Ecochallenge.org

Earth Month Ecochallenge 2025: Conservation

April 1 - April 30, 2025

Isabella Alcocer

MBHS APES 24 - 25

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
221 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

carbon footprint

calculated
UP TO

15

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

6.0

single-use bags

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

20

gallons of water

saved
UP TO

2.0

products

replaced with sustainable alternatives
UP TO

2.0

neighbors

met
UP TO

3.0

hours

volunteered
UP TO

1.0

community event

hosted or attended
UP TO

2.0

new places

explored
UP TO

35

minutes

spent learning

Isabella's actions

Health and Well-Being

Meditate

Meditation helps build resilience and clarity. I will spend 10 minutes each day to meditate or create a moment of silence each day to reflect on things important to me.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Land, Water, and Air

Calculate My Carbon Impact

Knowing our carbon footprint is the first step to reducing it. I will calculate my carbon impact and identify lifestyle changes that could reduce the carbon footprint and impacts on the environment. I will share my commitments to lowering my impact on the feed.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Well-Being

Prepare for Extreme Weather

Extreme weather events like hurricanes, wildfires, and floods can disrupt lives and upend our communities. I will take proactive steps to prepare for extreme weather by safeguarding my home and creating or updating an emergency plan and kit with essential supplies, evacuation routes, and contact information.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community and Connection

Explore My Area

Discovering what’s nearby fosters a deeper connection to my community. I will explore 3 new places in my area, such as parks, historical sites, or local businesses.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Well-Being

Replace a Product

Small changes can make a big difference for health and sustainability. Using what I learned from auditing ingredients in the products I use, I will replace 3 toxic or harmful products I use with safer, eco-friendly alternatives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land, Water, and Air

Join a Cleanup Effort

Working together to clean up public spaces helps the environment and builds community. I will participate in 1 community cleanup efforts in my neighborhood or local area.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land, Water, and Air

Take Shorter Showers

Conserving water helps protect this precious resource. I will shorten my showers to 5 minutes to save water and reduce energy use - each time saving up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water!

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Community and Connection

Offer a Skill or Service

Sharing our talents can benefit those around us. I will offer my skills or services to support my community, such as helping someone with a task, tutoring, repairing something, or volunteering my expertise.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community and Connection

Meet My Neighbors

Strong neighborhoods are built on connection and trust. I will introduce myself to 2 neighbors or spend time getting to know people in my community.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Wildlife

Learn the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace

Leave No Trace means enjoying nature responsibly by minimizing our impact and leaving the environment as we found it, or better. I will spend 14 minutes learning about the seven core principles to minimize my impact while enjoying the outdoors.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Wildlife

Use Reusable Bags

Plastic bags do not always end up in landfills and if they aren't properly disposed of. In nature, they can be mistaken for food by many wild animals and harm wildlife. When I go shopping, I will be sure to bring my own bags to reduce waste and the chance that plastic bags could find their way into wildlife habitats.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Wildlife

Learn to be a Responsible Tourist

Being a responsible tourist means not disturbing wildlife and choosing eco-friendly tour operators and destinations that prioritize wildlife conservation and respect animal welfare. I will spend 10 minutes researching ways to travel responsibly to ensure my adventures support, rather than harm, wildlife and their habitats.

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
Community and Connection

What skill or service did you offer, and how did it impact someone in your community? How did sharing your expertise or time help you feel more connected to others?
Isabella Alcocer 4/29/2025 10:57 PM
I live in a neighborhood with little kids ranging from 0-10 years old and I had my neighbors reach out to me the other day requesting that I help their kids with math and babysit them because they needed a sitter and they had a "work emergency". I ended up tutoring both of the kids in math. I feel like being able the share my "expertise" really helped me connect with them more because I got to know how their brains worked and got a little insight to their thought processes.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community and Connection

What new places or experiences did you discover in your local area? How has exploring your community changed your perspective or sense of connection?
Isabella Alcocer 4/29/2025 10:50 PM
I discovered the poetry/dream tree. There is a tree near my community where a family had set up a station with note cards, markers and clips and people would come share their poetry or write down their hopes and dreams for the future. Exploring the community more and finding treasures like this really did change my perspective because this is a community where people are trying to interact and reach out to others.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Community and Connection

What did you learn about your neighbors or community through this action? How can building connections with your neighbors improve your community?
Isabella Alcocer 4/29/2025 10:45 PM
I talked to my next door neighbor, Heather and her husband John. I learned about their lives before coming to San Diego and they told me the story of how they met. I think this challenge really helps build communities by bringing more people together and teaches us that building connections and relationships is important.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land, Water, and Air

What was the most unexpected piece of trash that was picked up during your local cleanup effort? How does working with others to clean up your community make you feel?
Isabella Alcocer 4/29/2025 10:32 PM
During the local cleanup effort, my friend and I found this huge metal bar that looked like it acted as the top of a sliding mirror or door frame just laying in the canyon. The experience of this community cleanup was actually pretty cool. Everyone was working together to create a cleaner and healthier environment for everyone.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land, Water, and Air

Where in your life do you emit the most carbon? What change are you willing to make in your daily life to reduce this output?
Isabella Alcocer 4/29/2025 10:20 PM
I emit the most carbon through transportation and vehicle emissions because we drive a lot. To reduce this output, I'm going to start walking to places nearby instead of getting driven.

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- VISHAL VERMA 4/29/2025 10:27 PM
  
  Exercise Lover 🤸
  
  17-DAY STREAK
  Kudos for taking this action!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land, Water, and Air

How did shortening your showers affect your awareness of water conservation? What other water-saving practices can you adopt in your daily routine?
Isabella Alcocer 4/29/2025 10:15 PM
Shortening my showers made me more aware of how much water I'm actually using versus how much I'm wasting. To save more water aside from taking shorter showers, I could turn off the faucet when I'm brushing my teeth and not actively using it and also conserve water better while washing the dishes.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health and Well-Being

What did you do to prepare for extreme weather events? Share any tips or resources you found helpful in the feed!
Isabella Alcocer 4/29/2025 10:02 PM
To prepare for extreme weather events, I made individual emergency supply kits for my family containing food, water, flashlights, first aid kits, fully charged portable chargers, and a whistle.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health and Well-Being

What product did you replace, and why was it important to you? How do you feel about making a small change for a healthier, more sustainable home?
Isabella Alcocer 4/29/2025 9:55 PM
I replaced my deodorant and my toothpaste brands to nontoxic alternatives. This was important because I learned that things I was using everyday contain harmful toxins that can impact you in the long run. I definitely feel a lot better knowing that I'm now using safer and more sustainable products.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health and Well-Being

What did you notice about your thoughts or emotions during or after meditation? Did you find it easy or challenging to meditate?
Isabella Alcocer 4/29/2025 9:41 PM
At first, I found it pretty difficult to just sit in silence with my thoughts but after the first few times it got easier and I was able to almost clear my mind of any thoughts or feelings.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Wildlife

What did you learn about how tourism impacts wildlife, and how can you make more conscious choices when planning a trip? How do you think your travel decisions can contribute to wildlife conservation and respectful interactions with nature?
Isabella Alcocer 4/29/2025 9:18 PM
I learned that tourism can disrupt habitats and introduce invasive spaces. Our travel decisions do impact and contribute to wildlife conservation and interactions between nature. If we chose to support sustainable businesses, opt for eco-friendly tours that prioritize wildlife conservation.

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