We had a fantastic week up at the CU Mountain Research Station, however it was a little depressing that I couldn’t enjoy the scenery as much as I would have without a nagging meniscus tear. Nonetheless, it was a beautiful environment and a wonderful learning experience.
We were able to identify a few different galls caused by various insects. This particular gall is made by the Poplar Twiggall Fly.
http://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/poplar-twiggall-fly-5-579/
This gall makes a pinecone looking gall. It is a aphid like insect called the Cooley Spruce Adelgid.
This pest is called the Alder Leaf Beetle. It feeds voraciously on Alder and a few other trees.
http://insectoid.info/beetles/leaf-beetle/alder-leaf-beetle/
Last but not least, my research at NOAA has me pouring through downscaled global climate models over key points of interest in the Great Plains trying to identify correlations and anomalies between various climatic variables. It has been an eye opening experience the breadth of knowledge and data that is available in this organization.
