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Melissa Roberts-Faulkner's avatar

Melissa Roberts-Faulkner

IU Health

"My mission is to improve the health of my local community and our planet by intentionally reducing my carbon footprint, conserving energy, and protecting our air, water, green spaces, and local wildlife. I am committed to planting native species that support pollinators and to educating, encouraging, and cheering on others as we work together toward a more sustainable future."

Melissa's points

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 958 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    waste audit
    conducted
  • UP TO
    1.0
    community event
    hosted or attended
  • UP TO
    260
    minutes
    spent learning

Melissa's actions

Soil and Food

Grow Something to Eat

Growing food builds resilience by connecting us to the soil and reducing reliance on long supply chains. I will grow edible plants—such as herbs, vegetables, or grains—in my home, balcony, or community space, strengthening both my food security and local biodiversity.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Biodiversity and Wildlife

Reduce Light Pollution

Too much artificial light can confuse and harm animals, especially those active at night. I will reduce sources of outdoor light or switch to wildlife-friendly fixtures to support healthy habitats.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Personal

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

What is resilience?

Notice Resilience Around Me

Resilience shows up in many places. I will look for one example of resilience in my surroundings—whether in my community, work, or daily life—and reflect on what it teaches me about adapting to change.

COMPLETED 27
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

Mulching helps soil hold water and reduces runoff. I will mulch the base of trees or other plants at home, school, or in my community to improve water retention and soil health.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

What is resilience?

Learn About Ecological Resilience

Resilience is part of how nature works. I will spend 10 minutes learning about ecological resilience—how ecosystems adapt to disturbances and renew themselves through cycles of growth and renewal.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

What is resilience?

Reflect on My Own Resilience

Resilience is personal and collective. I will reflect on a time when I adapted to change in my own life, writing down what helped me and what I learned from the experience.

COMPLETED 28
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Collect Rain Water

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track

Take Part in a Community Beautification Project

Working together builds resilience and pride in the places we care about. I will participate in 2 community projects such as a cleanup or local beautification project that strengthens connections and shared purpose.

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

Personal

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

Work and Organizations

Celebrate Successes Together

Celebrating achievements helps teams endure challenges. I will help organize ways to celebrate group or individual successes in my organization to build morale and resilience.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Work and Organizations

Reduce Waste in My Organization

Waste reduction supports both ecological and organizational resilience. I will work with others to conduct a waste audit and reduce waste in my organization, such as paper, plastics, or energy use.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Participant Feed


  • Melissa Roberts-Faulkner's avatar
    Melissa Roberts-Faulkner 4/30/2026 12:37 PM
    • Wildlife Guardian 🦉
    I am so proud of Team IU Health! This challenge has amplified our mission to make Indiana a healthier state! Way to go!!

  • Melissa Roberts-Faulkner's avatar
    Melissa Roberts-Faulkner 4/28/2026 12:34 PM
    • Wildlife Guardian 🦉
    I continue to be inspired by each of my IU Health ecochallenge teammates. I see you. I see the small actions and the BIG actions that each of you are taking to improve the health of our community and our planet. From bringing your lunch in with a reusable bag and containers, to bringing and refilling your own water bottle, each of these small actions make a difference. And then there are the BIG actions like carpooling, planting your own food and volunteering for neighborhood clean-up projects. Our vision at IU Health is to make Indiana one of the healthiest states. This cannot be accomplished by physicians alone. It takes each one of us and at IU Health, we are leading the way.

    • Paul Goodenough's avatar
      Paul Goodenough 4/29/2026 5:26 AM
      • TEAM CAPTAIN
      • Adventurer 🏔
      very well said, agree 100%. I am encouraged thanks to our IU Health Ecochallengers one and all!

  • Melissa Roberts-Faulkner's avatar
    Melissa Roberts-Faulkner 4/23/2026 5:03 AM
    • Wildlife Guardian 🦉
    Hope you all had a great Earth Day! It was certainly a perfect weather day. We are now entering the last week of this eco-challenge. Keep checking in, recording your actions, cheering on teammates and posting in the feed.

