How a revolutionary biologist uncovered nature's deepest secrets by chasing bumblebees, befriending ravens, and running record-breaking ultramarathons
Bernd Heinrich stands as one of science's most extraordinary modern figures—a University of Vermont professor emeritus who has made groundbreaking discoveries about the natural world while simultaneously setting astonishing distance running records. This unique combination of scientific curiosity and athletic prowess has allowed him to uncover mysteries of the animal kingdom that had eluded others for centuries.
Bernd Heinrich's approach to science has always been hands-on, immersive, and fueled by an almost boundless physical energy. Now in his eighties, he still maintains an active lifestyle that would exhaust people half his age, recently demonstrating his vitality by climbing trees with ease and outpacing much younger runners on trail excursions2 .
Heinrich's approach to training was as unconventional as his scientific methods. During his peak training period, he would run six 20-mile sessions per week, mostly with strong finishes2 . What makes his athletic achievements more remarkable is that they coincided with his most productive periods of scientific research, with each discipline informing and strengthening the other.
Heinrich marked bees with colored dots to track their daily foraging routes over weeks7 .
He created tabletop arenas to test bumblebees' learning speeds and color preferences3 .
In his landmark 1976 study published in Ecological Monographs, Heinrich sought to understand how bumblebees develop specialized foraging behaviors and what costs and benefits these specializations entailed3 .
Heinrich discovered that bumblebees don't randomly visit flowers but instead "major" and "minor" in different flower types depending on their energy rewards7 . Some bees would follow the same optimized routes day after day, demonstrating sophisticated economic decision-making that balanced energy expenditure with nutritional gain.
| Research Method | Application | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Individual marking | Tracking foraging routes | Revealed flower fidelity and route optimization |
| Nectar sampling | Measuring energy content | Established energy economics of foraging |
| Color experiments | Testing learning behavior | Demonstrated cognitive abilities |
| Field observation | Documenting natural behavior | Provided ecological context for lab findings |
Heinrich's work revealed that bumblebees are finely tuned energy economists. He found that they regulate high body temperatures to optimize flight performance and carefully select flowers based on nectar quality and accessibility3 7 . This research helped explain the co-evolutionary dance between flowers and their pollinators—why some flowers make nectar difficult to access (to ensure proper pollen transfer) and how bees develop specialized techniques to overcome these challenges7 .
His bee research directly connected to his understanding of endurance, as he recognized that energy management is fundamental to survival across species—whether bees optimizing nectar collection or humans pacing themselves in ultramarathons.
When Heinrich turned his attention to ravens, he again revolutionized our understanding of animal intelligence. His work with these clever birds began with a simple observation that contradicted conventional wisdom: why would ravens loudly call at food sources, potentially attracting competitors?6
Heinrich's raven research employed remarkably creative methods:
He obtained dead cows and calves from dairy farmers to place in the Maine woods as observation sites6 .
He recorded and played back raven calls to understand their communication6 .
He once dressed in a homemade wolf costume to observe raven reactions at carcasses6 .
He and his students once caught 43 ravens in a single shot with a large trap6 .
Heinrich's experiments revealed astonishing cognitive abilities in ravens. In one famous string-pulling test, ravens needed to perform a complex sequence of actions: pull up a string, hold a loop with their claw, then repeat the process multiple times to reach suspended meat. Unlike most animals, the ravens solved this problem immediately without trial and error, demonstrating advanced reasoning capabilities.
| Cognitive Skill | Evidence | Evolutionary Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Logical reasoning | String-pulling solution | Accessing difficult food sources |
| Social intelligence | Tracking relationships | Navigating group dynamics |
| Risk assessment | Evaluating predator proximity | Feeding safely at carcasses |
| Communication | Context-specific calls | Coordinating group behavior |
His research showed that ravens use logic to solve novel problems, with some abilities "surpassing those of the great apes". These findings helped explain why ravens have evolved such intelligence—their scavenging lifestyle requires quick assessment of dangers at carcasses, and their complex social lives necessitate keeping track of multiple relationships5 .
Heinrich's athletic experience informed his scientific understanding of endurance physiology. Recent research on marathon running confirms what Heinrich embodied—that extreme endurance involves complex physiological adaptations and potential risks.
Modern sports science has documented both the benefits and challenges of marathon running that Heinrich experienced firsthand:
| Body System | Short-Term Impact | Recovery Time |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiovascular | Transient biomarker changes | 1-3 days |
| Renal | Acute kidney injury markers | Within week |
| Immune | Temporary suppression | Several days |
| Muscular | Inflammation and damage | 1-2 weeks |
| Endocrine | Cortisol increase, testosterone decrease | Several days |
Heinrich's understanding of energy management in nature directly applies to human endurance. Recent research on the 2022 Boston Marathon demonstrated that low energy availability indicators were present in 42.5% of female and 17.6% of male runners studied8 . These athletes showed worse race performance and increased medical encounters during the event8 , highlighting the critical importance of proper energy management that Heinrich recognized in both bees and humans.
What connects Heinrich's diverse interests—from bumblebees to ravens to marathon running—is a fundamental fascination with endurance and survival strategies across species. His work demonstrates that energy economics underpins all life, from bees optimizing nectar collection to humans pacing themselves in ultramarathons.
"To endure is to have a clear goal and the ability to extrapolate to it with the mind—the ability to keep in mind what is not before the eye."
In his book Why We Run, Heinrich embedded his dramatic race narrative within broader reflections on "childhood, curiosity, learning, and discovery"2 . He recognized that human endurance is as much about mental vision as physical capacity.
This interconnected perspective—seeing the same principles operating across different life forms—represents Heinrich's greatest contribution to science. It's a vision born of someone who has both meticulously observed nature and pushed his own body to its limits, understanding endurance from the inside out.
"There are still many unknowns along the road before the finish line. But what will serve me well from the past is my perseverance and discipline, and applying them to whatever may come."
Now in his eighties, Heinrich continues to wonder, explore, and inspire. His legacy demonstrates that the most profound scientific insights often come from those who fully engage with the world, following their curiosity across conventional boundaries and disciplines.