Tuesday, August 16, 2011 - Be A Hero Aug. 20 As The Oxbow Celebrates National Honey Bee Day

Join the Oxbow Eco-Center on Saturday, Aug. 20 at 3 p.m. to celebrate National Honey Bee Awareness Day. Michelle Peterson, president of the Treasure Coast Beekeepers Association, will demystify bees for children while helping them form a connection with nature. This family-friendly program will include viewing an active hive, going outside to search for native bees, sampling honey and then heading inside for some fun bee-related activities. This free event is appropriate for all ages.

While bees are best known for keeping the world supplied with honey, these amazing insects pollinate about one third of the world’s food and help keep ecosystems healthy and productive. Recently many of these species seem to have vanished from Florida landscapes.

National Honey Bee Awareness Day was created to educate the public about honey bees and environmental concerns that affect them. The goal is to encourage people to help protect bees by planting flowers and plants that bees love, avoiding pesticides, and perhaps keeping bees of their own.

The Oxbow Eco-Center is a St. Lucie County Environmental Learning Center located at 5400 N.E. St. James Drive in Port St. Lucie on 225 acres along the St. Lucie River. For more information, contact the Oxbow at 772-785-5833, or visit www.oxboweco.com.