This Earth Month was definitely my most productive/active/self aware one compared to previous years thanks to the eco-challenge! I hope we get to do this again next year and continue to share our sustainable strides with one another! It is especially nice to be a part of a team and see everyone make progress through the month.
This Monday we cleaned some trash out of Pigeon House creek for "Adopt a Creek"! It was so much fun & we ended up removing a lot of litter and debris from the creek!! However my boots need a cleaning now.... once they're dry!
How did working together on an environmental project strengthen relationships in your group? What does this teach you about resilience in organizations?
Wow, I cannot believe that we're already at the end of April! Through people's posts on the feed and through the various ecochallenge tasks, I have learned so much. I have found out how to contribute to community science, how to protect pollinators, how to compost, and ultimately, how to give back to my community and the environment.
As someone who has participated in the Ecochallenge for a few years now, I want to end this post by reminding everyone that we are not at the finish line but at the stepping stone into environmental stewardship. This month gave us all the opportunity to reflect on our practices and identify ways to make them more eco-friendly, and now is the time to further those goals for the rest of the year until these practices become second nature.
I will leave you all with this picture of a Gray Catbird I saw this morning. This one was particularly eager to say hello today :)
I totally agree, Anika! I really enjoyed reading everyone's posts on the feed, and have learned a few new things through the links attached to the ecochallenge tasks. To be honest, I feel like I could have done more. My goal is to pick a few challenges to focus on and keep at them until they become second nature.
My water action this month was to replace my sprinklers. My family noticed many holes in the sprinkler system and broken sprinkler heads, causing water to gush onto the pavement and driveway. This was an immense waste of water, and it also did not serve the grass and plants in our garden. This month, we replaced the sprinklers with more durable sprinkler heads. We also adjusted the heads so they would more directly face the areas that needed watering, reducing water wastage as much as possible.
A major thing I learned from this process is that we often feel less inclined to conduct these types of repairs if we do not know who to talk to about them. That is why my mom has started compiling a list of people in the local community who are experts in various types of house repair so that neighbors do not feel stressed or confused about who to call for help. This helps our community become more resilient and also supports local businesses.
What skill or service did you offer, and how did it impact someone in your community? How did sharing your expertise or time help you feel more connected to others?
A friend of mine used to work at the career center on my university's campus. She would help me tailor my resume and give me advice on job hunting. I have since taken the advice and guidance she gave me to help my teenage brother in making a resume and applying to find his first job. It kind of feels like those moments in movies when "the trainee becomes the trainer" or "the pupil becomes the master" because I was able to learn and pass on knowledge from someone to help someone else.
It honestly took me a while to learn what composting actually entails. I knew what it was of course, but I didn't really understand how it was that much different from the landfill. Since food waste is typically biodegradeable, I used to assume that it was the same difference—that composting was just more specific than the landfill and could be used for gardening. Over the years as I have learned more about sustainability and as the places around me have been including more enviornmentally-friendly practices, I learned that composting is so much more than just a specialized landfill.
It just goes to show how important it is to practice what you preach about, because a lot of people don't truly get it until they see for themselves (which also applies to so many more things other than composting, but is especially applicable.)
While I don't particularly enjoy being out in the rain, I can certainly understand and appreciate other people's love for it. I bet the plants have been enjoying soaking it all up and I've been loving the cooler weather over the last couple of days, so I count this as a win for sure :)
SA Golden 4/30/2026 8:39 PM
