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Caitlin Heber's avatar

Caitlin Heber

Deloitte Boston Team

"Here to learn more about the actions I can take to be more sustainable in my daily life!"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 70 THIS WEEK
  • 1,063 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    Carbon Footprint
    Calculated
  • UP TO
    1.0
    energy audit
    conducted
  • UP TO
    65
    pieces of litter
    picked up
  • UP TO
    26
    pounds
    waste composted
  • UP TO
    1.0
    waste audit
    conducted
  • UP TO
    1.0
    water footprint
    calculated
  • UP TO
    3.0
    advocacy actions
    completed
  • UP TO
    1.0
    community event
    hosted or attended
  • UP TO
    120
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    385
    minutes
    spent learning

Caitlin's actions

Action Track: Community

Volunteer in my Community

I will volunteer 2 hours in my community.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Community

Join a Cleanup Effort

I will organize or participate in a trash pickup at a local river, beach, or natural body of water.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Freshwater + Oceans

Share My "Why"

I will record a video to share why I am taking action this Earth Month, a sustainable swap I've made, and/or a local conservation effort in my area.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Biodiversity + Wildlife

Beauty and Personal Products

Beauty and personal products can create a lot of waste. I will spend 30 minutes learning about the beauty and body products I use to see if they are refillable or recyclable. If not, I will reach out to the manufacturer to advocate for those options.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Biodiversity + Wildlife

Endangered Species

Wildlife and biodiversity play an important role on our planet and are being threatened each year. I will spend 30 minutes each day learning about the current status of local or global wildlife and how I can align my actions to support their livelihood.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Biodiversity + Wildlife

Seek Alternative Gifts and Souvenirs

When traveling, I will seek souvenirs that support local communities and do not cause harm to the environment or wildlife.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Biodiversity + Wildlife

Invest in Nature

A healthy world needs both our daily actions and support from larger systems. I will spend 30 minutes learning about how I can use my investments and savings to advance environmental sustainability.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land + Forests

Regenerative Agriculture and Me

Regenerative agriculture focuses on farming and ranching in a way that supports life and restores the soil. I will spend 45 minutes learning about regenerative agriculture and find out if any nearby farms practice regenerative agriculture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land + Forests

Personal Waste Audit

The waste we create daily can go unnoticed. I will track the waste I create in a day and post a photo log on the feed to see how much I create and where I can make different choices to reduce my waste going forward.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Climate + Air

Choose Renewable Energy

Renewable energy options are becoming more widespread and accessible. Not only are they good for the planet, they can help save money as well. I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option. If my utility does not offer one, I will contact them to advocate for this option in the future.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Climate + Air

Calculate My Carbon Impact

Carbon emissions can show up in many surprising ways in our life. I will calculate the carbon emissions associated with my household and consider how lifestyle changes could reduce the carbon footprint and impacts on the environment.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Climate + Air

Online Energy Audit

Energy use and waste is often invisible. I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Freshwater + Oceans

Learn About Water Justice in My Area

I will spend at least 10 minutes a day using the resources provided to learn about water justice and find out how I can get involved in local initiatives.

COMPLETED 9
DAILY ACTIONS

Freshwater + Oceans

Understand My Water Footprint

Each of us has a water footprint, directly linked to our daily activities as well as the water required in the production of things we use each day. Understanding our water use is important for a healthy planet. I will calculate my water footprint and look for a few ways I can reduce consumption or waste, then share what I learned on the feed.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Biodiversity + Wildlife

Learn about Native Species

The world is full of unique species. I will spend 10 minutes each day learning what the native plants and wildlife are in my region.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Biodiversity + Wildlife

Plastic in Clothing and Water

Synthetic clothing can contain plastic and shed harmful microplastics into our water. I will use a microplastics catcher in my laundry, or install a microplastics filter for my washing machine.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Biodiversity + Wildlife

Save the Bees

Bees are vital to ecosystems. To help save the bees, I will learn which local flowers provide nectar and plant them in my backyard or in a pot on my balcony.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Freshwater + Oceans

Cooking Oil Disposal

Pouring cooking oil down the drain can cause damage to waterways and ecosystems. I will learn how to properly dispose of cooking oil to help support healthy ecosystems.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Land + Forests

Keep My Community Clean

At times it may not feel like it's up to us to keep our community clean and healthy, but we all have a role to play. Each day I am outside, I will pick up any litter I see.

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Land + Forests

Explore My Area

When we explore natural spaces around us, our connections with them change. I will spend 30 minutes exploring a new area around my neighborhood, office, or campus (e.g., park, water body, nearby trail, community garden, green space, etc.).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land + Forests

Compost Food Waste

Food in the landfill is one of the main sources of greenhouse gasses. I will avoid sending up to .69 lbs (.31 kg) of food waste to the landfill per day by composting my food.

COMPLETED 26
DAILY ACTIONS

Land + Forests

Zero Waste Day

The impacts of our waste are far reaching. I will create zero waste for an entire day and share my reflections and learnings on the feed.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.

To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land + Forests Zero Waste Day
    What was hard about having a Zero Waste Day? What did you learn about yourself and your habits?

    Caitlin Heber's avatar
    Caitlin Heber 4/26/2024 6:54 AM
    It was really difficult to generate no waste! I chose to do this on a day I was working at home and had the best chance of making no waste happen. Like my day of collecting my trash, it made me realize so much my food items are prepackaged and not local. Otherwise, it was easy to not generate waste when existing in my home.

