Every August we host a Buzzfest Celebration providing an opportunity for visitors to harvest honey with the Essex County Beekeepers and participate in bee related activities with Rutgers 4h, Native Plant Society of NJ and environmental center volunteers.

Participants get to uncap the frames with a heated knife or fork, pour the honey into jars, take a honey taste test, make native pollinator seed balls, bamboo bundle bee shelters, look at bee and insect parts with a microscope, use bug eyes to experience bug vision, try on a bee suit, build-a-bee craft, roll a beeswax candle, read all about bees and more.  Fun bee themed prizes were provided when participants had their agenda booklet stamped at four or more activity stations.

Try on a Bee Suit

Bee hive craft

Honey Bee Craft

Bee Craft with 4H

Frame and Foundation

Hive Tool

Extractor

Smoker

Bottled Honey

Hive Body

Buzzfest Seed Balls

Honey Taste Test

Freshly Harvested Honey

Honey Bee Hive

Natural Bee Shelters

Native Pollinators

Bamboo Pollinator Bee Shelter

Bee Kite Craft

Build a Bee

Insect and Bee Examination

Bee Eyes

Bee Reading Zone

Roll a Beeswax Candle

Buzzfest Native Wildflower Seeds

Jan Zientek – Essex County Agricultural Agent & Expert Beekeeper

Bee Frame

Honey Bee Hives at Essex County Environmental Center

Scope on Honey Bee Hives

Uncapping the Honey Comb on Frame

Bottling the Honey

Buzz into Action at Buzzfest

Beekeeper Cutout, NatureIntoAction

Native Pollinator Plants on Display

Buzzfest Agenda – collect stamps and win a prize

Wear a WeeBeeSuit

Buzzfest

Buzzfest Registration

Buzzfest sign board

Native Wildflower Seeds for Buzzfest

Article in the local paper

David Alexander is author of the Buzz Into Action & Hop Into Action Science Curricula.  He specializes in making nature accessible to people and wildlife.  You can follow him at www.natureintoaction.com