Land Trust for Tennessee launches the inaugural National Honey Bee Celebration (the first in the state!) to spotlight the importance of honey bees in the world. The mostly FREE all-day event (the Honey Bee Sanctuary tour is $5 per person although the viewing station is free) is open to the public on Saturday, Aug. 20 from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
All ages can experience guided tours of the Glen Leven Bee Sanctuary, taste honey samples, see unique products and demonstrations, and learn about honey bees through educational talks and programs.
Glen Leven Farm is located at 4000 Franklin Pike in Nashville.
Something to Buzzzzzzz About with the Kids:
• Honey bees are super-important pollinators for flowers, fruits and vegetables. They help other plants grow. Bees transfer pollen between the male and female parts, allowing plants to grow seeds and fruit.
• Honey bees live in hives (or colonies). The members of the hive are divided into three types:
Queen: One queen runs the whole hive. Her job is to lay the eggs that will spawn the hive’s next generation of bees. The queen also produces chemicals that guide the behaviour of the other bees.
Workers: these are all female and their roles are to forage for food (pollen and nectar from flowers), build and protect the hive, clean and circulate air by beating their wings. Workers are the only bees most people ever see flying around outside the hive.
Drones: These are the male bees, and their purpose is to mate with the new queen. Several hundred live in each hive during the spring and summer. But come winter, when the hive goes into survival mode, the drones are kicked out!
