Kerri Donnelly

Virginia Zoo's Socially-Distant Climate Change Resistance

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
819 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

33

conversations

with people
UP TO

2.0

documentaries

watched
UP TO

235

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

935

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

890

minutes

not spent in front of a screen
UP TO

40

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

35

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill

Kerri's actions

Forests

Explore My Area

I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area while following CDC guidelines for social distancing.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Earth Day Together!

Earth Day Action: Share Eco Tips

Through social media or on the Earth Day Ecochallenge feed, I will share my favorite environmentally friendly habit with my friends, even if it’s not an Earth Day action.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

People

Connect While Social Distancing

I will connect with at least 1 person/people a day through phone call or video chat to support mine and other’s mental and emotional health during this challenging time.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Building Resilience

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

I will watch 1 documentary(ies) about food sovereignty: the right of local peoples to control their own food systems including markets, ecological resources, food cultures and production methods.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Oceans

Learn about Our Oceans

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about how our oceans support life on Earth by producing oxygen, regulating climate, and providing habitat, food, and jobs.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Oceans

Say No to Plastic Straws

An estimated 71% of seabirds and 30% of turtles have been found with plastics in their stomachs. When marine wildlife ingest plastic, they have a 50% mortality rate. By asking for no straw when placing a drink order, I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) of out of the ocean each day.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Oceans

Smart Seafood Choices

I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Wildlife

Use Reusable Bags

Plastic bags can be mistaken for food by many wild animals. If at all possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases, including produce bags.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Fresh Water

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 2 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Building Resilience

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 20 minute(s) each day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside that follows CDC guidelines for preventing disease spread.

COMPLETED 0
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
Forests Explore My Area

How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place?

Kerri Donnelly 4/29/2020 9:24 AM

The more familiar you are with your surrounding area the more likely you are to take care of it and advocate that others do the same. I feel like this is especially important for kids who can grow up with a sense of responsibility instilled in them through learning about the world around me.

I just moved so I'm spending A LOT of time learning about the 'new' world around me.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Earth Day Together! Earth Day Action: Share Eco Tips

What environmentally friendly habit have you most recently implemented? How do you ensure that you are successful in creating or changing a habit?

Kerri Donnelly 4/29/2020 9:17 AM

My favorite environmentally friendly habits:
*Reducing my single use plastic by using plastic wrap and plastic baggie alternatives like beeswax paper and tupperware.
*Buying veggies that aren't wrapped in unnecessary plastic, bonus points if it comes from a farmer's market!
*Cutting meat out of at least one meal a week. Also a great habit for challenging your cooking and diet habits.
My favorite environmentally friendly habits I haven't mastered yet:
*Biking instead of driving my car whenever possible.
*Using a reusable mug or bottle at coffee shops, I have about a 40% success rate with this so far.
*Keeping my global carbon footprint in check by not making unnecessary purchases, especially going for the cheapest item which is usually the most poorly made.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Wildlife Use Reusable Bags

What do you do if you find yourself in the situation of needing a bag for items but don't have a reusable one with you? Carry things out in your hands? In a cart? Accept a disposable one? If you find yourself in this position often, what system could you put in place to try to create a successful habit of not using plastic bags?

Kerri Donnelly 4/29/2020 9:06 AM

This happens to me in retail stores most often. I associate the grocery store with needing my bags (especially at Aldi...) but it doesn't always occur to me if I'm at Target getting a bathing suit and I usually end up getting a disposable bag :( I keep my bags in my car trunk but maybe I should keep at least one on the front seat so I have to see it every time I'm in the car.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
People Connect While Social Distancing

How does connecting with others help your own mental and emotional health? How can it help support others?

Kerri Donnelly 4/27/2020 11:44 AM

I didn't realize how much I needed to be around people until I couldn't be. I went from working in a team environment and having consistent time with friends to being physically distant and it was really difficult. Being able to be around people, even through technology, makes me feel less lonely, more calm and all around happier.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Oceans Learn about Our Oceans

What is one way in which oceans support your life on Earth? What is one way you can help take care of ocean health with your actions?

Kerri Donnelly 4/27/2020 11:34 AM

I just moved to an oceanfront neighborhood so the ocean is now my backyard! This provides me with a space for walking my dog, swimming and watching the sunset! I can help take care of ocean health by reducing the amount of trash I make through using reusable items whenever possible and making sure any trash I cannot avoid making ends up in a trash can and not on the beach!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Oceans Say No to Plastic Straws

What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?

Kerri Donnelly 4/20/2020 5:41 AM

Milk containers and other plastic food packaging. I try to get milk in glass but it's difficult to find and other grocery items are event more scarce!

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- Mary Beth Waltman 4/22/2020 7:58 AM
  
  My friend just started doing Oberweis milk deliveries and they use glass containers. Its worth checking out.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Building Resilience Spend Time Outside

Rachel Carson said that we need the beauty and mysteries of the natural world for our spiritual and emotional development. Does that ring true for you? What are the implications for a culture that spends most of its time indoors?

Kerri Donnelly 4/01/2020 3:19 PM

That is absolutely true! I need to spend time outside every day to be happy, luckily so does my dog :)

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