Pro Ecclesia, Pro Texana: Environmental Science Department

Faculty in Baylor University’s Environmental Science Department are not only educating the next generation of environmental scientists, they also are cultivating nutritious food, distributing fresh produce in collaboration with key partners across the greater Waco community and characterizing aquatic systems.

“Our faculty, staff and students have chosen environmental science because we understand the importance of stewardship of the broader environment,” said Dr. George Cobb, chair of the Environmental Science Department. “Educating and helping those nearby is a part of this mission here in our department, and the Baylor mission as well, to serve others.”

Through this lens of stewardship, students learn how to care for the earth, themselves and others in a sustainable way.

The Baylor Community Garden

The Baylor Community Garden is a hands-on opportunity to feed the hungry. Every week, students harvest fresh produce for the Baylor Campus Kitchen. These meals are then distributed to members of the Waco community who do not have regular access to fresh, healthy food.

The Garden is about half the size of a city block, with 14 beds and green space for hosting classes and events. The Department uses the space to teach a community gardening class, and the Urban Gardening Coalition holds meetings there as well. Elementary-aged students can take junior master gardening classes, where they learn about healthy eating and gardening.

“The garden serves as a demonstration, not only for our students but also for local schools and urban gardeners to come by,” said Doug Nesmith, lab coordinator for environmental science. “It bridges the gap between us and the community.”

Ground was broken for the Garden in January 2011. Since then, students have contributed through weekly volunteer opportunities and events including MLK Day of Service, Community Garden Days and Line Camp. Baylor students who are involved often develop a sense of community pride and service.

“They’re allowed to feel leadership and take control,” Nesmith said. “They’re actually making decisions on what kinds of things to plant, how much to plant and how it’s going to go into the meals that are cooked in the campus kitchen.”

Last year 1,500 pounds of organic material was harvested from the Garden.

“It’s very rewarding for the students,” Nesmith said. “With their work here in the garden, they’re actually feeding people who wouldn’t have food to eat without the work they’re putting in.”

The Lake Waco Wetlands

Environmental Science also works with The Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research (CRASR), a dynamic partnership between the University and the City. With well over a decade of collaboration, each institution has developed significant water-related expertise and capabilities that are directly improving the lives of Central Texans.

“The students, faculty and staff with environmental science are part of a collaborative group that focuses on aquatic research and education,” said Melissa Mullins, environmental education specialist with CRASR. “We work with local schools on environmental education and field trips.”

From field trips to large-scale environmental experiments, Lake Waco Wetlands is a living laboratory. Baylor students participate in everything from service events — like pulling overgrown cattails — to science projects — answering questions for a class or research project.

“Many times, we think we’re giving back, and the benefit is solely for the community,” Mullins said. “What I see is a huge benefit to our Baylor students who engage in this kind of work. It connects them to the community in a way that they might not have otherwise.”

The partnership with the city of Waco is mutually beneficial. When a Baylor graduate student works on a research project at the Wetlands, Nora Schell assists them with anything the city can provide and makes sure everything is working properly. Schell is the Lake Waco Wetlands Coordinator, and she has been with the site since its inception in 2004.

The University shares equipment including microscopes, zipnets, aquariums and other items that Schell uses with visiting school groups. She sees over 4,000 children each academic year and a few hundred more during the summer for camps.

“We couldn’t have done this on our own,” Schell said. “It’s very unique for the city because if we cannot get something on our own, we know we have help. It’s very helpful that Baylor has our back and can provide so much scientific research.”

USDA Grant

In another flourishing partnership between the University and the City, a recent grant from the United States Department of Agriculture furthered Wacoans’ access to healthy and locally-grown foods. The grant was a joint proposal, and the mainline recipients of the funds were the City of Waco and the McLennan County Public Health District. They provided resources to the Downtown Waco Farmer’s Market, World Hunger Relief, the Urban Gardening Coalition and Baylor University for various aspects of the grant.

The Department of Environmental Science provided 11 student interns to assist vendors at the Downtown Waco Farmer’s Market and the World Hunger Relief Farm. From March 2016 to September 2017, the students logged around 1,800 hours. With student labor funded by the grant, vendors were able to lower prices or expand offerings so more local families could afford wholesome choices. “It was a big success and helped solidify the Downtown Farmer’s Market as an essential place for people to access locally grown and healthy food choices,” Cobb said.

Through this grant, Baylor interns helped promote farm and garden-raised produce in the Waco area and allowed people to have better access to produce available at the Farmer’s Market. For those lacking transportation or access to the Farmer’s Market, interns loaded a portion of the unsold produce from the Farmer’s Market into the Veggie Van, a mobile unit operated by World Hunger Relief. They then took these fruits and vegetables into areas of the city that are considered food deserts.

“Environmental Science is a growing and dynamic department,” Cobb said. “We view all aspects of education as important. We work not only in the classroom, but in the research labs and in the community, trying to improve things in multifaceted ways.”