By BERNADETTE SUKLEY

Special to The Press

2020 American Honey Princess Sydnie Paulsrud of Chippewa Falls, Wis., recently buzzed into the Northwestern Lehigh area to talk about bees and honey.

The American Bee Federation has well-educated ambassadors to represent the bees.

Two years ago, Kempton resident, Kayla Fusselman, was named the 2018 Honey Queen.

The role of these highly-motivated beekeepers is to spread the sweet news of pollination and how much bees matter.

Paulsrud spoke to the Little Lambs Preschool children Oct. 13 in Jacob’s Church, Jacksonville, Lynn Township.

She discussed how bees pollinate flowers, how they make hives and how they make honey.

“They did really well, even with the big words, like larvae,” Paulsrud said.

But why talk to children so young?

“I speak to children and students from preschool age all the way up to college level from cities like Milwaukee to rural towns like Kempton,” the Honey Princess said. “I talk about how important honey bees are, and children seem to enjoy it.

“When children hear this, they may grow up to become the next generation of beekeepers.”

The 2020 American Honey Princess has plans to attend Chippewa Valley Technical College, Au Claire, Wis., in 2021.

She has some challenging studies ahead of her. Bees and beekeepers have encountered some serious issues.

“In order to keep the bee population thriving, many people are coming together to discuss bee loss,” she said. “They’re researching the impact of pests, disease, hive issues and other problems.”

Paulsrud, did not feel out of place speaking at the church.

“After all, honey is in the Bible.”