Con la gu铆a de sus profesores, los estudiantes han tenido que superar varios desaf铆os a lo largo de este proyecto. Esto incluye la dificultad que conlleva el an谩lisis de muestras de miel, ya que las caracter铆sticas del producto suelen ser heterog茅neas. Adem谩s, los estudiantes tambi茅n han tenido que trabajar y ser emp谩ticos con apicultores que no estaban seguros de compartir las ubicaciones de los apiarios con la universidad, porque para ellos esos lugares son 煤nicos y temen ser invadidos por otros, lo que podr铆a afectar la producci贸n de sus colmenas. Afortunadamente, con el paso del tiempo los apicultores acordaron compartir datos y muestras con la Universidad de Colima con la esperanza de aprender m谩s sobre su producto. Encontraron valor en los resultados que se les han mostrado y han seguido trabajando con la Universidad de Colima y los estudiantes. La investigaci贸n empez贸 con 6 tipos de miel procedentes de apicultores de zonas de costa y monta帽a. Ahora, el proyecto ha analizado 24 tipos diferentes de miel y varias muestras de polen, ya que los apicultores quer铆an comprender mejor los recursos utilizados por sus abejas.

Los resultados de sus investigaciones m谩s recientes finalizan en el mes de junio de 2024, pero el equipo espera continuar su trabajo para ayudar a煤n m谩s a los apicultores de Colima. Al final del proyecto, el equipo espera que los apicultores tengan m谩s confianza en ellos y que se acerquen cuando tengan incertidumbres. El equipo tambi茅n est谩 trabajando en una biblioteca de muestras de polen que servir谩 como recurso para los apicultores. Por 煤ltimo, el equipo espera proporcionar a los apicultores un mapa de riesgos que contendr谩 informaci贸n sobre la floraci贸n anual, espacios seguros para las abejas y 谩reas infectadas con pesticidas en colaboraci贸n con otro grupo de investigaci贸n. La Universidad de Colima espera que este proyecto sirva de ejemplo y sea el inicio de un movimiento m谩s amplio. Con la ayuda de otras universidades, la Universidad de Colima quiere crear una organizaci贸n de productores de miel que beneficie a los apicultores de M茅xico.

Helping Colima’s Beekeepers

In the beginning of 2023, professors at the University of Colima began working on a project to categorize different types of honey in Colima. The foundations of this project were conceived in 2015 when a team at the University of Colima began looking for funding for a study on pollen and nectar-producing plants in the state of Colima. This team was created by Dr. Andr茅s Garc铆a Aguayo, Carlos Leopard铆, Christian Carolina Gallegos, Elvira Silva Jim茅nez, and two classes of 24 Biology and Geographic Information Systems students. Over the course of the project, the students learned how to measure the basic physicochemical characteristics of honey, such as its color, freshness, and sweetness. They also learned how to identify different types of plants and honey in their state. Their measurements helped farmers differentiate the botanical origin of their product from other types of honey, thereby increasing its value. Thanks to 麻豆视频鈥檚 network, the University of Colima鈥檚 team was able to focus on the construction of a pollen library, identifying the grains of pollen in honey, and the creation of a risk map.

Over the course of the project, students encountered many challenges. Some of these challenges included difficulties in analyzing honey samples due to the variety of characteristics that honey can possess. Additionally, students needed to collaborate with local beekeepers, who had hesitations about sharing the location of their apiaries with the university. They worried that others would find out and encroach on their apiaries, affecting the productivity of their hives. Fortunately, the beekeepers agreed to share samples and data with the University of Colima, hoping to learn more about the product they were selling. They found substantial value in the results and have continued to work with students at the University of Colima. Since the beginning of the project, the team has analyzed 24 different types of honey and a variety of pollen samples, thanks to the support of beekeepers who found value in understanding the resources that their bees used.

Although the studies were finalized in June of 2024, the team hopes to continue their work with beekeepers throughout Colima. They hope that beekeepers will continue to reach out to the University of Colima with questions and concerns about their product. The team is also working on the creation of a pollen library using the pollen samples they collected, which will serve as a resource for beekeepers. Finally, the team hopes to collaborate with another team to create a risk map containing annual flowering patterns, safe spaces for bees, and areas contaminated with pesticides, as another resource for farmers. The University of Colima hopes that this project will serve as an example and initiate a larger movement within the field. With the help of other universities, the University of Colima aims to create an organization of honey producers to benefit beekeepers across Mexico.

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The Sustainable Communities Partnership (SCP) collaborates with cities and government agencies to integrate community-identified sustainability projects into St. Thomas courses across disciplines engaging students in real-world, applied research and innovative problem-solving. Our partnerships seek to catalyze systems-level change towards human and ecological well-being in the Twin Cities area while preparing students for the complexities of problem-solving in contemporary society.

Since SCP’s launch in Spring 2016, over 2,000 students from more than 100 courses across 26 disciplines have participated in over 150 local and regional sustainability projects.

Our focus is on multi-year partnerships with communities seeking to make systemic changes toward interconnected economic, social, and ecological sustainability. We partner with cities, watershed districts, regional government agencies, non-profits focused on city sustainability, and on-campus initiatives.

