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Joshua Vaught's avatar

Joshua Vaught

NCMNS-Green Team

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 311 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    105
    minutes
    spent learning

Joshua's actions

Land, Water, and Air

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land, Water, and Air

Reduce Food Waste

Wasting food also wastes water, energy, and resources. I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during the Ecochallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation, and commit to reducing my food waste throughout the challenge.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Wildlife

Learn the 7 Principles of Leave No Trace

Leave No Trace means enjoying nature responsibly by minimizing our impact and leaving the environment as we found it, or better. I will spend 20 minutes learning about the seven core principles to minimize my impact while enjoying the outdoors.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Empowering the Next Generation

Learn About Indigenous Conservation Practices

Indigenous communities have stewarded ecosystems for generations through deep-rooted knowledge and connection to nature. I will spend 20 minutes exploring Indigenous conservation methods and reflecting on their role in fostering balance and equity with nature.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Land, Water, and Air

Plastic Free Lunches

Avoid Single Use Plastics when you prepare your lunch. Post a picture of your SUP free lunch on your Feed to the team.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Community and Connection

Connect with nature

The goal is to share how we connect with nature and our environment by posting pictures of our favorite spot. This will allow team member to learn about NC's parks and Natural resources

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community and Connection

Explore the Feed and Connect with Others

I will spend 10 minutes reading the Ecochallenge feed each day and giving high fives or commenting on posts by people who I don't know, but whose content inspires or interests me.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

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 is one way you can reduce your impact on nature the next time you spend time outdoors, and how might that action help preserve the environment for others?

    Joshua Vaught's avatar
    Joshua Vaught 4/12/2025 6:54 AM
    • Wildlife Guardian 🦉
    • 8-DAY STREAK
    Making sure you stick to trails and established campsites so as not to damage vegetation, water sources, or soil.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community and Connection
    Who inspired you on the feed, and why? Did you meet anyone new, learn anything exciting, or discover a new perspective?

    Joshua Vaught's avatar
    Joshua Vaught 4/04/2025 3:59 PM
    • Wildlife Guardian 🦉
    • 8-DAY STREAK
    Others mentioned using less water which is something I don't always think about. I will try to be more conscious about my water usage such as not running the faucet when brushing my teeth, taking less time to shower, not dumping out water that's still usable (like drinking water), and not overwatering the lawn (or planting things that use less water.

    • Andrea  Foster's avatar
      Andrea Foster 4/04/2025 4:08 PM
      Joshua, I have been participating with the eco challenge four years and I’ve really improved with being mindful of my shower time as well as turning the faucet off while brushing my teeth.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land, Water, and Air
    An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Where would you rather use this money? What patterns did you notice in the food you threw away, and how can you address them?

    Joshua Vaught's avatar
    Joshua Vaught 4/01/2025 4:24 PM
    • Wildlife Guardian 🦉
    • 8-DAY STREAK
    I normally throw out food when it's expired, and usually it's vegetables. So I made a conscious effort to buy fewer of them and use them up quicker. Also, some foods are still good after the "use by" dates, especially if they are in cans or jars. I still try to be careful with them, but I've definitely tried not to throw them out just because they were a few days older. Keeping these things in mind has helped me throw out less.

  • Joshua Vaught's avatar
    Joshua Vaught 4/01/2025 4:02 AM
    • Wildlife Guardian 🦉
    • 8-DAY STREAK
    Any tips on planting milkweed and wildflowers? I have a small space in front of the townhouse I live in, and it gets sun pretty much all day. It's filled with pinestraw, but I'm not sure what's the best soil or mulch to use. I've tried before but I don't think I watered enough and only one plant survived.

    • Kari Wouk's avatar
      Kari Wouk 4/01/2025 9:52 AM
      • TEAM CAPTAIN
      • Wildlife Guardian 🦉
      • 10-DAY STREAK
      I have had mixed luck with milkweed but I finally have one that has become established! I have a very shady yard, so having sun will be a bonus. Mine is in a moist area.