Searching for an activity to siphon the kids away from their screens? Seeking a reason to get outside and savor the outdoors? Looking for a family-friendly event at a low cost?
For $2 a person, all of this can be yours. What a bargain!
On Saturday, Aug. 24, the Bear Creek Nature Center will be hosting their annual Honey Harvest & Pollinator Celebration Day. The day’s festivities will include opportunities to learn about beekeeping, honey extraction, book readings, take-home crafts and educational games. There will be educational tables on beekeeping and local samples of honey to taste. Attendees will even be able to view a live honeybee observation hive.
According to Mary Jo Lewis, supervisor for the Nature Center, the event has been going on for nearly a decade. Last year’s event attracted around 300 guests.
“It’s really a great way to spend the day and come out, learn more and spend time at the nature center,” Lewis said. “It’s a really educational day in a really fun way.”
Located on the west end of Bear Creek Regional Park, the Nature Center regularly conducts educational and conservational programs for all ages, all geared towards the center’s mission to connect people to their natural resources while inspiring them to be good stewards.
Members of the Pikes Peak Beekeeper’s Association, a local non-profit providing information and support for commercial and hobby beekeepers, will be hosting tables on beekeeping and even conducting honey extraction demonstrations. Extraction demonstrations will take place at 10:30 a.m., noon, and 1:30 p.m.
Mike Daetwyler, president of the association and a retired Air Force engineer, has been a regular participant in prior years. According to Daetwyler, bees represent our “canaries in the mine,” a nod to the historical practice of coal miners using canaries to detect deadly levels of carbon monoxide otherwise undetectable to human smell.
“They are more susceptible to pesticides and pollution and so making people aware of the importance of our stewardship of where we live is important, and the bees are an indication of how well or how poorly we’re doing that,” he explained. “They’re also good for the environment, good for pollinating neighbors fruit trees, vegetable gardens or flower gardens. They’re a good indication of how healthy our environment is and it’s also another indication of how well we are treating the plants in our environment.”
His favorite part of the event?
“Seeing the eyes of kids light up. It’s very rewarding.”
Members from the Broadmoor Garden Club will also be present to educate on native plants and pollinators, using examples from the Nature Center’s outdoor pollinator garden. For nearly 90 years, the organization has worked in the community to promote interest and increase knowledge in gardening, conservation of native flora, protection of wildlife, civic planting and area beautification.
According to Talisman Ford, Chair of the Conservation Committee for the Woman’s Club, most people equate bees with honeybees, which are non-native, but Colorado has over 1,000 species of native bee species. Furthermore, many assume that all bees sting.
“Most native bees can’t sting, don’t sting; they don’t even have stingers,” she clarified. “Most bees are not social so they don’t live in a large group; it’s really only the social bees or wasps that will sting to defend their hives. If they’re solitary bees or they’re just in a small little group they don’t normally sting.”
This year’s festivities will, for the first time, welcome Generation Wild of the Pikes Peak Region, a non-profit outreach organization which connects local youth with outdoor science learning and experiences in the Pikes Peak region. Representatives will be present giving out free native seed packets.
The event will take place between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Parking will be free onsite. While pre-registration on the county website is not required, it is encouraged to assist with event planning. The cost to attend is $2 per person. Papa Bear Grillz food truck will also be onsite for lunch. Tents and tables will be available for outdoor seating. Participants are free to come and go throughout the event.
To register for the event, please visit:
communityservices.elpasoco.com/bear-creek-abuzz-annual-honey-harvest-pollinator-celebration-day or at bit.ly/3M11ibv.
For more information on organizations involved, check out:
For additional programs through the Nature Center check out
communityservices.elpasoco.com/nature-centers/nature-center-programs
Get out and go
Honey Harvest & Pollinator Celebration Day
Aug. 24 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
245 Bear Creek Road
$2 per person