The Chautauqua County Beekeepers Association will present its third annual Beekeeping Lollapalooza on Saturday, Jan. 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fluvanna Community Church, 3363 Fluvanna Ave., Fluvanna.

The program will feature a special presentation by Randall Cass, extension associate at Cornell’s Dyce Lab for Honey Bee Studies.

The event will kick off at 11 a.m. with “So You Want to Start Beekeeping — Now What?”, a show-and-tell presentation of the basic equipment and protective clothing required to get started in beekeeping. At noon and repeated at 1 p.m. attendees may choose presentations on “Intermediate Beekeeping”, “Candle/Salve Making/Infused Honey Making” or “Native Plants with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardeners”.

At 2 p.m. Cass will discuss results from the NYS Beekeeper Tech Team’s examination of New Yorkers’ hives, as well as trends in beekeeping over the last decade. Cass manages the NYS Beekeeper Tech Team and is an extension resource for beekeepers throughout the state.

Previously he served as a bee extension specialist at Iowa State University, and has conducted research and beekeeping projects in Chile, Guatemala, El Salvador, Ghana, and Sweden. He holds a Master of Science degree from the University of California, Davis and a B.A from Willamette University. The NYS Beekeeper Tech Team supports NY beekeepers with one-on-one extension, apiary visits, and lab analysis of hive pests and pesticides. The Tech Team also collects information from beekeepers regarding annual hive loss, management practices, and sales of hive products.

The presentations are open to the public free of charge. No previous experience in beekeeping is required. Presentations will be geared for the complete novice, though the experienced beekeeper will find ample reward. Questions will be encouraged.

Club members will staff a welcome station offering free coffee, snacks and honey sampling, as well as informal question-and-answers about beekeeping and club activities. In the event of a travelers’ advisory, this event may be postponed. For more information, check the club’s Facebook page or email the club at ccba1870@gmail.com.

One of the oldest beekeeper organizations in the country, the Chautauqua County Beekeepers Association, founded in 1870, is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization committed to advancing public interest in, and the enlightened practice of, beekeeping. The association holds regular membership meetings at the Fluvanna Community Church, 3363 Fluvanna Ave., at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month from February through November. The meetings are open to the public free of charge.

For more information, email the club at ccba1870@gmail.com.