Samantha Maple
"Treating the planet as I treat my house - as a home."
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 746 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO8.7poundsfood waste prevented
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UP TO1.0Carbon FootprintCalculated
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UP TO1.0energy auditconducted
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UP TO90pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO434gallons of waterhave been saved
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UP TO1.0water footprintcalculated
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UP TO0.0advocacy actionscompleted
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UP TO655minutesspent outdoors
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UP TO156minutesspent learning
Samantha's actions
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.
Freshwater + Oceans
Raise Awareness for the Conservation of Freshwater and Oceans
I will spend 10 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.
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 15 minutes learning about how cleaning products affect our water and try making my own cleaning products to reduce pollutants.
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.
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Leave No Trace
I will respect and protect biotic communities by practicing the seven principles of Leave No Trace whenever I am outside.
Biodiversity + Wildlife
Beauty and Personal Products
Beauty and personal products can create a lot of waste. I will spend 15 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
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.
Climate + Air
Consume only Needs vs Wants
The more stuff we consume, the more greenhouse gasses we put into the atmosphere. I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach this month and only buy things I need.
Climate + Air
Weekly Meal Planning
One third of all food produced worldwide is wasted, and so is the energy it takes to produce and transport that food. I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need and eating what I planned each day.
Climate + Air
Stay on the Ground
Carbon emissions from air travel is harmful to planetary and human health. Instead of traveling by plane, I will find an alternative way to accomplish the goals of an upcoming trip (i.e. telepresence, vacation locally).
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
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.
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.
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 15 minutes learning about regenerative agriculture and find out if any nearby farms practice regenerative agriculture.
Land + Forests
Explore My Area
When we explore natural spaces around us, our connections with them change. I will spend 15 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
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.
Freshwater + Oceans
Smart Seafood Choices
We need to support healthy seafood populations. I will spend 20 minutes learning about sustainable seafood choices, commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean, and share what I learned on the feed.
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.
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.
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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Samantha Maple 4/18/2024 1:20 PMThis last week, my daughter's daycare has been learning about recycling and reusing. I love that she is getting exposure to how to keep the earth a little healthier at a young age!-
Grace Lee 4/18/2024 2:34 PMSustainability education is so important for young kids!
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Samantha Maple 4/16/2024 9:55 AMMeal planning is a way for me to keep sane throughout the week. One of the main ways I work into planning all my meals for B/L/D is planning dinners with purposeful leftovers - this gives me a hearty, waste-less meal for me the next day (WFH for the win!) and i reduce my need to purchase more packaged food (i.e. lunch meats and cheeses). Looking forward to my Kale salad with leftover chicken from last night's dinner! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFreshwater + Oceans Raise Awareness for the Conservation of Freshwater and OceansWhat did you learn about freshwater and oceans you did not already know? In sharing this information with people in your life, which conversation was impactful to you?
Samantha Maple 4/16/2024 9:53 AMI have been doing a lot more thinking of what goes from my home to the freshwater and oceans surrounding me. When making dinner, most everything goes down the drain, but having the idea in mind of where this water goes has me turning more to understanding how to get rid of food and green waste -
Samantha Maple 4/16/2024 9:50 AMAs we are about halfway through April now, I was reflecting on some of the changes this has made for me and my actions. One of the main ones is truly assessing Wants vs Needs. I continue to be a big amazon user (I can't completely quit, there is a warehouse close by so I can get things to me in hours and not have to leave). BUT I am trying to apply the concept of leaving items in my cart for 24 hours before purchasing and this continues to help me (financially!) and the earth. Going to try to keep this implemented long after April!-
Marylene Pascua 4/16/2024 9:57 AMSame here, ordering is so easy since everything is digitalized - we use Lazada, Shopee, Amazon here in the PH. I'm doing the same concept with you, I also leave items in my cart for a week or even months to check if I really needed it and if there are other options/alternatives available. My usual 12 packages in a month was reduced to 4 packages...more to go.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONFreshwater + Oceans Cooking Oil DisposalDid anything about this action surprise you? Do you use more or less oil than you thought?
Samantha Maple 4/15/2024 1:09 PMI have started keeping a well-sealed jar under our sink for oil disposal. What has surprised me is that I haven't put as much in the jar as I thought I would. I think it may be the foods we are cooking are less oily/fatty. Hopefully not a sign of my cooking :)-
Akul Arora 4/15/2024 11:06 PMthat's a great step!
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Samantha Maple 4/15/2024 1:05 PMWe live in a relatively new neighborhood that is still working its way up, but what I find really amazing is how much they are prioritizing green spaces and parks as well as preserving wetlands. I love being able to take my toddler to new parks knowing we have open space to play and its not another spot of construction.-
Akul Arora 4/15/2024 11:07 PMThat's so true green spaces are so important for not just kids but for all ages.
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Samantha Maple 4/11/2024 1:17 PMThis is my favorite time of year for weather, we get some rain, we get some sun, a little bit of all. Perfect to take the time away from the computer to walk outside for a bit. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFreshwater + Oceans Reduce Pollutants in CleaningWhat did you learn about ingredients in our cleaning products and how they impact water and biodiversity? Did you try making your own cleaning products? If so, how did it go?
Samantha Maple 4/10/2024 1:15 PMMore often than not I use baking soda and vinegar to clean my sink/drain. I appreciate knowing that this method that I usually opted for because it's less expensive is also better for the environment. Hoping between this and understanding more and more about disposing of oil NOT down my drain will help keep my kitchen very clean. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONLand + Forests Explore My AreaWhere did you go for your walk or hike in nature? What were the benefits of doing so?
Samantha Maple 4/09/2024 12:44 PMWe found a walking path near our home within walking distance of our house. So we were able to explore without driving anywhere. this got my toddler out and about as well as helped us get in our daily steps -
Samantha Maple 4/08/2024 2:38 PMI have always been an avid online shopper with a mindset of "NBD Amazon does free drop off returns, easy!" but thinking about the environmental impact of this hit me a bit more this month. We are in a transitional season, so finding that balance of clothes I have from last spring/summer to enjoy again while letting myself purchase new items. But trying to keep in mind that just simply dropping off at UPS to return an item has the environmental impact of driving to the UPS store AND then the box/shipping actions to send it back. Not to mention, where does it end up when i return?-
Daisy Knobloch 4/09/2024 3:42 PMLove this reflection! I've noticed in my personal life, when I started reducing the amount of "wants" I purchased, I also found a lot more enjoyment or re-using what I have and peace knowing I won't stress as much about over cluttering my home.
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