Definitely going to look into farm share for more sustainable and healthier ingredients and replace some of my packaged foods.
Caitlin Heber
"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
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UP TO1.0Carbon FootprintCalculated
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UP TO1.0energy auditconducted
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UP TO65pieces of litterpicked up
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UP TO26poundswaste composted
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UP TO1.0waste auditconducted
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UP TO1.0water footprintcalculated
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UP TO3.0advocacy actionscompleted
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UP TO1.0community eventhosted or attended
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UP TO120minutesspent outdoors
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UP TO385minutesspent learning
Caitlin's actions
Action Track: Community
Volunteer in my Community
I will volunteer 2 hours in my community.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.).
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.
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.
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?
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REFLECTION QUESTIONLand + Forests Zero Waste DayWhat was hard about having a Zero Waste Day? What did you learn about yourself and your habits?
Caitlin Heber 4/26/2024 6:54 AMIt 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.-
Laura Mediavilla Redondo 4/26/2024 7:28 AMAgreed, I had a hard time with the no waste day. -
Ally Angel Aucena 4/26/2024 6:58 AMIt is hard but lets make it a habit at least once a month as One Zero Waste day is a huge step for our environment.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONClimate + Air Online Energy AuditWhere did you do an energy audit (work, home, school, other) and what did you learn?
Caitlin Heber 4/25/2024 10:20 AMWe 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- Improve insulation (window sealing, insulative curtains, etc.)
- Set the thermostat lower and layer up more, and
- Set better smart thermostat settings
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REFLECTION QUESTIONFreshwater + Oceans Understand My Water FootprintWhat 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 4/25/2024 10:10 AMMy 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 QUESTIONAction Track: Community Join a Cleanup EffortHow 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 4/20/2024 8:58 AMToday, 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 QUESTIONLand + Forests Personal Waste AuditWhat are the results of your waste audit and what did you learn? How can you reduce your waste going forward?
Caitlin Heber 4/17/2024 6:59 PMI 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!
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Jeanne Poirier 4/17/2024 7:51 PMSo 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!
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REFLECTION QUESTIONLand + Forests Explore My AreaWhere did you go for your walk or hike in nature? What were the benefits of doing so?
Caitlin Heber 4/17/2024 7:30 AMThis 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 :)-
Ariel Manalo 4/17/2024 7:33 AMCute!!! 😍 -
Caitlin Heber 4/17/2024 7:30 AMForgot to mention, this is Maple, my dog, on our way home!
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REFLECTION QUESTIONBiodiversity + Wildlife Save the BeesWhat did you plant for bees in your area? Please consider uploading a photo!
Caitlin Heber 4/15/2024 7:22 AMAm 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 QUESTIONBiodiversity + Wildlife Save the BeesWhat did you plant for bees in your area? Please consider uploading a photo!
Caitlin Heber 4/15/2024 7:22 AMAm 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 4/15/2024 7:18 AMWanted 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 QUESTIONLand + Forests Compost Food WasteNew 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 4/15/2024 7:17 AMI'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!