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what we did

Our investigation attempted to determine the relationship between pollinators, specifically bees and butterflies, and pollen pigmentation found in flowers. Bees observed to have full pollen baskets were collected and identified. The flowers that the bees were found on were identified and pressed in a herbarium. This information was used to link the pollinator to the flower species and provided insight on pollen color preference among bee species. These methods allowed us to determine the flowers that are most frequented by pollinators, and the variety of bee species in the Nature Museum’s general vicinity. During the research process, variables such as flower type, pollinator species, pollen color, and location were recorded for analysis. Our current investigation establishes the flowers most frequented by pollinators and pollen color preference; in the future, researchers could extend this investigation to include the amount of pollen (in weight), and expand the sampling size to include locations across the U.S. Researchers could also use collected data to try and help minimize the current pollinator crisis at hand by planting an increased amount of bee attracting flowers. 

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