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Anika Rajesh's avatar

Anika Rajesh

NCMNS-Green Team

"I want to learn more about my water and waste footprints and take active steps to reduce them by creating a manageable action plan over the next month."

Anika's points

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,457 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    5.9
    pounds
    waste composted
  • UP TO
    1.0
    water footprint
    calculated
  • UP TO
    47
    random acts of kindness
    completed
  • UP TO
    22
    expressions of gratitude
    shared
  • UP TO
    1.0
    idea or resource
    shared
  • UP TO
    20
    hours
    volunteered
  • UP TO
    1.0
    community event
    hosted or attended
  • UP TO
    76
    species
    logged for community science
  • UP TO
    15
    minutes
    spent learning

Anika's actions

Take the Pre-Survey

Take the Pre-Event Survey

I’ll take a short pre-survey to share what motivated me to join — and earn 15 points! (If I already took the survey by email, I’ll just mark this action complete to get my points.)

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Save Water When Washing Dishes

Dishwashers can save water — if used wisely. I will only run the dishwasher when it’s full and skip the pre-rinse to reduce water and energy use. If I don't have a dishwasher, I will turn off the tap as often as possible while washing dishes.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Create My Own Water Action

Everyone’s water needs and use are different. I will create an action that works for my life and supports water resilience—and make my commitment public by sharing it in the feed to inspire others.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

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

Community

Express Gratitude and Random Acts of Kindness

Small acts of kindness and gratitude can brighten someone's day and create a positive ripple effect. I will express gratitude to 3 people or perform 3 random acts of kindness to spread joy and connection.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

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

Community

Offer a Skill or Service

Sharing our talents can benefit those around us. I will offer my skills or services that contribute to local self-sufficiency, such as teaching a repair skill or helping with a neighbor's garden.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Soil and Food

Learn How to Save Pollinators

Bees and other pollinators are vital to ecosystems and agriculture. I will spend 15 minutes learning how to support local pollinators and take at least one action—such as planting native flowers or avoiding pesticides—to help sustain resilient ecosystems and harvests.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track

Host a Cleanup Event with Colleagues

Shared projects at work strengthen teams and build organizational resilience. I will host or join 1 cleanup events with colleagues, classmates, or group members to improve our environment and strengthen collaboration.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Biodiversity and Wildlife

Contribute to Community Science

Wildlife observations can help researchers and communities understand and protect biodiversity. I will download a wildlife monitoring app and log 1 animal or plant species I discover.

COMPLETED 16
DAILY ACTIONS

What is resilience?

Share a Resilience Story

Stories connect and inspire us. I will share 1 resilience stories—either from my life, my community, or from a leader or culture I admire—through conversations, social media, or the event feed to help others see resilience in action.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Soil and Food

Preserve or Store Food

Preserving food through freezing, drying, or fermenting helps food last longer, reduces waste, and ensures supplies during difficult times. I will preserve or store food during the challenge to strengthen household and community resilience.

COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS

Soil and Food

Compost My Food Waste

Composting turns waste into a resource, building soil health and cutting methane emissions from landfills. I will compost food scraps at home, school, or in my community, which avoids sending up to 0.42 lbs (0.19 kg) of food waste to the landfill per day.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed


  • Anika Rajesh's avatar
    Anika Rajesh 4/30/2026 9:02 AM
    Wow, I cannot believe that we're already at the end of April! Through people's posts on the feed and through the various ecochallenge tasks, I have learned so much. I have found out how to contribute to community science, how to protect pollinators, how to compost, and ultimately, how to give back to my community and the environment.

    As someone who has participated in the Ecochallenge for a few years now, I want to end this post by reminding everyone that we are not at the finish line but at the stepping stone into environmental stewardship. This month gave us all the opportunity to reflect on our practices and identify ways to make them more eco-friendly, and now is the time to further those goals for the rest of the year until these practices become second nature.

    I will leave you all with this picture of a Gray Catbird I saw this morning. This one was particularly eager to say hello today :)


    • Nancy Locquet Absillis's avatar
      Nancy Locquet Absillis 4/30/2026 5:17 PM
      • TEAM CAPTAIN
      • Tree Lover 🌲
      I totally agree, Anika! I really enjoyed reading everyone's posts on the feed, and have learned a few new things through the links attached to the ecochallenge tasks. To be honest, I feel like I could have done more. My goal is to pick a few challenges to focus on and keep at them until they become second nature.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Water
    What personal action did you create, and why does it matter to you?

    Anika Rajesh's avatar
    Anika Rajesh 4/30/2026 8:46 AM
    My water action this month was to replace my sprinklers. My family noticed many holes in the sprinkler system and broken sprinkler heads, causing water to gush onto the pavement and driveway. This was an immense waste of water, and it also did not serve the grass and plants in our garden. This month, we replaced the sprinklers with more durable sprinkler heads. We also adjusted the heads so they would more directly face the areas that needed watering, reducing water wastage as much as possible.

    A major thing I learned from this process is that we often feel less inclined to conduct these types of repairs if we do not know who to talk to about them. That is why my mom has started compiling a list of people in the local community who are experts in various types of house repair so that neighbors do not feel stressed or confused about who to call for help. This helps our community become more resilient and also supports local businesses.

