The Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment, or RISE, is an interdisciplinary living-learning community housed at Bailey Hall, where students can learn about and immerse themselves in sustainable lifestyles through a variety of academic and co-curricular experiences. Dr. Laurie Thorp directs the program, which began in 1995, and continues to welcome students of all majors into RISE to engage in and advocate for sustainable practices in the MSU community and beyond.

As important as it is for students to learn about sustainability through the RISE program, spreading knowledge about the environment and sustainable practices is also at the core of the community. One way this occurs is through RISE-sponsored student-led teams. These teams span a multitude of environmental topics and sustainability issues. From sustainable cooking demonstrations held in the kitchens of Bailey Hall, to educating K-5 youth in the greater Lansing area, these RISE teams are constantly advocating for the environment and inspiring individuals to live more sustainable lifestyles.

During the 2018-2019 academic year, one RISE team, the MSU Bailey Bee team, was especially involved in environmental advocacy. Located on the second floor of Bailey Hall are two bee colonies that overlook the Bailey Greenhouse and are cared for by the Bailey Bee Team. To spread awareness about bee decline—a major issue plaguing crop production—three RISE students, Oliver Autrey, Michal Babinski, and Anna Jullie, attended the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGIU) meeting in October of 2017 to speak about the negative impacts affecting pollinators. As a result of their successful pitches, the students were awarded funds to continue efforts toward protecting and advocating for bees and other pollinators.

Recognizing a need to spread awareness of pollinators beyond Bailey Hall on campus, the Bailey Bee Team began working with Infrastructure, Planning, and Facilities to create the first recognized pollinator garden on MSU’s campus, using funds awarded from the CGIU meeting and matching funds from MSU. In October 2018, the garden was fully implemented and unveiled in front of Wells Hall. Bailey Bee Team members distributed seed packets and spread knowledge about the importance of pollinators to students that passed by the garden that day. Additionally, beyond MSU students, the Bailey Bee Team has educated elementary students in greater Lansing schools and continues to spread awareness about bees through the sale of the Bailey bees’ honey through Land Grant Goods—a student-run start-up focused on selling products sourced from sustainable agricultural practices.

Although the Bailey Bee Team made history in October of 2018 by implementing the first recognized pollinator garden on campus and educating students and local community members about pollinators, other RISE teams and initiatives have long been engaging with communities to spread knowledge on sustainable, environmental practices. The bees are only one part of a complex system, and the Bailey Bee Team is one part in a larger team of RISE students, faculty, and staff working towards a better, more sustainable future.

For more information about the RISE program and other RISE-sponsored teams, visit rise.natsci.msu.edu