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
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
Wildlife
Learn How to Save the Bees
Bees and other pollinators are vital to ecosystems and agriculture. I will spending 15 minutes learning about local pollinators and why they are so important.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Land, Water, and Air
Conduct a Home Energy Audit
Reducing energy use helps protect the air and climate. I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy and reduce pollution.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Community and Connection
Keep My Community Clean
A clean community benefits everyone. Each day I am outside, I will pick up 5 pieces of litter to keep my community clean.
COMPLETED 25
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 17 minutes learning about the seven core principles to minimize my impact while enjoying the outdoors.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Community and Connection
Attend a Local Event
Local events such as farmers' markets, festivals, or community meetings like town halls are great ways to feel part of a community. I will attend 1 community events to connect with others and learn more about my area.
UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Empowering the Next Generation
Support a School
Schools play a crucial role in youth development and be hubs for sustainability. I will donate funds, time, or supplies to 1 local schools to support environmental education, field trips, sustainability projects, and youth empowerment. I will share how I supported schools on the feed.
COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION
Wildlife
Try At Least One Principle of Leave No Trace
After learning about the Principles of Leave No Trace, I will take at least one action to minimize my impact on the outdoors while enjoying nature. I will post what I tried to the feed to encourage others to do the same!
COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION
Health and Well-Being
Exercise Daily
Daily movement supports our physical and mental health. I will spend 30 minutes each day exercising in a way that feels good to me, such as walking, running, stretching, or dancing.
COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS
Land, Water, and Air
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 14
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?
Beautiful springtime! I can't believe I never made the connection that the Golden Chain Tree (Laburnum) is related to Wisteria. Both are in the Fabaceae family, commonly known as the legume or pea family. Your botany lesson for the day! :-)
Beautiful! There's nothing like flowers to help us remember to slow down and appreciate the Plant kingdom. They're doing the heavy lifting on this little planet of ours!! If you're not familiar with Thomas Elpel's Botany in a Day, check it out. He's got a knack for making plant identification fun and easy :)
Last year on Earth Day I posted about cleaning up a ~1/4 mile section of trail. I picked up every cigarette butt and piece of trash by hand (a big pile!). I posted signs encouraging people not to litter, and even placed a bucket of sand with a sign next to this park bench, reminding people that smoking is prohibited and if they happen to have one in hand to deposit it here. Within two weeks, the park and rec department removed it along with my cute little laminated signs, and now it looks like this again. There are cigarette butts in every square foot alongside the trail too. I know this is a negative post, but if there was ever a group of people that could help me not to get discouraged… How do you stay positive when you witness firsthand the source of a problem and are powerless to change it?
This sucks. I can relate. My sister or sometimes family and I clean up the creek behind our house and every time we go back its always in bad condition. Water and wind carry things far so I can't even blame people in our neighborhood. It could have come in from anywhere which brings me to my point. General education and awareness are key.
Along with what Erica said, having conversations with people in that community and encouraging them to pass it along. Eventually it will reach the culprit(s). Maybe you can even organize a routine for cigarette bud cleanup with the neighborhood. Get the local schools involved or neighborhood kids. Social media and word of mouth are powerful tools. I am glad we got to use ours here :)
So sad to see this! So sad that are so many people not aware of their impact on this Earth!🌍 Make me feel that we need to love more...despite of so many ignorant persons! ❤️
That's terrible! Perhaps a complaint to the parks and rec department along with an offered solution (which you already did) perhaps they can properly approve it and it be left alone?
On my walk yesterday through a wooded area I noticed this plant. I thought it looked like something cultivated for garden and landscaping, and seemed out of place in a forested area. I learned it is native to the Pacific Northwest where I live (Portland, Oregon) and that its unique flowers and fuzzy leaves attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Fringe Cups!
Buying products without palm oil is a challenge, especially since I hate having to stir my peanut butter, LOL. A few months ago I got lazy and bought a pre-stirred brand that contained palm oil. And I felt guilty every time I used some. I reminded myself of the wildlife that is endangered largely from deforestation to produce palm oil. It's worth the extra bother!
Confession time. I walk every day. Sometimes I pick up litter and sometimes I just feel exhausted and jaded about continuously cleaning up after people that don’t care - dropping their wrappers and cigarette butts out the window or even worse - entire bags of fast food trash or drink containers with lids and straws. :-( The Ecochallenge helps motivate me by reminding me how many people out there DO care and do make the effort to be a force for good. I don’t feel alone in my effort! 23 pieces of litter today, just in a 45-minute walk around my neighborhood.
Every time I dump out my dog's water dish and refill with fresh, it feels wasteful. But I want my dog to have fresh water every day. When the weather is dry, I can use the old water on indoor and outdoor plants, but that's not usually needed in the winter and spring. It occurred to me that I feel equally wasteful when water runs down the drain as I wait for it to get hot (for dishes, etc.) I've now started collecting the cool water and filling my dog's water bowls with it!
On all our walks in nature, I don't let my dog harrass wildlife. No bird or squirrel chasing, as much as she would love to do that. Today we gave a wide berth to a pair of Mallards foraging in a wet area just by the sidewalk, so they weren't scared away by the passing human and canine!
Beautiful springtime! I can't believe I never made the connection that the Golden Chain Tree (Laburnum) is related to Wisteria. Both are in the Fabaceae family, commonly known as the legume or pea family. Your botany lesson for the day! :-)
Jacqui McGrath 4/29/2025 12:46 PMBeautiful! There's nothing like flowers to help us remember to slow down and appreciate the Plant kingdom. They're doing the heavy lifting on this little planet of ours!! If you're not familiar with Thomas Elpel's Botany in a Day, check it out. He's got a knack for making plant identification fun and easy :)
Patrick Delgado - Madewell#269 Oakbrook 4/25/2025 10:58 AM
Georgiu Adrian 4/11/2025 12:34 PM
SHASHWAT MISHRA 4/11/2025 12:23 PM
Alaina Drouin 4/10/2025 12:09 PMThis sucks. I can relate. My sister or sometimes family and I clean up the creek behind our house and every time we go back its always in bad condition. Water and wind carry things far so I can't even blame people in our neighborhood. It could have come in from anywhere which brings me to my point. General education and awareness are key.
Todea Adina 4/10/2025 11:48 AM
Erica Bonanno 4/10/2025 11:21 AMThat's terrible! Perhaps a complaint to the parks and rec department along with an offered solution (which you already did) perhaps they can properly approve it and it be left alone?
Lisa Brenskelle 4/08/2025 7:23 PM
I discovered on my walk today.
Saddamhusain Kasmi 4/02/2025 12:56 PM
