The California Honey Festival’s return Saturday welcomed hundreds to downtown Woodland where people could enjoy an entertainment-filled day with their families.
The main goal of the festival was to promote honey, honey bees and the products that are possible to be created because of them.
Wendy Mather, who co-manages the California Master Beekeeper Program at UC Davis, said her program was present at the festival to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators
“We are a certification program to ensure that science-based beekeeping and honeybee ambassadorship is spread throughout California so we can continue to enjoy all of the wonderful food that California farmers grow for us” she emphasized.
Her informational stand focused on the foods and products — such as coffee — that would not be available without bees and other pollinators.
“I wouldn’t be able to enjoy my coffee every morning without bees, I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the milk in my coffee because the alfalfa that we feed to our cattle is pollinated by bees,” she emphasized. “Pollinators are essential to our existence so it’s in our best interest in our food security to ensure that we keep them healthy.”
Alexis Silva, an ambassador for the UC Davis Arboretum, was at the event explaining the importance of oak trees to pollinators.
“Oak trees are really significant because they usually host more than upwards of 100 species,” he explained. “We’re also spreading awareness that bees aren’t the only pollinators so there are also birds, there are flies and things like that. It just kind of serves as a reminder of the purpose of all the small critters that are in the world.”
Rosie Ledesma, an environmental resource analyst for Woodland who oversees environmental services, was present at the event spreading awareness of the drought California is currently in and providing resources for people to learn about conserving water.
“We’re always looking for opportunities to provide outreach and education to our community members,” she began. “Today we have all of our program information as well as some devices that highlight our water conservation program, our solid waste and recycling programs and then general sustainability things.”
Additionally, Ledesma noted that the city will be doing a virtual landscape tour next month that will showcase lawns within the community that have been converted to drought-tolerant landscapes.
“Most of our landscapes and agricultural sectors that we’re surrounded by here in Woodland are reliant on water,” she stressed. “With the declaration from the governor and the water limits that they’re wanting to see, we’re here to provide a way for people to understand what that means for them.”
An after-party for the event was held at Z Specialty Food’s facility located at 1221 Harter Ave. in Woodland and offered attendees an opportunity to taste mead and honey from The HIVE, which the business says has “California’s largest selection of honey and mead.”
For more information about the festival visit californiahoneyfestival.com.
