Kaitlyn Thursam

PCC Eco-Panthers

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
629 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

513

pieces of litter

picked up
UP TO

1.0

water footprint

calculated
UP TO

87

minutes

spent learning

Kaitlyn's actions

Biodiversity + Wildlife

Learn about Native Species

The world is full of unique species. I will spend 10 minutes each day learning what the native plants and wildlife are in my region.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Land + Forests

Keep My Community Clean

At times it may not feel like it's up to us to keep our community clean and healthy, but we all have a role to play. Each day I am outside, I will pick up any litter I see.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Land + Forests

Share My "Why"

I will record a video to share why I am taking action this Earth Month, a sustainable swap I've made, and/or a local conservation effort in my area.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Freshwater + Oceans

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

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?

Kaitlyn Thursam 4/22/2024 8:01 AM

As the ecochallenge is slowly coming to a close, thus far I have discovered how simple these tasks (the actions that I've chosen) are and how easily one can do them per day. It really makes a difference individually and for one's community. I do strongly believe that significant climate actions start with group efforts to talk to politicians and try to create more laws and policies to restrict and/orentice other big companies to take climate action. However, this ecochallenge has been a good learning experience. I wish I could have done other actions, but I have a busy schedule. Nevertheless, I'm still glad I chose 1-2 actions and did a few one-time actions.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Biodiversity + Wildlife Learn about Native Species

What did you learn about a native plant or animal species in your region?

Kaitlyn Thursam 4/20/2024 8:21 AM

I learned that native plants impact the ecosystem and local wildlife 15 times more effectively than non-native species. I think that if we all had a small part of our yard dedicated to native species, our environment would be so much fuller! What I also learned is that once you do plant native species, they usually take care of themselves, so little to no effort. I think that part should be inciting for new planters.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Freshwater + Oceans Understand My Water Footprint

What did you learn about your water footprint and what are you going to do to reduce and be aware of the water you use?

Kaitlyn Thursam 4/16/2024 8:13 AM

I learned that my family's water footprint is 4,507 gallons/day with three people living in the house. My individual footprint is 1,502 gallons/day. I was quite shocked at how much water we use even though we don't water our lawn, recycle, and are vegetarian (with one occasional meat eater). I think the biggest contributor to our water usage is buying pet food because we have two cats and one dog. A suggestion that was made to reduce our water footprint was to make our own pet food instead so that we know what is in the food and to reduce emissions and water. I also think that our family should set up a rain barrel or grey water system. It would significantly reduce the water that is used to water our house plants and our garden. One last thing that would helo is to change the way we do dishes. We always rinse them before going into the dishwasher and that leads to a lot of water wasted. Since we have two sinks, we could fill one side up and then rinse them so that we don't waste tons of water.

Read More
- Tony Chimento 4/16/2024 8:20 AM
  
  A rain barrel is a great idea. If you lift it off the ground just a few inches, you can then run that water from a hose to your garden or a bucket.
  
  Read More
Kaitlyn Thursam 4/10/2024 7:47 PM

So far my earth challenge has been going pretty smoothly. I try to take walks when I can and when I do I pick up whatever trash I see. I actually pick up a quite a bit of trash even if it's a short walk. Even before doing this earth challenge my family and I were being sustainable the best we could by composting, using compostable bags, and recycling. Over all the challenge is going pretty good.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Land + Forests Keep My Community Clean

How does the act of picking up litter connect you more to your community?

Kaitlyn Thursam 4/04/2024 6:57 PM

Today I took a short walk around my neighborhood and I picked up 45 pieces of trash. I believe picking up trash connects me more to my community because when others drive by or walk past me, they see someone actively helping out the environment. I also believe that by doing this every day of the month it will also draw attention to how much trash is in our community.

Read More