Are you an observant gardener, budding naturalist, or a curious nature lover who wants to level up your insect identification skills? This workshop will cover how to recognize the major orders of insects and how to use dichotomous keys. We'll start the day with a classroom-style presentation, work with preserved insect specimens, and then explore the Hallberg Butterfly Gardens to see what live insects we can find. $15 registration. Contact for family discount.
What to Bring:
Layered clothing for cool to warm weather
Comfortable walking shoes for uneven ground
Water bottle (drinking water not provided)
Sunscreen/hat
Optional: notebook, magnifying glass, binoculars.
Accessibility: The garden entrance has level gravel paths, shallow potholes, and bumps (gopher activity). Gravel road transitions to narrow dirt paths, and shallow stairs navigate a moderate hillside.
Meet your instructor: Kandis Gilmore, M.S. is broadly trained in organismal biology and ecology, with an emphasis on Entomology. She has worked as a field researcher in the rocky intertidal, oak woodlands, and vernal pool grassland ecosystems. She has studied pollinators of endangered plants for her master's degree and has taught nature workshops at Laguna Foundation, Pepperwood Preserve, and LandPaths' Bayer Farm.