    • Paul Goodenough's avatar
      Paul Goodenough 4/24/2026 7:29 AM
      • TEAM CAPTAIN
      • Adventurer 🏔
      Thx Melissa - I feel so lucky to get to work outside in a community beautification project close in the hospital neighborhood
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    What is resilience?
    What examples of resilience in ecosystems did you learn about? How do these cycles of renewal change the way you see nature around you?

    Melissa Roberts-Faulkner's avatar
    Melissa Roberts-Faulkner 4/22/2026 5:21 AM
    • Wildlife Guardian 🦉
    An example of resilience in nature is what happened when wolves were re-introduced to Yellowstone in 1995. I used to show this video during change management trainings that I led as there are so many lessons to be learned from it.
    https://youtu.be/S-P57Th_N80

    • Paul Goodenough's avatar
      Paul Goodenough 4/24/2026 8:54 AM
      • TEAM CAPTAIN
      • Adventurer 🏔
      Amazing insight on our interconnectedness and how one small change can have a cascade of benefits


    • TUSHAR KAUSHIK's avatar
      TUSHAR KAUSHIK 4/22/2026 5:25 AM
      • Earth Advocate 📣
      Nice thought

  • Melissa Roberts-Faulkner's avatar
    Melissa Roberts-Faulkner 4/20/2026 12:54 PM
    • Wildlife Guardian 🦉
    Did you know that "getting your hands dirty" while working in the garden is biologically good for your health? Here are some interesting facts: Spending time with hands in the soil has been shown to provide significant mental health benefits. Gardening, farming, or simply touching the earth can create a deep connection with
    nature, fostering a sense of calm and grounding. Research suggests that interacting with soil
    can reduce stress and anxiety by lowering cortisol levels, the hormone responsible for stress.
    The rhythmic and repetitive actions of planting, weeding, and digging promote mindfulness,
    helping individuals focus on the present moment and ease anxious thoughts.

    Learn more and read the full article here: Digging Into Wellness: The Mental Benefits of Hands in Soil

    • Paul Goodenough's avatar
      Paul Goodenough 4/21/2026 9:37 AM
      • TEAM CAPTAIN
      • Adventurer 🏔
      Thanks for this reminder and encouragement to get our hands dirty. We're wired to live in contact with nature.

  • Melissa Roberts-Faulkner's avatar
    Melissa Roberts-Faulkner 4/09/2026 10:03 AM
    • Wildlife Guardian 🦉
    One of the daily activities I have chosen is to spend some time reflecting on the ways I support sustainability and the actions I take.

    I happened to be thinking about this last evening, as I was scooping my cat's litter boxes. I use a biodegradable scoopable litter instead of traditional clay litter and scoop into biodegradable bags. I also use these bags to pick up my dog's waste in the yard and feel better about them than the typical plastic grocery bags or trash bags. They also sell compostable pet waste bags, but those are meant for seasoned composters who have the high heat necessary to kill any bacteria, which I do not. How do you dispose of pet waste at home and on your walks?

    Here is an explaination of the two earth friendly types of pet waste bags.

    • Paul Goodenough's avatar
      Paul Goodenough 4/09/2026 1:07 PM
      • TEAM CAPTAIN
      • Adventurer 🏔
      appreciate this thought-provoking reflection. I wish industry was more transparent - its hard out here for consumers trying to do the right thing

  • Melissa Roberts-Faulkner's avatar
    Melissa Roberts-Faulkner 4/01/2026 6:22 AM
    • Wildlife Guardian 🦉
    Happy first day of Earth Month, IU Health team! One of my sustainability actions was to learn more about native plants and pollinators and I found this to be an informative resource. Recommended Indiana-native Plants for Attracting Pollinators

    • Melissa Roberts-Faulkner's avatar
      Melissa Roberts-Faulkner 4/08/2026 11:23 AM
      • Wildlife Guardian 🦉
      Paul, I have a chaos garden that I will be adding to. It is full of Indiana native wildflowers like purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, butterfly milkweed, great blue lobelia and bee balm. I also have mammoth sunflowers, poppies, marigolds, asters and cosmos in that bed which are favorites of bees, birds and butterflies.

    • Paul Goodenough's avatar
      Paul Goodenough 4/07/2026 8:06 AM
      • TEAM CAPTAIN
      • Adventurer 🏔
      I was fortunate to get some https://www.prairiemoon.com/ gift cards for my birthday this year. What are you planting this year?