Dee’s Bee & Butterfly Festival

what’s buzzing at the Dickinson County Nature Center on Friday, September 5th?
Dee’s Bee & Butterfly Festival – the Dickinson County Conservation Board’s largest annual event.

The celebration of pollinators is free for families and individuals to join from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Stop
by the amphitheater to see the main entertainment at 4:30 & 6:30, Tricia and the Toonies. Tricia will
sing and play guitar, accompanied by her puppet friends in the show “The Great Pollinator.”

During the evening in the Nature Center building, families can look forward to tagging Monarch
butterflies (while quantities last), buying cotton candy, viewing the honeybee observation hive, and
playing in Pollinator Paradise.

Just outside of the Maser Monarch Lodge, there will be a petting goat herd. Activities will also
take place inside the lodge, including pollinator crafts, temporary tattoos, and a photo booth. Families
can also meet Sweetie the Bee and receive a free honey straw.

Under the overhang of Maser Monarch Lodge, there will be a few vendors with products for
sale. Marlene Boernsen, owner of Boernsen Bees, will be selling honey and beeswax products. Troy and
Sarah Davelaar, owners of Siouxland Prairie Farms, will be selling a diverse variety of pollinator-friendly
native plants.

At 5:30 by the gazebo near the lodge, Marlene Boernsen will also demonstrate how to extract
and bottle honey.

“We are excited to celebrate and promote all of the cool things that pollinators do, and we hope
anyone interested in insects joins us,” exclaimed Amy Heibult, community relations coordinator of the
Dickinson County Conservation Board.

Please note that the Nature Center will be closed during Friday’s regular hours due to festival
preparations, but visitors can join the beginning activities starting at 4:00 p.m. that day.

Although bees generally do not bother people, those who are allergic should take precautions or
consult their physician. For more information, visit www.dickinsoncountyconservationboard.com. Like
and follow the Dickinson County Nature Center on Facebook and Instagram to see the latest updates
and programming.