Environmental and Heritage Center Celebrates the Important Rold of Honeybees at Annual Festival

It may be small, but the honeybee plays a huge role in the production of the foods Americans eat as it is one of the top pollinators of crops in the United States.

In recognition of its vital function in the food cycle, the Environmental and Heritage Center (EHC) will hold its annual Honeybee Festival on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.

The Honeybee Festival features numerous activities for families including bee games, crafts, honey samples and Honeybee Theater. Guests will also discover innovative snack ideas using honey. A number of beekeepers and vendors will be on hand to discuss their craft and to sell local honey and beeswax products.

Visitors will have an opportunity to experience a guided, pollinator trivia hike, see real live observation hives and learn from beekeeping information sessions. The information sessions will include a 2 p.m. presentation on making beeswax lip balm by Lena Franklin with the Eastern Piedmont Beekeepers’ Association and a 3 p.m. presentation on natural beekeeping and honey processing by Silviu Gavriliuc, a certified beekeeper. A special kid friendly intro class focusing on the honeybee will also be offered at various times throughout the event.

The EHC Gift Shop plans to get into the spirit of the festival by highlighting and selling all natural, raw honey from the EHC Foundation’s own hives. The local honey is available for purchase in both six and nine ounce jars.

Program fees for the Honeybee Festival are $8.00 per person. Children two and under and EHC members are free. For more information on the Honeybee Festival and the Environmental and Heritage Center, visit www.gwinnettEHC.org.

Originally published at Gwinnett Magazine.