    Definitely going to look into farm share for more sustainable and healthier ingredients and replace some of my packaged foods.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Climate + Air Online Energy Audit
    Where did you do an energy audit (work, home, school, other) and what did you learn?

    Caitlin Heber's avatar
    Caitlin Heber 4/25/2024 10:20 AM
    We learned that our most inefficient system in our house is heating system (which is surprising because it's a new system our landlord put in place last summer). So, this next winter we're going to
    1. Improve insulation (window sealing, insulative curtains, etc.)
    2. Set the thermostat lower and layer up more, and
    3. Set better smart thermostat settings
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Freshwater + Oceans Understand My Water Footprint
    What did you learn about your water footprint and what are you going to do to reduce and be aware of the water you use?

    Caitlin Heber's avatar
    Caitlin Heber 4/25/2024 10:10 AM
    My household has updated appliances, faucets, and shower heads and the plants in our yard are native (require no watering), so our indoor and outdoor water usage is really low :) Where our water footprint really ticks up is eating meat. This is yet another prompting to cut out meat portions and replace with vegetarian options! Frankly, this ecochallenge has given me a lot of incentive to go vegetarian whenever possible, which I'm excited to try!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Community Join a Cleanup Effort
    How does working with others to clean up your community make you feel? What results did you see? Please consider posting a photo of your cleanup!

    Caitlin Heber's avatar
    Caitlin Heber 4/20/2024 8:58 AM
    Today, 30+ people gathered in the rain to clean up the Neoponset River in Boston! It was awesome to see the before and after of our efforts. Of the trash picked up, the most plentiful were bottles & bottle caps, styrofoam, lighters, straws, shooters, and take out containers; the weirdest were knife handles, a pack of markers, and vape mouth pieces. The experience reminded me that a lot of plastic ends up in waterways, and how important it is to recycle and limit single use plastic.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land + Forests Personal Waste Audit
    What are the results of your waste audit and what did you learn? How can you reduce your waste going forward?

    Caitlin Heber's avatar
    Caitlin Heber 4/17/2024 6:59 PM
    I learned that all the trash I generated today (and I think most days) is food packaging. Going forward, I plan on bringing more compostable bags to the supermarket to wrap fruits/veg in to get them home. Also, some of this trash was from takeout, so I can reduce waste by ordering takeout less/eating at the restaurant I want food. However, I'm at a loss for how decrease my trash from food packaging for snacks/granola bars... would love ideas on this!

    • Jeanne Poirier's avatar
      Jeanne Poirier 4/17/2024 7:51 PM
      So many great recipes on bars, cookies, snacks even vegan! Takes a bit of time, but you KNOW what is in the food and can avoid the litter, waste and palm oil. Thanks for your awareness, sharing and good luck!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land + Forests Explore My Area
    Where did you go for your walk or hike in nature? What were the benefits of doing so?

    Caitlin Heber's avatar
    Caitlin Heber 4/17/2024 7:30 AM
    This past weekend, my partner, my dog, and I went walking around our neighborhood to areas we had never been. We found 3 midsize dog friendly green spaces. It was so lovely to get out of our bubble and very nice to enjoy the start of spring! Definitely felt more refreshed and happier after the adventure :)
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Biodiversity + Wildlife Save the Bees
    What did you plant for bees in your area? Please consider uploading a photo!

    Caitlin Heber's avatar
    Caitlin Heber 4/15/2024 7:22 AM
    Am so appreciative of these resources about the importance of bees! I've gotten four large planters for my backyard, and this weekend am going to my local garden center to fill them up and support the local bees! Also, I'm looking into getting a bee home for somewhere on the property

    Where To Hang A Bee House - Farmers' Almanac - Plan Your Day. Grow Your Life. (farmersalmanac.com)
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Biodiversity + Wildlife Save the Bees
    What did you plant for bees in your area? Please consider uploading a photo!

    Caitlin Heber's avatar
    Caitlin Heber 4/15/2024 7:22 AM
    Am so appreciative of these resources about the importance of bees! I've gotten four large planters for my backyard, and this weekend am going to my local garden center to fill them up and support the local bees! Also, I'm looking into getting a bee home for somewhere on the property

    Where To Hang A Bee House - Farmers' Almanac - Plan Your Day. Grow Your Life. (farmersalmanac.com)

  • Caitlin Heber's avatar
    Caitlin Heber 4/15/2024 7:18 AM
    Wanted to share this awesome story about how garbage disposals came to be - The Monster Under the Sink - 99% Invisible (99percentinvisible.org). This is a friendly reminder to compost and stop using that garbage disposal!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land + Forests Compost Food Waste
    New to composting? Be sure to check out the action resource links to learn tips and more about it. As you transition from throwing food away to composting, what do you notice about how much you are tossing? How will you use your compost once it is ready?

    Caitlin Heber's avatar
    Caitlin Heber 4/15/2024 7:17 AM
    I'm so happy to be composting regularly! In the past two weeks, I've notice that the majority of our household trash is food waste :/ I'm glad to be diverting this from the landfill/incinerator, but I'm also realizing that we've got to do a better job of managing our groceries before they go bad!