Flowers Beside the Mountain Switchback

A Change at the Switchback

A switchback is a sharp bend in a mountain trail. A trail crew widened one bend and covered a patch of wildflowers with gravel. Bumblebees had visited those flowers for nectar, a food. Before the work, a volunteer counted 14 bee visits during four ten-minute watches. After the work, she counted 2 visits during four more ten-minute watches in similar weather.

The crew tested four plans in nearby, equally sized areas at the bend. Each area started with gravel and received similar sunlight. For Plans C and D, the crew planted the same number and kinds of local flowering plants. The crew watered both plantings equally. A low rope in Plan D guided walkers around the plants without covering the flowers.

A volunteer watched each plan for ten minutes on each of four dry mornings. She added the visits for each plan. A bee could visit more than once, so these were counts of visits, not counts of different bees. She also checked the walking strip each morning.

The crew set two goals: at least 8 bee visits during the four watches, and the full walking strip clear during each check. The crew wants to help bees find food without crowding walkers.