Ecochallenge.org

Earth Day Ecochallenge

April 1 - April 30, 2020

Mary Jane Eustace

Cooler Communities

"To be a good ancestor"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
548 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

15

conversations

with people
UP TO

3.0

documentaries

watched
UP TO

20

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

34

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

16

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

16

miles

traveled by foot
UP TO

755

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

19

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Mary Jane's actions

Oceans

Learn about Our Oceans

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning about how our oceans support life on Earth by producing oxygen, regulating climate, and providing habitat, food, and jobs.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Climate

Choose LED Bulbs

I will replace 20 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Climate

Choose Renewable Energy or Purchase Renewable Energy Credits

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option. If my utility does not offer one, I will purchase Renewable Energy Credits to match my usage.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Fresh Water

Eco-friendly Gardening

I will plant native species, landscape with water-efficient plants, and use eco-friendly fertilizers.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Building Resilience

Research Local Climate Issues

I will spend at least 20 minute(s) a day researching climate issues or climate solutions in my local area and share with others through my team feed, social media, or conversations with my peers.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Building Resilience

Use Muscle Power

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips, and I will only use muscle-powered transportation for all other trips.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Building Resilience

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

Research Benefits of Biodiversity

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching how biodiversity positively impacts our world and how the loss of biodiversity harms it.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Action Track: Building Resilience

Support Pollinators

At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators, including monarch butterflies, to produce fruit. I will spend 60 minutes researching which plants support local native pollinators and plant some in my yard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Wildlife

Seek Alternative Gifts and Souvenirs

Bringing home unique souvenirs from trips you’ve enjoyed is meaningful, and giving people unique gifts from other places is fun. Seek souvenirs and gifts that support local communities and do not cause harm to the environment or wildlife.

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

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 5 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

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?

Mary Jane Eustace 4/13/2020 8:06 AM

Planting season hasn't started yet, but while doing the spring clean up in my many small gardens I'm scoping out where I can plant native perennials that provide both fruit for my family and sustenance for pollinators. I'm thinking about contacting a local nursery that specializes in native plants to get some advice before purchasing online. But I'm wondering if climate change is affecting which plants will actually thrive. Has anyone else run into this?

Read More
- Ulrike Nagel 4/13/2020 11:35 AM
  
  Hi Mary Jane, I have some seeds for you, of native flowers if you like....enough for a 30 square foot patch. Semi-prepared soil will do, I think....let me know!
  
  Read More
Mary Jane Eustace 4/13/2020 8:00 AM

I worked in my garden and noticed things I had missed before learning about pollinators. My yard and garden are full of small holes from ground bees. I've definitely noticed them in the past but always viewed them as a nuisance. In fact, last year I was researching how to get rid of them. Thank goodness I didn't follow through! I also discovered tiny holes in the dead branches and logs that I use as border edges. I just learned how important it is to leave dead materials (leaves, branches, etc.) as shelter for pollinators. I sometimes get teased for using branches and logs because it looks "messy" compared with edging materials from the hardware store, but I always preferred the natural look. Now I know that I've been helping the health of my garden and the pollinators that keep it growing!

Read More
- Ulrike Nagel 4/13/2020 8:17 AM
  
  Hi MJ, I wonder if that is what we were looking at on an empty golf course yesterday - ground bees...I never heard of them either. Loads of small holes that, if they had been on a beach, would have looked like tiny crab holes!
  
  Read More
Mary Jane Eustace 4/13/2020 7:50 AM

With regard to driving less, especially when it's not necessary: the lockdown has clearly reduced trips for work, shopping, etc., making it much easier to meet my action goal. It makes me wonder how many trips I might have considered "necessary" actually would not have been necessary? I don't really like shopping so it's easy for me to consolidate trips into one every week or two. But I wonder if we will continue to use online meetings for work as much as possible. And for those of us with school age children, how can we return to "normal" yet still reduce our car usage? I only have one child in school and even that means at least one car trip a day for sports, school activities, medical and dental appts, social visits, etc. It bothered me before the lockdown but I didn't know how to reduce or eliminate trips. Crazy as it seems, the best solution might be another car! My daughter turns 16 soon. If she was driving herself, then total number of trips would be drastically reduced. Sometimes it takes four trips - drop off, go home, pick up, go home - if I have to drive her! Anyone else found a less energy and time consuming solution? (Besides eliminating sports, school activities, and friends who live too far to walk to)

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Building Resilience Support Pollinators

Why is it important to take care of pollinators?

Mary Jane Eustace 4/09/2020 12:05 PM

Wow, I learned a lot about the importance of providing habitat for pollinators and how to do it. At least 1/3 of our food depends on pollinators so obviously WE depend on them.

At home we've been talking about adding more native and/or resilient and/or food producing plants. Last year I planted two dwarf apple trees for several purposes - to sequester carbon and to provide us fruit. I hadn't realized at the time that they also help pollinators.

So now I'm researching how to transition from a grass front lawn to one that incorporates more of my goals. I've learned about native plants that provide fruit for us and nectar and shelter for pollinators. I've also learned where and how I can purchase these plants from local nurseries, even during the shutdown due to Covid 19 in a manner that supports local businesses and keeps all of us safe by social distancing.

This will be quite an adjustment for me. I grew up in an immediate and extended family that prides itself on manicured lawns and flower gardens. The idea of leaving leaf litter and some dead branches in parts of my yard goes against my upbringing! But I'm hoping to see more bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds as well as healthier plants and flowers.

Read More
Mary Jane Eustace 4/03/2020 12:09 PM

If any of your challenges involve learning about pollution, etc., this site has plenty of suggestions for video viewing. Some of them include educational resources to go along with the videos.

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Mary Jane Eustace 4/03/2020 12:04 PM

One of my challenges is to research local climate issues and solutions. Today I came across an Earth Day competition that kids can enter. Here's the link. While the issue not limited to my community, I do think educating students as much as possible about climate change and the environment is a local solution.

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Mary Jane Eustace 4/02/2020 8:24 AM

I kind of cheated on the light bulb thing! We had already replaced all of our light bulbs!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Building Resilience Use Muscle Power

How do your transportation choices affect your engagement in your community? Does your experience or enjoyment differ while walking, riding transit, biking or driving?

Mary Jane Eustace 4/02/2020 8:16 AM

Yesterday I walked a mile to and from a store. I must have seen at least a dozen people and we were all practicing social distancing. Some were on their porches and balconies enjoying the afternoon sun. We smiled, waved, and said hello to one another. I also stopped to look at all the spring blooms beginning to show themselves. I live in an area of corner stores, cyclone fences, and two and three family houses with small plots of land. Had I driven I would have missed all the crocuses, daffodils, and hyacinths. I noticed all the buds on the trees getting ready to burst. And the forsythia that's blooming now! As one of the first bloomers of spring it always cheers me with its message that warm weather is on its way.

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