The Columbia River Gorge area has a new nonprofit beekeeping organization, affiliated with the Oregon State Beekeepers Association and headquartered in Hood River. The Columbia Gorge Beekeeping Association (CGBA) will hold its first meeting at the Rockford Grange on April 19 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.

The meeting will include introductions, an initial membership orientation, question and answer period, and the discussion of future plans and directions. The CGBA is open to anyone interested in beekeeping, current beekeepers — be that the backyard, hobbiest, sideline or commercial — alternative pollinators, or those who are just curious.