Honey slime and cricket-spitting: Sweet time set for Honey Harvest at Oxbow Meadows
It’s been called the Insectival, featuring a variety of creepy critters. But this is the third year the 18th annual event at Columbus State University’s Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center officially is dubbed the Honey Harvest, celebrating the sweet stuff that comes from bees.
But don’t worry: The cricket-spitting contest still will be conducted during Saturday’s 10 a.m.-3 p.m. event.
“That’s a classic,” Oxbow Meadows program manager Lauren Johnson told the Ledger-Enquirer in a phone interview. “It’s always been a part of it.”
Now, the major buzz is about those hives. More than 400 folks — like bees to honey — swarmed the center last year to get their share of the golden goo.
“They extracted almost 200 pounds of honey last year,” Johnson said. “The auditorium got really sticky. We sold out.”
Experts from the Chattahoochee Valley Beekeepers Association will extract the honey from the center’s hives, bottle it and sell it to attendees. They also will lead discussions.
“While its not like the Insectivals in the past, I still think the Honey Harvest is a great event, celebrating these amazing insects, who work throughout the year making honey and providing a pollination service to nature,” Johnson said. “Our amazing beekeepers with the Chattahoochee Valley Beekeepers Association do a great job volunteering their time taking care of the hives at Oxbow and hosting a demonstration to extract the honey.”
And that cricket-spitting contest? It will go on throughout the event. Just give it a try when you arrive. The winner wins a prize.
But the Oxbow Meadows staff is rebranding the event from Insectival to Honey Harvest.
“It’s been pretty difficult to get the live insects here,” Johnson said. “… And we got the message: People really come here for the honey.”
The $5 ticket provides a seat for one of the honey extraction shows and two honey sticks. The shows will start at 10:15 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 12:15 p.m., 1:15 p.m. and 2:15 p.m.
“We will start selling honey after enough has been extracted, which might be about noon,” Johnson said. “This event is one of our fundraising events to support keeping our center admission free throughout the rest of the year and to help with the care of all the animals at Oxbow."
Attendees will be allowed to buy as many as three jars of honey: $10 for the first jar, $9 for the second and $8 for the third.
“They’re looking for that raw, unfiltered honey," Johnson said. “A lot of people get it for eating and cooking but also for health reasons. Local bees are using local pollen, so it helps them with their allergies.”
Attendees also can participate in a science experiment, until supplies run out, to make “honey slime” — although, Johnson cautioned, it’s not edible. The first 100 visitors can make a firefly/lightening bug craft. The mascot Bee-linda will be hanging out to take pictures with guests, and vendors will see honey- and bee-related books.
Most of the activities will be conducted inside the center, so the event will continue regardless of the weather.
Johnson quipped, “Be prepared to have a sweet time — pun intended.”
IF YOU GO
What: Honey Harvest at Insectival.
Where: Columbus State University’s Oxbow Meadows Environmental Learning Center, 3535 S. Lumpkin Road.
When: Saturday, July 14, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: $5; free for children age 3 and younger; bills larger than $20 won’t be accepted.
Info:706-507-8550, oxbow.columbusstate.edu.
This story was originally published July 10, 2018 at 10:50 AM.