The bees are buzzing at Sky Meadows State Park!
Join our beekeepers Dougand Ramona Morris and the Beekeepers of Northern Shenandoah as they perform a honey extraction on August 20, 2011 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Enjoy displays about the Art of Apiculture (beekeeping) and honey bees and discover the importance of honeybees and why we need to work to conserve them.
National Honey Bee Day on August 20th at Sky Meadows State Park
Apiculture, or beekeeping, is the preservation of honey bee colonies, generally in hives, by humans. An apiarist, or beekeeper, keeps bees with the purpose of collecting honey and other products from the hive (including beeswax, propolis, pollen, and royal jelly), to pollinate crops, or to produce bees for sale to other beekeepers. A location where bees are kept is called an apiary or "bee yard.” We have two hives here at Sky Meadows in our bee yard for education, conservation, and to help with pollination of our crops.
Honey extraction, the removal of honey from the honeycomb so that it is isolated into a pure liquid form, is the primary purpose in beekeeping. Typically, the honey is stored by the bees on a regular honeycomb they build on a frame. The frames are normally harvested in late summer, when they will be filled with the most honey. On August 20, National Honey Bee Day, visitors to Sky Meadows can see the extraction process first hand – and maybe taste a bit of fresh honey!
Learn about Honey Bees at Sky Meadows State Park
The National Honey Bee Day program started with a single concept: to bring together beekeepers, bee associations, as well as other interested groups to connect with communities to advance beekeeping. Through collaboration and utilization of the efforts that so many already accomplish, and using a united front one day a year, the message is exaggerated many times over. Today the National Honey Bee Day program promotes beekeeping, the advancement of apiculture, public education, and spread awareness of environmental concerns related to honey bees.
You can support beekeeping and the Beekeepers of Northern Shenandoah at our program by purchasing local honey and bee products from club members. To learn more about this event, and other programs at events link.