Joan McKearnan

Anoka County Transit Unit's Commute Solutions is challenging ARCC students, faculty and staff! Pledge to bike or walk next Wednesday, April 22 (Earth Day) and they'll mail you a $10 gift card to a local retailer…including Starbucks, Caribou, McDonalds, etc. Here is the link for more information and to sign up! https://www.anokacounty.us/3881/Earth-Day Also, if you use the hashtag #AnokaCountyEarthDay on your social media platforms, you'll be entered to win a $100 Target Gift Card!

When I do laundry, I will hang dry my clothes so not to use up energy.

I will host or participate in a beach, highway, river, or other cleanup effort in my community that follows the CDC’s current guidelines for prevention of disease transfer.

I will enjoy 2 meatless meal(s) and/or 0 vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

I will contribute to at least 1 wildlife observation to a Citizen Science database (iNaturalist, eBird) a week for the next 6 months

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning about a wild animal I find interesting, including their life cycle, habitat, ecosystem functions, and interactions with humans (if any!).

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.

I will scrape, rather than rinse, dishes before loading into the dishwasher and only run the dishwasher when it’s full.

I will pick up 3 piece(s) of litter each day while following the CDC’s current guidelines for prevention of disease transfer.

While organized clean up events have been trashed (pun intended) during the COVID-19 outbreak, this doesn't mean that you can't still help to improve your community's environmental health! Create your own local clean up by grabbing any garbage/plastic bags you have, your work/yard gloves, and getting outside to pick up litter! For more resources and ideas of how best to do this (while adhering to the CDC's guidelines for safety and social distancing), check out the links below!

I will host or participate in a trash pickup at a local river or beach that follows the CDC’s current guidelines for prevention of disease transfer.

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