Gall Week DC Outing on Saturday Sept 10 2022

Creating this to coordinate and track for a DC area Gall Week outing on Saturday Sept 10 2022.

Location: Kutner Park/Katherine Johnson Middle School, Fairfax City, VA
Date: Sept 10, 2022
Time: 10am ET

Directions
Since there may be kids soccer games on the soccer fields it is probably best if we plan to meet in the adjacent middle school parking lot. So to that end we will meet here:

Katherine Johnson Middle School Fairfax VA main parking lot
https://goo.gl/maps/MToGXHXRnZ2DQHtS9
38°51'32.6"N 77°19'39.7"W


The original thread was started here https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/69533-gall-week-is-almost-here-local-events-and-a-webinar

Possible Locations That I Know Of (depends on how many folks we get and how accessible the location needs to be)

  • Kutner Park - Fairfax City - this is my local gall haunt and has the densest Oak Gall diversity of anywhere I have ever been and (thanks to selection bias :) ) is a world-wide gall hot spot. It is a small ~15 acre park that is easy to access and walk around in
  • Sully Woodlands (Western Fairfax County) - this is another excellent spot but it it is harder to access (further out and not as accessible, need to be able and comfortable with navigating long grass and non-paved slopes). A potential bonus with this one is that if some or all of the attendees are interested in a much larger and more diverse habitat there is a lot more here.

I am open to anywhere that has appropriate habitat and do love to explore new places. I tend to spend a lot of time in the same core areas so do not have much experience outside of central and western Fairfax County.

@izafarr @imasongster @carrieseltzer @zdanko @esummerbell

Publicado el septiembre 8, 2022 03:58 TARDE por jeffdc jeffdc

Comentarios

Is Saturday the only day available - that is, not Sunday?

Publicado por zdanko hace más de 1 año

Sunday has a 50% probability of rain, Saturday looks totally dry. I'm open to Sunday if you're willing to risk the chance of rain!

I'm also up for either location! I'm curious to see this magical oak gall hotspot, but also up for more woodsy non-paved adventures. Jeff, do either of these locations have good populations of hickories? Caryomyia are particular favorites of mine. Hackberries would present lots of gall opportunities too.

Publicado por esummerbell hace más de 1 año

On either day, morning/early afternoon is the best time for me

Publicado por esummerbell hace más de 1 año

There are limited hickories at both locations. Kutner has scattered C glabra and C tomentosa, Sully has scattered C glabra, C tomentosa, and C cordiformis (in the wetter areas). No Celtis at Kutner. Sully has some Celtis but not a ton. Sully has overall way more diversity but it is a much larger investment of time, tick prep, and exercise. Sully has a ton of Solidago and Euthamia as well as other forbs.

I can do either day as well. I am also, rarely, stopped by rain.

Publicado por jeffdc hace más de 1 año

Okay, looks like I can't do Saturday...

Publicado por zdanko hace más de 1 año

Unfortunately the weather forecast is looking more and more rainy on Sunday.

Publicado por jeffdc hace más de 1 año

I'm up for anything anywhere on Saturday; Sunday I'm out of town. Either way, if we nail down time and location soon I can get a note out to the DC area Google group to attract a few more folks.

Publicado por dbarber hace más de 1 año

I think based on weather Saturday is our best bet (sorry @zdanko :( ). As for time I think I heard AM to early afternoon. So we can meet at 10am.

If the group is small and able Sully is more diverse overall but is not trivial to physically negotiate and a "full tour" of the main highlights can take 4 hours or more (I was there 6 hours this past Monday). We can split it into 2 parts if people are interested in less or more, but it requires comfort with long grass (think ticks) and a lot of walking and some negotiation of areas with little to no trail. Parking is roadside only. https://goo.gl/maps/ibhDuocToiRdPmpP8

Kutner Park is a manageable suburban park, it is flat, there is parking, and there is low chance of ticks. It is small so can be covered in a couple of hours. I did a comprehensive survey last Saturday in 2.5 hour blocks but was being quite thorough. https://goo.gl/maps/WTuvPQ3YbJAGdRra6

Publicado por jeffdc hace más de 1 año

It's okay, this just means we'll have to do another walk sometime soon ;)

Publicado por zdanko hace más de 1 año

Let’s do Kutner Park this time, that might be easier for coordinating a group! And 10AM works for me

Publicado por esummerbell hace más de 1 año

OK I'll get the word out! See you at Kutner Park at 10am!

Publicado por dbarber hace más de 1 año

Since there may be kids soccer games on the soccer fields it is probably best if we plan to meet in the adjacent middle school parking lot. So to that end we will meet here:

Katherine Johnson Middle School Fairfax VA main parking lot
https://goo.gl/maps/MToGXHXRnZ2DQHtS9
38°51'32.6"N 77°19'39.7"W

Publicado por jeffdc hace más de 1 año

I updated the main entry above with all of the details.

Publicado por jeffdc hace más de 1 año

Perfect, see you all tomorrow!

Publicado por esummerbell hace más de 1 año

OK, sent email to Google group with all details. Tagging top gall observers who might be in the DC area this weekend: @ana_kaahanui @matthewbeziat @potomacriverannie @treichard @jimbrighton @mileszhang @ronwertz @imasongster

Publicado por dbarber hace más de 1 año

Have fun galling, everyone! Sorry I can't make it.

Publicado por carrieseltzer hace más de 1 año

Running a bit late, will be there around 10:20! Feel free to start without me and I’ll find you guys in the park

Publicado por esummerbell hace más de 1 año

Ha ha, I’m running late too – – ETA about 10 past

Publicado por dbarber hace más de 1 año

Ok

Publicado por jeffdc hace más de 1 año

It is quite crowded. Drive up all the way to the back of the parking lot.

Publicado por jeffdc hace más de 1 año

I now have 743 photos from today to clean up and post 😂

Publicado por esummerbell hace más de 1 año

See I told you it was a gall hot spot!

Publicado por jeffdc hace más de 1 año

Thank you Jeff for getting us out to that amazing little spot, and in excellent company. I don't think I've EVER walked quite so slowly :-)

Publicado por dbarber hace más de 1 año

Wow, that's really saying something, @dbarber! :-D

Publicado por carrieseltzer hace más de 1 año

On the bad news front, I got confirmation yesterday that the City of Fairfax is going to spend millions of "pandemic relief" funds to at least partially ruin that spot. They are going to tear up the grass fields and install a huge swath of artificial turf and install huge light towers. So sad and frustrating. The reasoning given is that kids might get hurt playing on the grass field. Amazing that we have not yet gone extinct if kids are indeed this fragile!

It is depressing news when you see it happening elsewhere, it is tragedy when it happens to your local refuge.

Publicado por jeffdc hace más de 1 año

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