Delta receives grant for ‘Living Lab’ project

BY ARIANNA JUÁREZ Editor-in-Chief

The event will include food and music. Graduates who register will be given certificates and rainbow stoles to be worn at the May 18 graduation ceremony at Stockton Arena.

Delta College has been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to conduct campus-based research on native bee populations.

The project’s goal is to identify these unique bee species found on Delta’s campus and compare them to other bee species found nearby. With this knowledge, Ustach and his interns will be able to create more inviting habitable conditions on campus for these native species.

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Pride Center Student Program Specialist Jasmin Arroyo thinks it is important for this event to be celebrated because it allows students to be themselves in their ceremony.

“I know some schools, high schools or colleges have gowns separate by gender but with the lavender graduation coming as they are lesbian, gay, bisexual invite their LGBTQ partners or parents it allows students to be themselves in their ceremony,” said Arroyo.

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Biology professor Dr. Paul Ustach will lead the lab project with the help of two student interns.

“Research is a great opportunity for students to immerse themselves in science,” says Dr. Ustach.

Ustach and his student interns are tasked with identifying existing bee species on campus. Instead of tracking the more widespread domestic honey bee, this project aims to gather data on other native bees in the area.

While domestic honey bees primarily pollinate the many food crops found in the San Joaquin Valley, native bees play a more significant role in the region’s greater biodiversity. According to Ustach, local native bees pollinate local plant life instead of the highly cultivated crops pollinated by standard honey bees.

“This project sets the foundation for transforming urban landscapes into suitable habitats, increasing chances for a more stable and diverse ecosystem,” said Ustach.

The project will be conducted until the end of summer and will be presented in “research seminar format.”

Other community colleges throughout the state of California will also be participating in this research and presenting their findings. According to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), wild bee populations have been steadily declining since 1990. The GBFI says that this decline in native bee populations poses threats to the stability of the ecosystem.

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