Earth Month Ecochallenge 2024: Conservation

April 1 - April 30, 2024

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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
Biodiversity + Wildlife Save the Bees

What did you plant for bees in your area? Please consider uploading a photo!

Susan Salerno 4/23/2024 3:54 PM

Sunflowers may be my favorite flower. I have planted them for many years and will plant them again this year. I also have a garden and plant basil every year. I didn't know bees love basil until doing research for this challenge.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Community Keep My Community Clean

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

Susan Salerno 4/23/2024 3:46 PM

I like to walk in my neighborhood several days a week. Until this challenge, I hadn't really noticed the bits of trash on neighbors' lawns and open spaces between properties.

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Kevin O'Shea 4/22/2024 1:47 PM

Happy Earth Day everyone!

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- Sarah Jane Reyes 4/22/2024 5:14 PM
  
  Happy Earth Day! :)
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Climate + Air Consume only Needs vs Wants

Consuming only what we need vs. what we want can be really hard to do. What has been challenging about committing to this action for a month? What have you learned about yourself? Will you change any habits going forward?

Christine Carcallas 4/16/2024 12:51 PM

Currently on a mission to use up the majority of non-perishables in the pantry. No more hoarding! This forces me to just buy the few missing ingredients for the meal I have in mind. I would like to have a picture worthy pantry someday with just the necessities - nicely organized and with preferrably with reusable containers.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Freshwater + Oceans Go Plastic-Free

Where did plastic show up on your life that surprised you the most? What plastic alternative products did you discover you may switch to?

Hannah Milstein 4/15/2024 12:59 PM

Food packaging is big place where plastic shows up in my life (rice, milk, nuts, berries, snacks, meat etc.) This is also the hardest area for me to find plastic free alternatives. I've shopped at zero waste stores, but find that they are significantly more expensive than buying plastic wrapped food from the grocery store. I'll continue to look for plastic free alternatives, but wish more food producers would supply alternative packaging.

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- Christine Carcallas 4/16/2024 1:16 PM
  
  We have had a lot of refill station stores pop up in my area and they are super expensive!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Biodiversity + Wildlife Use Reusable Bags

How difficult was this challenge for you? What made it easy or difficult?

Christine Carcallas 4/14/2024 10:03 PM

It's fairly easy for me to reuse bags. If I forget them, I just don't use any.

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Nell Triplett 4/11/2024 1:42 PM

One of my areas of passion has to do with native gardening (and since I live in California, I'm talking about Cal Natives and specifically the importance of conservation in our own backyards). Our family is fortunate to live close to an amazing preserve with incredible native plant restoration efforts, and I have slowly been working on reducing invasive non-native species to try to return our home to what it once was: rolling hills with coastal oaks, buckeyes, Cal wildflowers, and serpentine grasslands. The importance of native plants for biodiversity and to act as a defense against climate change cannot be overstated, and I highly recommend the research and writings of entomologist Doug Tallamy on this topic. Spread the word and search for local resources on native gardening to your area - they are out there!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land + Forests Compost Food Waste

New to composting? Be sure to check out the action resource links to learn tips and more about it. As you transition from throwing food away to composting, what do you notice about how much you are tossing? How will you use your compost once it is ready?

Christine Carcallas 4/11/2024 6:04 AM

I have been vermicomposting for many years. I don't have a large setup and can only put so much organic waste at one time. I used to freeze fruit/veggie peels to avoid the landfill and my husband would get so annoyed with my frozen containers of banana peels and apple cores. Fortunately our city recently adopted a composting program and I can get some space back in my refrigerator 😄

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- Emily Weiglin 4/11/2024 1:01 PM
  
  Love this, Christine! I too annoy my partner but with my policing of what he throws away :) A countertop compost bin next to the sink has been a good compromise as our city has a composting program too that picks up weekly, it's tough to keep it clean from mold/pests but worth it for a good cause!
  
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Hannah Milstein 4/10/2024 11:45 AM

Just learned that eating meat is one of the largest contributors to my water footprint. I'm going to keep that in mind when I plan my weekly menu and make more vegetarian meals!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Freshwater + Oceans Reduce Pollutants in Cleaning

What did you learn about ingredients in our cleaning products and how they impact water and biodiversity? Did you try making your own cleaning products? If so, how did it go?

Hannah Milstein 4/10/2024 11:32 AM

I made all purpose cleaning solution with vinegar, essential oil, soap and water. It was very easy to do and I feel good about using less plastic and harmful chemicals.

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- Christine Carcallas 4/11/2024 6:10 AM
  
  I saw a picture on social media recently of a hardware store having vinegar in the garden aisle. It can be used to kill weeds and keep critters away!
  
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- Rhiannon Skelly 4/10/2024 11:34 AM
  
  Vinegar is such a gamechanger-no idea why it took me so many years to realize this!
  
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