    • Nancy Locquet Absillis's avatar
      Nancy Locquet Absillis 4/30/2026 5:19 PM
      • TEAM CAPTAIN
      • Tree Lover 🌲
      That's awesome, Anika! Having a list of local experts to repair a variety of house repairs is such a good idea! I might reach out to you one day.

  • Anika Rajesh's avatar
    Anika Rajesh 4/28/2026 1:50 PM
    Today, I logged 11 bird species! I also saw a green tree frog by my window last night:

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    What is resilience?
    What story did you share, and how did it feel to share it? Did telling or hearing resilience stories shift how you think about strength and adaptability?

    Anika Rajesh's avatar
    Anika Rajesh 4/25/2026 8:42 PM
    I shared the resilience story of my great grandfather. I felt like it was a story worth sharing because of how much it has inspired me. After making the post to the feed, I felt really appreciative of the relationship I had with my great grandfather and happy that I was able to tell this part of his story. Telling his story and learning about the ones from other people's communities has made me realize the power of human grit and perseverance. It shows me how much individuals have been able to accomplish and also makes me wonder how much we can accomplish together if we support each other along our personal paths of resilience.

  • Anika Rajesh's avatar
    Anika Rajesh 4/25/2026 8:33 PM
    Since one of my Ecochallenge tasks is to talk about a resilience story from my community, I wanted to share the resilience story of my great grandfather. My great grandfather was born into immense poverty. At the age of 4, he lost his mother. His father remarried, and the couple had 7 children, outside of the 2 siblings from his real mother. As one of the oldest siblings, he felt the burden of responsibility to support his family. The one thing he knew he needed to provide that support was an education. He lived with different relatives at various points in his life so that he could study in school and later in college. Because of this, he felt a lot of insecurity about never being able to live with his parents and having to rely on other relatives fund his education. He pushed himself to make his struggle worth it. Eventually, he became an income tax officer. Realizing how valuable education was for his success, when he had children of his own, he made sure that every one of them had the means to get educated and eventually be financially independent.

    What I find most fascinating about this story is that whenever I met my great grandfather, he never brought up his struggles. In fact, I learned all of this about him just this past year from some of my other relatives. His humility and perseverance inspire me to never give up on my dreams, but also to appreciate what I have. He has taught me to work hard, stay grounded, and appreciate my family for all the ways in which they have supported me.

    • SA Golden's avatar
      SA Golden 4/28/2026 8:59 AM
      • Artist 🎨
      Wow, that truly is an amazing story. Reading this gives me hope that hard work will pay off and shows how important family and kindess are in success.

    • Hirdesh Singh's avatar
      Hirdesh Singh 4/25/2026 9:45 PM
      • Tree Lover 🌲
      Great

    • Mary Hanks's avatar
      Mary Hanks 4/25/2026 9:17 PM
      • TEAM CAPTAIN
      I agree with Sahana! Your great grandfather exemplifies resilience.

    • Sahana Shetty's avatar
      Sahana Shetty 4/25/2026 8:36 PM
      Thanks for sharing this beautiful story of resilience. Our grandparents & parents were built differently. This is very inspiring.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community
    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?

    Anika Rajesh's avatar
    Anika Rajesh 4/23/2026 5:05 PM
    Something I have been doing since high school is engaging in Model United Nations, where I teach students about public speaking and international relations in a UN-style environment. As someone who has participated in many MUN conferences, I now offer the skill of assisting with the conference that takes place on my campus. I work with local businesses to host benefit nights to fund our financial aid program for students participating in the conference, use my tech skills to manage extensive datasets of delegate, advisor, staffer, and committee details, and I work closely with school advisors to make sure that they feel completely prepared when they register students for the conference by offering personal insights on what signups would be best for their delegation.

    Sharing my expertise has been extremely rewarding because I love to see advisors and students having their needs met and feeling ready for conference weekend. I have connected so much with the other members who help host the conference because we are all working towards a shared goal by using our individual skills to make the conferences a success. It makes me feel happy knowing that I am contributing to something that helps high schoolers learn about debate, communication, and collaboration, skills critical for their growth.

  • Anika Rajesh's avatar
    Anika Rajesh 4/22/2026 5:50 AM
    Happy Earth Day, everyone! ♻️

  • Anika Rajesh's avatar
    Anika Rajesh 4/21/2026 6:05 PM
    Today, I logged 11 bird species! However, one of the logged species was the European Starling, which is an invasive species in North America. This got me thinking about how logging species is important not only for determining the populations of species in need of protection, but also those of nonnative species that might be threatening the ecosystem. In addition to using logging apps, what are other ways to identify and control the spread of invasive species?

  • Anika Rajesh's avatar
    Anika Rajesh 4/20/2026 6:28 PM
    I saw a great blue heron on my walk yesterday!

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Water
    How did changing your dishwashing habits make you more mindful of water use? What other small changes can you make to conserve water in your household?

    Anika Rajesh's avatar
    Anika Rajesh 4/20/2026 6:22 PM
    On campus, when I wash my dishes, I always turn the tap off between dishes to conserve water. I first wash all the dishes, turn the tap off, add soap, and turn the tap back on to wash off the soap before giving it a good dry. In the time it takes to add soap, so much water would otherwise get wasted if the tap isn't turned off. And even though this process is a little time-consuming because of the number of times you have to turn the tap off, it becomes second nature after a while, which helps speed up the process.

    Other small changes we can make to conserve water are repeating the same process when washing our hands (like turning off the tap while applying soap), brushing our teeth, and taking a shower.