As we come to a close for April's Eco Challenge, I want to reflect on everything I was able to complete this month and all that I learned. I spent a great deal of time this month learning about ways my family and I can be a little more self-sufficient when considering emergency preparedness. I now have a rain barrel, I learned how to turn off my water heater and use that water in an emergency. I bought solar radio and charger tools for my family, and we are starting our garden. I spent wonderful time outdoors just enjoying myself, my yard, local nature and my neighborhood. Even though I wasn't able to participate in Kitsap Bank's clean up event, I took a bag and my grabbers with me to a park and a golf course and cleaned up garbage everywhere I could. My family and I audited all of the plastic we use and discard. We have purchased glass containers for leftovers and reuseable water bottles to reduce plastic use. I have even shared some of my house plant cuttings with friends and neighbors as we discuss the need for plants in homes and gardens. What an amazing month! I am going to keep this going to see how much I can accomplish in the rest of the year. Thank you for this opportunity.