it is highly important to document the plant species as well. It is highly important for their identification. Please add the plant name in the observation's comments, and if possible in the "fields" as well. If you're not sure about the plant ID, you can post it to iNaturalist as well, and link that to the gall observation. Please note, you will have to add each observation to this project manually.
---if you've never looked for galls before ----
I'd suggest finding out what are the best host plants in your area. In the West: Oaks, Willows, Coyote Brush, and poplar, among many others. In the East: poplars, willows, and goldenrods (please correct me if I'm wrong). You can find them easily on iNaturalist. Try searching first for gall photos, so you'd know what to look for.
I'd like to share a few resources people can use in order to get started. Please feel free to add more - there are many great resources out there - let's share them! Are there any great books/ websites/ iNat projects that you love using? Please add them in the comments.
Here are a few suggestions, especially for the west:

Posted on September 29, 2021 01:18 AM by merav merav | 13 comments | Leave a comment

September 15, 2021

new Gall Week project

This project is replacing the first one, please join it instead.

(this is an old-school project, where we'll have to manually add observations)
Apologies for the inconvenience!
@debkccb
@erikamitchell
@milliebasden
@naturesarchive
@sea-kangaroo
@susanmf

Posted on September 15, 2021 02:28 AM by merav merav | 10 comments | Leave a comment

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