Why buy something I will only use once or a few times if someone nearby has it for me to borrow, and why not share something I have that someone may only need a few times a year? To reduce my consumption and waste, I will create or support the sharing economy with friends, family, colleagues or neighbors.
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 10 minutes each day learning about the current status of local or global wildlife and how I can align my actions to support their livelihood.
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 minutes learning about regenerative agriculture and find out if any nearby farms practice regenerative agriculture.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Freshwater + Oceans
Reduce Pollutants in Cleaning
Understanding cleaning product ingredients and their effect on water and biodiversity is helpful to our consumer choices. I will spend 20 minutes learning about how cleaning products affect our water and try making my own cleaning products to reduce pollutants.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
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
Freshwater + Oceans
Raise Awareness for the Conservation of Freshwater and Oceans
I will spend 90 minutes learning more about the importance of freshwater + ocean conservation, and how I can reduce my water use. I will share what I learn with people in person, on social media, and on the feed.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Volunteer in my Community
I will volunteer 8 hours in my community.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Freshwater + Oceans
Smart Seafood Choices
We need to support healthy seafood populations. I will spend 30 minutes learning about sustainable seafood choices, commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean, and share what I learned on the feed.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Freshwater + Oceans
Low Water Gardening
Grass lawns are water-intensive and on average require about 30 percent of a household’s water consumption. Native plants are water-efficient and help maintain the balance and diversity of local ecosystems. I will plant native species with water-efficient plants to conserve water and improve the habitat, then post a photo on the feed to share.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
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
Land + Forests
Advocate for Forest Protection
Using my voice can help create a more sustainable and just world. I will contact 2 local, regional, or national decision makers to advocate for public policy that protects forests and improves their ability to sequester carbon and nourish biodiversity.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Land + Forests
30 for 30 in Nature
Studies have shown that when we spend consistent time in nature, our health improves, our creativity increases, and our connection to the planet gets stronger. Each day of the Ecochallenge, I will spend 30 minutes outside (in a large or small patch of nature), then share my observations, reflections, and learnings on the feed.
COMPLETED 29
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 28
DAILY ACTIONS
Climate + Air
Use Muscle Power
I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips, and I will only use muscle-powered transportation for all other trips.
COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Learn about Native Species
The world is full of unique species. I will spend 15 minutes each day learning what the native plants and wildlife are in my region.
COMPLETED 28
DAILY ACTIONS
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Reduce Animal Products
One kilogram of beef and cheese emits 71kg and 24kg of greenhouse gasses, while 1kg of rice, grains, and legumes emits between 2-4kg. Fruits, vegetables, and nuts emit less than 1kg per 1kg. I will reduce my climate impact by enjoying 1 meatless meals and/or 1 vegan meals each day this week.
COMPLETED 26
DAILY ACTIONS
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?
My housemate and I did a trash cleanup this morning, along a road adjacent to a large city retention pond/park/wildlife area. I also found the parts of a small metal table that were hiding in the grass. As we’re trying to introduce more seating and reflection spots among the backyard native garden, this table will serve as a side table for a seat - it simply needs some hardware to put it back together. Reuse instead of buy new.
Selected as the official bird of Houston, the yellow crowned night heron is an interesting water bird. Even though a coastal bird, living on crawfish and other crustaceans, they can live inland and nest in neighborhoods close to water bodies. While exploring the Willow Waterhole Conservancy this morning, I saw a juvenile perched on a phone/power line a few dozen yards from one of the lakes. I do hear them calling from my yard, which is a couple hundred yards from the closest of the Conservancy’s lakes.
My housemate and I went to the furthest part of our local water retention basin/city park and nature area. (See the attached photo.) We collected a large amount of trash and explored a portion of Willow Waterhole not previously explored. It was a lovely day, with a slight breeze, sunny skies, and copious birdsong (we saw, for example, a juvenile yellow crowned night heron).
We both benefitted from the exercise, and helped to clear a street adjacent to one of the lakes where workers are installing impermeable pathways, making the lake more accessible to someone like me. Not long ago, a species survey of the marsh area revealed three endangered-highly endangered plant species. I look forward to this lake pathways and overlook being opened to the public.
I started my morning by falling off the second step of a step ladder used to feed one of ferals on the roof (she is being bullied by the other ferals). Fortunately, I was able to prevent my head from banging the ground, and did not break anything.
Shortly behind, followed a 30 minute chase of a female feral cat around the house, under the furniture and other objects. My housemate feels she is domesticated, but only for her and only when her routine is not obstructed. The objective was for my housemate to take her and another feral (who truly is domesticated) for a low-cost clinic that chips and innocalates them.
I have both balance and painful mobility issues, so this process really took it out of me. I have treated my scratches. I will be medicating and resting the rest of today.
The things we do for cats! And for other animals. I like to think it's worth it. I know ferals help keep predators away and keep other strays from moving into the neighborhood, so they give something back.
I spent a couple hours in the garden today, doing the customary daily watering of potted and newly planted plants. I also did some trimming, and started some rooted clippings.
As I was working, I noticed this little wanderer lost among the frogfruit groundcover (which they do not eat), but in the general vicinity of three newly acquired 1 gallon pots of Zizotes milkweed (which they do eat and which is native to my area).
I clipped the frond of groundcover to which it was clinging and gave it a boost into one of the milkweed pots. The milkweed will be planted, with care, tomorrow.
Two observations about advocating for forest protections:
1) it is discouraging to live in Texas, USA, where so many of our federal and state representatives are very right wing & pro-business to the exclusion of environmental and social justice issues. I contacted my city council representative, who has demonstrated a real interest in social justice, and has been a major supporter of improving the large water detention/city park that is very near by. I also contacted the county “judge” (in Texas, this is not a judicial office, but the chief county executive).
2) the importance of forests is clear, both as a social justice issue and supporting a massive amount of the land-based species diversity. Trees do serve as major carbon “sinks” — but so, too, do native grasses and forbs (flowering plants). Unlike trees, which release the bulk of that carbon in the face of fire, prairies and meadows are populated with plants with the greater percentage of their carbon storage underground. In their roots. I am most aware of this being of importance in my area. Houston is at the edge of the Piney Woods ecosystem, located instead on the eastern edge of the great grass prairies that occupied our continent before the introduction of ranching, farming and urbanization.
Both forests and native prairies need protection and restoration.
Higher standards of living are very often dependent on moving our environmental costs elsewhere. What are some specific ways in which the environmental impacts of your own lifestyle might be shifted elsewhere?
Much of the environmental impacts of my life are shifted elsewhere: the air pollution from my gas vehicle, the pollution generated in producing and transporting, durable goods & foods, the pollution of generating & transporting energy for my house and car.
I limit purchases to the truly needed, try to grow at least some of the vegetables we eat, and limit energy use as possible.
Although I was unable to spend my “birding hour” this morning (due to pet medical needs), I spent some time outside later in the day: sweeping leaves and dirt from the driveway, removing some invasive, non-native plants from the gardens, planting native plants in their place, starting some native ground cover rootlings.
