American Honey Princess All The Buzz At Barnegat Bay EcoCenter

TOMS RIVER, N.J. — When it comes to honeybees, Nicole Medina, 19, knows all the buzz. The 2019 American Honey Princess will visit Toms River on June 13 at the Barnegat Bay EcoCenter as part of the new Rivertime Classroom. She will be a guest presenter, speaking about the importance of honeybees and the effect they have on New Jersey agriculture.

Medina will teach attendees about the inner workings of a beehive, beekeeping in the United States, and how the diverse flight path of honeybees extends from food to fiber. She will also share tips on how honey can rejuvenate itself, and she will share recipes using one of the over 300 varieties of honey, according to Save Barnegat Bay.

Honeybees are responsible for nearly one-third of our entire diet, by way of the pollination services that they provide for a large majority of fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, according to a press release. This mounts to nearly $19 billion per year of direct value from honeybee pollination to United States agriculture.

Medina, a sophomore at Sussex County College, has been keeping bees for the last five years, and is an active volunteer at the Sussex County Beekeepers Association, according to the release.

As the 2019 American Honey Princess, Medina serves as a national spokesman on behalf of the American Beekeepers Federation. The American Honey Queen and Princess travel the country to speak and promote honeybees, according to Save Barnegat Bay.