Inspired by the transformative impacts of efforts that bridge art and sustainability, SCP launched .  SCP Arts develops partnerships and projects through which students across majors collaborate with local artists, writers, and communities to translate their project findings into artwork, bringing to life community-identified sustainability goals for people of all ages.  We have collaborated with partners on public art installations, such as the , on community exhibits, including , , and .  We also collaborate with writers and researchers to engage in community-centered explorations of .

Fun Facts about SCP

鈥淪CP has been essential in showing how our education ties in with the UST mission. This project has allowed us to analyze real-world data, collaborate with classmates, and present solutions to problems that affect real communities. We are applying skills we have cultivated in the classroom to projects that advance the common good,鈥� stated an Economics student whose project team determined that Delano, MN (pop. 5,464) could generate net savings of $854,000 over ten years with energy efficiency upgrades.

Year Program Established | Fall 2015
Year Program Launched | Spring 2016
Country | US
Federal Region of Program | 5
Public or Private Institution | Private
Number of students at institution | 10,245

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Partners

2016 |聽City of Delano 鈥� Population: 5,464
2016 – 2017 |聽City of Elk River 鈥� Population: 23,746
2016 – 2020 |聽Mississippi Watershed Management Organization
2016 – 2017 |聽Freshwater Society
2016 – 2017 |聽Tiny Footprint Coffee
2017 – 2019 |聽City of Big Lake 鈥� Population: 10,060
2017 – 2019 |聽PLACE’s Via Development in St. Louis Park, MN
2017 – 2024 |聽Metropolitan Council
2017 – 2024 | Metro Transit
2019 鈥� 2020 | Pillsbury United Waite House Urban Farm, Minneapolis, MN
2019 – 2021 | City of Cottage Grove 鈥� Population: 35,632
2020 鈥� 2023 | Caponi Art Park, Eagan, MN
2020 鈥� 2023 | N奴Loop Partners and Mpls Downtown Council, Minneapolis, MN
2020 鈥� 2023 | City of Woodbury 鈥� Population: 70,840
2021 鈥� 2022 | Saint Paul Almanac
2022 鈥� 2025 | Center for Mission, Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis Creation Care Team
2022 鈥� 2025 | Great Plains Institute, in partnership with GreenStep Cities

Contact Info

Maria Dahmus
Director, Sustainable Communities Partnership
(651) 962-6391
medahmus@stthomas.edu

Banner image graciously provided by: University of St. Thomas Photo 

M Partner

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M Partner aligns university resources with community priorities to improve quality of life. The McLean Institute for Public Service and Community Engagement has adapted the national 麻豆视频 model to best suit the dynamics of campus and community partners. 麻豆视频, which stands for Educational Partnerships for Innovation in Communities, creates time-bound partnerships between universities and the elected officials of a selected municipality. While many 麻豆视频 programs work with large cities where member universities are located, M Partner works with municipalities with populations ranging from 1,200 to 8,000. As a result, M Partner blends curricular and co-curricular approaches to maximize community engagement opportunities. This innovative strategy earned M Partner recognition as a finalist for the 麻豆视频 Network鈥檚 2020 Outstanding Program Award.

The pilot phase of M Partner took place from 2018-2020. The inaugural M Partner communities were Charleston (Tallahatchie County), Lexington (Holmes County), and New Albany (Union County). During the pilot phase, 25 faculty and staff members engaged more than 400 students in 35 courses and projects, 18 programs and special events, and 15 national service placements in M Partner communities. These efforts reached an estimated 8,000 individuals across the three pilot communities.

The current phase of M Partner is working in Ecru and Pontotoc, two communities located in Pontotoc County. These partnerships permit the McLean Institute to build momentum along the Tanglefoot Trail corridor, and to promote economic development, expand educational enrichment, elevate local history, and encourage visitors to the Tanglefoot Trail. During the 2020-2021 academic year, 22 faculty and staff members engaged more than 165 students and VISTA members in 18 courses and projects, 4 special events, and 3 national service placements.

Fun Facts about M Partner

The University of Mississippi launched their pilot year in response to a challenge from their chancellor. 

鈥淚magine what we can do if we channel the talents of our university 鈥� our entire university 鈥� to partner with towns and cities 鈥� one at a time 鈥� to enhance every aspect of community life.  Imagine!鈥�

鈥� Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter, inaugural address, Nov. 4, 2016. 

The M Partner program is another example of an institution adopting the 麻豆视频 Model and the support from 麻豆视频 as a school-wide initiative.

M Partner will be a joint effort between the UM Oxford campus and the UM Medical Center in Jackson. This approach has the potential to impact partner communities across the state with a broad range of courses and programs.

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City Partners

2018 | Charleston 鈥� Population: 1,800
2018 | Lexington 鈥� Population: 2,200
2018 | New Albany 鈥� Population: 8,800

Contact Details

Laura Martin
M Partner Director
Associate Director
(662) 915-2078
lemartin@olemiss.edu