Greywater—or lightly used household water—can sometimes be reused for tasks like watering plants or cleaning. I will learn about safe and practical ways to recycle greywater at home, school, or work.
COMPLETED 5
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
Water
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 23
DAILY ACTIONS
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 2
DAILY ACTIONS
Soil and Food
Learn About Sustainable Farming Practices
Healthy soils and resilient food systems depend on how we grow food. I will spend 5 minutes learning about farming practices such as regenerative agriculture, agroecology, or permaculture, and reflect on how they support both people and the planet.
COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS
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 1 community projects such as a cleanup or local beautification project that strengthens connections and shared purpose.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Soil and Food
Enjoy a Meatless Meal
Producing 1 kg of beef emits as much greenhouse gas as driving 150 miles, meanwhile, 1 kg of veggies or grains leaves a much lighter footprint! This week, I’ll shrink my climate impact by having 1 meatless meals meals each day.
COMPLETED 24
DAILY ACTIONS
Biodiversity and Wildlife
Choose Native Plants
Native plants provide food and shelter for local wildlife and help ecosystems adapt to change. I will choose native plants for my yard, balcony, or community space instead of non-native or ornamental species to support biodiversity resilience.
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 10 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
Participant Feed
REFLECTION
QUESTION
Biodiversity and Wildlife
What native plants did you choose, and how do they support wildlife in your area? Share a photo in the feed!
I'm so grateful that Coursera provides a $500 donation to charities after you volunteer enough related hours to add up to the amount. Today I finally reached that with the hours I volunteer at the animal shelter. Additionally, I was able to submit the donation to the animal shelter as well. They are very small small and need all the support they can get! Grateful for the Ecochallenge's reminder to focus on helping the communities around us!
I've been pretty good about sticking to my 5 minute showers this month. I'm worried I'll eventually stop after April. Any tips from folks on how to be intentional longer-term on something like this?
I was glad to do my local cleanup Sunday! What was even nicer was I got four of my friends involved. And it was great seeing all the people from town who also wanted to contribute!
I did a local clean-up and roped my friends into it too. It was really nice to see lots of people come together to pick up trash and make our town better. Also, my friends and I picked up along our local running route so that we helped support our group too!
Ok, I officially love this website https://savethefood.com/storage I learned I probably shouldn't eat those figs that have been in my fridge for a few weeks but that I can save many other items for a long time. This knowledge will help me plan to get items as needed and with the right timing in mind. It'll also help me plan where to store them to ensure less waste.
I grow green chilies and tomatoes at home. To preserve them, I freeze extra chilies and store tomoses by making a simple puree. This helps reduce food waste and saves water because the resource used to grow the food aren't wasted. It also helps with food security since preserved food can be used later instead of buying more.
It is quite amazing how much water we use everyday just for basic things like showering. Admittedly, I was not looking forward to a 5 minute shower but I turned on Justin Timberlake's Senorita and found that really helped keep me on track and also added upbeat vibes to my experience. I'll continue to conserve water when using the sink as well!
I am now thinking about placing a bucket under the shower when I'm taking one. It would be amazing to leverage this water for potentially watering plants inside and outside (as long as the water doesn't include soap/chemicals from the products I use).
Which farming or soil practice did you find most inspiring, and why? How could these approaches help farmers and communities adapt to future challenges?
Honestly, the thing that I found most interesting was really that "In industrial agriculture, the vast majority of farmers grow just a few crops each year in monocultures using synthetic chemicals, including herbicides and insecticides that kill biology in the soil. Topsoil becomes unstable with repeated plowing. A major consequence is soil erosion, resulting in a significant loss of stored carbon."
Manuela Hinestroza 4/27/2026 2:22 PM
Diana Smirnova 4/27/2026 12:41 PMThis is so wholesome, thanks Rachel, for the difference you are making ❤️ just the inspiration we all need ✨💎
JAYAKRISHNAN J 4/27/2026 11:12 AM
Shivangi Priya 4/20/2026 7:03 PM
Nimisha Pandya 4/08/2026 1:29 PMI grow green chilies and tomatoes at home. To preserve them, I freeze extra chilies and store tomoses by making a simple puree. This helps reduce food waste and saves water because the resource used to grow the food aren't wasted. It also helps with food security since preserved food can be used later instead of buying more.
Griizma K R 4/19/2026 8:33 AM