Annual Ora bee festival returns

The Ora bee festival in Larnaca is back this year and preparing to mark World Bee Day on May 19-20.

The annual festival which takes place under the auspices of Minister of Agriculture Maria Panayiotou supported by the Environment Commissioner Antonia Theodosiou, is an event intended to highlight the importance of bees and other pollinators as a keystone species for human existence.

Over 20,000 species of bees and various other wild pollinators face challenges from human activities such as pesticide use, and from climate change, threatening food production and the planet’s biodiversity.

It is estimated that one out of every three mouthfuls of food and almost 75 per cent of the crops grown in the world rely on honeybees and pollination, according to an announcement by the festival’s organisers.

The announcement notes that his year’s theme is focused on introducing children and youth to the art beekeeping and pollinator conservation efforts, in recognition of their role as future stewards of the environment.

The upgraded and multi-dimensional experience features educational and fun activities for all ages, offered by a diverse team including beekeepers, gastronomists, conservation experts, natural cosmetics artisans, and other educators.

Among interesting factoids, participants will learn that the average honeybee makes only around 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in its entire lifetime and that a single bee can visit as many as 100 flowers in a single trip!

For more information visit the festival’s website here or call 24352211.