Skip to main content

Modal Title

Modal Description

Welcome to Earth Month Ecochallenge 2025: Conservation!

Watch the short video below to learn the basics.
You'll be an Earth Month Ecochallenge 2025: Conservation expert in no time!

Ecochallenge.org
Earth Month Ecochallenge 2025: Conservation
April 1 - April 30, 2025
Evan O'Connell's avatar

Evan O'Connell

MBHS APES 24 - 25

"My mission is to do well on this for APES, and praise LeBron"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 246 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    carbon footprint
    calculated
  • UP TO
    10
    minutes
    being mindful
  • UP TO
    3.0
    single-use bags
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    1.0
    water collection system
    installed
  • UP TO
    1.0
    community event
    hosted or attended
  • UP TO
    7.0
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    20
    minutes
    spent learning

Evan's actions

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

Health and Well-Being

Go Get a Check Up

Regular health check-ups help prevent problems before they start. I will schedule or attend a medical, dental, or mental health check-up to take care of my well-being.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Community and Connection

Check In with a Friend or Colleague

Staying connected strengthens relationships and boosts well-being. Each day, I will reach out to 7 friends or colleagues to check in, have a meaningful conversation, or offer support.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

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

Community and Connection

Host a Gathering

Bringing people together helps strengthen bonds. I will organize and host a gathering, such as a potluck, coffee meet up, or shared meal, for friends, family, colleagues, or neighbors to foster connection and community spirit.

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 1
DAILY ACTION

Community and Connection

Join a Group

Belonging to a group can help build friendships and a sense of purpose. I will explore online or in-person groups or clubs that share my interests or goals and join a group to connect with others.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Wildlife

Learn How to Save the Bees

Bees and other pollinators are vital to ecosystems and agriculture. I will spending 10 minutes learning about local pollinators and why they are so important.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land, Water, and Air

Collect Rain Water

Rainwater collection reduces water waste and supports gardens. I will install a rain barrel or collect rainwater to use for 1 outdoor tasks, such as watering plants or cleaning.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land, Water, and Air

Produce No Waste for a 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 1
DAILY 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
    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?
    Evan O'Connell's avatar
    Evan O'Connell 4/25/2025 3:16 PM
    • Foodie 🍱
    Tourism can harm wildlife through habitat disruption, pollution, and stress on animals, but responsible travel choices—like supporting eco-friendly lodges, avoiding exploitative attractions, and keeping a safe distance from wildlife—can minimize negative impacts. By prioritizing sustainable tourism, I can help protect natural habitats, support conservation efforts, and foster respectful interactions with nature.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Wildlife
    How difficult was this challenge for you? What made it easy or difficult?
    Evan O'Connell's avatar
    Evan O'Connell 4/25/2025 3:14 PM
    • Foodie 🍱
    This was extremely easy. Once you have a re-usable bag there to use, there is absolutely zero point in using a plastic bag.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Wildlife
    How do pollinators impact your daily life, and what changes can you make to ensure they continue to thrive?
    Evan O'Connell's avatar
    Evan O'Connell 4/25/2025 2:52 PM
    • Foodie 🍱
    Pollinators, like bees and butterflies, play a crucial role in producing the fruits, vegetables, and nuts we eat daily, as well as supporting ecosystems that sustain our environment. To help them thrive, you can plant native flowers, reduce pesticide use, and create habitats like bee hotels or undisturbed garden areas.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community and Connection
    What was the most rewarding part of bringing people together for a gathering? Did you experience any challenges in hosting, and if so, how did you overcome them?
    Evan O'Connell's avatar
    Evan O'Connell 4/25/2025 2:35 PM
    • Foodie 🍱
    I host pickleball club for my school every week. The most rewarding part of this is seeing everyone who comes have that much fun playing such a cool sport. I rarely have any challenges hosting, but some of these are the rare person being unhappy about how things are run. I always try to be understanding when this happens, and say I will take their complaints into consideration.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community and Connection
    How did joining a group make you feel more connected or supported? Why do you think belonging to a group is important?
    Evan O'Connell's avatar
    Evan O'Connell 4/25/2025 2:23 PM
    • Foodie 🍱
    Joining a group made me feel more connected with everyone there. It expanded my social network. It is important to join groups to meet new people and expand the variety of people you know.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community and Connection
    How did checking in with someone strengthen your relationship or provide support? How did it feel to reach out and connect?
    Evan O'Connell's avatar
    Evan O'Connell 4/25/2025 2:12 PM
    • Foodie 🍱
    I believe it is important to check in with all my friends at some point in the day. It's important to stay close to good people, because it both makes you feel good, and it just makes your day better.
    Read More
    • Glenda Harrison's avatar
      Glenda Harrison 4/25/2025 2:55 PM
      • TEAM CAPTAIN
      • Earth Advocate 📣
      • 16-DAY STREAK
      I agree! I love those times you call someone out of the blue and find out that they really needed someone to talk to.
      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!
    Evan O'Connell's avatar
    Evan O'Connell 4/25/2025 12:47 PM
    • Foodie 🍱
    I made sure nothing important in the backyard could blow away. Because I live in San Diego, hardly any extreme weather happens. The only exception to this is that every once in a while we get a fairly windy storm that can blow stuff away. It is rare, but it can happen, and I therefore retook precautions to this.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health and Well-Being
    What motivated you to schedule or attend your check-up, and how did it make you feel afterward that you completed this action?
    Evan O'Connell's avatar
    Evan O'Connell 4/25/2025 12:44 PM
    • Foodie 🍱
    I talked to my parents about whether my check-ups were scheduled or not. I figured they were, such as a doctor check up and a dentist one as well. They said there was. I felt reassured after this, because my health is very important to me.
    Read More
  • 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?
    Evan O'Connell's avatar
    Evan O'Connell 4/25/2025 12:38 PM
    • Foodie 🍱
    I felt my thoughts go all over the place. I thought about what I did earlier that day, what I was gonna do later, and the things that are expected of me in my future. My emotions felt very neutral, I did not feel any strong emotion during this period. I found meditating to be fairly easy. I simply thought for 10 minutes.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land, Water, and Air
    How did collecting rainwater influence your understanding of sustainable water use? What tasks or activities could benefit most from rainwater collection in your household?
    Evan O'Connell's avatar
    Evan O'Connell 4/23/2025 2:35 PM
    • Foodie 🍱
    Collecting rainwater really opened my eyes to how important having a sustainable water system is. We can use it to water plants, and all sorts of things around the yard.
    Read More
    • Lisa Brenskelle's avatar
      Lisa Brenskelle 4/23/2025 4:47 PM
      • TEAM CAPTAIN
      • 15-DAY STREAK
      and it's better for your garden than municipal water.
      Read More