KALAMAZOO, MI -- Despite the continuous decrease in the honeybee population, beekeeping in the Kalamazoo-area continues to grow in popularity with Kalamazoo Valley Community College's Beekeeping 101 course.

The class is open to all levels of beekeepers, seeing students ranging from having never-before interacted with the insect to experienced beekeepers wanting to further their education.

Rachel Bair, KVCC's director of sustainable and innovative food systems, said the class reached its maximum capacity of 30 people in one week.

Beekeeping 101 is a hands-on course, allowing students to interact with five honeybee colonies in an apiary at KVCC's new Food Innovation Center.

After spending about 30 minutes to a full hour in the apiary, students return inside for classroom instruction where they learn about bee biology, start-up hive management techniques and more.

Despite the activity's growing popularity in the area, the honeybee population continues to die off. According to Hubbard, U.S. losses in 2015 were near 40 percent. One week ago, the Associated Press reported that seven new bee species, native to Hawaii, were added to the endangered species list.

"Most of the things we enjoy eating need to be pollinated," Hubbard said.

Hubbard attributes these losses to different environmental factors including things like chemical castration of the highways, lawn chemicals, pesticides and more.

The class is taught by four different instructors -- Sheldon Schwitek, Lawrence John Connor, PhD, Charlotte Hubbard and Shaana Way. The course began on Sept. 6 and ends on Oct. 25.

The class came as a collaborative effort with the Kalamazoo Bee Club. Bair said the club approached KVCC about partnering to install the on-site apiary as part of the urban farm at the Food Innovation Center.

Schwitek, president of the club, said that Kalamazoo has one of the largest in the state.

"The beekeeping class grew out of a mutual interest in offering practical, hands-on classes to the community," Bair said.

Professors hope this class provides the opportunity to learn about beekeeping before getting involved because it is "far more complicated than getting a dog or cat," Schwitek said.

While the course wraps up at the end of the month, those interested in becoming a beekeeper can get involved through the Kalamazoo Bee Club or according to Bair, take part in future classes at KVCC.