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April 1 - April 30, 2020
Cassandra Urban's avatar

Cassandra Urban

Team Comerica

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 608 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    documentary
    watched
  • UP TO
    289
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    420
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    43
    pieces of litter
    picked up
  • UP TO
    5.8
    pounds
    food waste prevented
  • UP TO
    12
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved

Cassandra's actions

Climate

Post Your Sustainable Action Photos!

Take a photo of yourself doing something sustainable (either one of your Ecochallenge actions) or something else. Then, go to Comerica's Café (under Colleague Resources on Connect) and add your photo to the Gone Green Photo Album!

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Wildlife

Research a Wild Animal

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about a wild animal I find interesting, including their life cycle, habitat, ecosystem functions, and interactions with humans (if any!).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Wildlife

Research Benefits of Biodiversity

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching how biodiversity positively impacts our world and how the loss of biodiversity harms it.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

People

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 4 piece(s) of litter each day while following the CDC’s current guidelines for prevention of disease transfer.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

I will watch 2 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

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

Food

Weekly Meal Planning

I will reduce food waste and save money by prepping for 2 meal(s) each day, only buying the ingredients I need.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

I will spend at least 90 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Wildlife

Support Pollinators

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Fresh Water

Water-Friendly Beauty Products

Avoid beauty products with micro beads or harsh chemicals that will feed into the ground and your water supply.

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
    Food Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty
    How does food sovereignty address the complex agrarian transition to modern food systems?

    Cassandra Urban's avatar
    Cassandra Urban 4/30/2020 6:53 AM

    By giving people the right  to choose what food to eat, where it comes from and how it is grown helps to ensure food security for everyone. We need to protect the rights of the small farmers and the farmers of third world countries from the big corporations.  We need to all take part in a sustainable environment, the use of nonchemical pesticides, and more organic plant-based diets to ensure healthy food for everyone worldwide!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Wildlife Support Pollinators
    Why is it important to take care of pollinators?

    Cassandra Urban's avatar
    Cassandra Urban 4/29/2020 6:48 AM
    It is extremely important to take care of the pollinators.  They are part of the food chain.  Many of these pollinators are responsible for many of our crops that we rely on, such as soy, tomatoes, etc.  They also help with the development of our forests, grasslands, etc.  Surprisingly, pollinators are not just butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.  Pollinators are also bats, beetles,  and other birds.  So, as much as one might not like bats or bugs we need them.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Oceans Smart Seafood Choices
    Many states and countries have advisories on eating fish. Find out what is advised for your region. Do you think your diet choices fall within these guidelines? What steps do you need to take to make sure that they do?

    Cassandra Urban's avatar
    Cassandra Urban 4/29/2020 6:04 AM
    I follow the U.S.  and Michigan guidelines for fish and seafood.  I make sure what my daughter eats is at least on the low scale for mercury.  We eat fish/seafood one to two times a week, so it is very important that I do this for our health.  I also receive a monthly online newsletters  and update about our fish and wildlife, oceans, lakes, etc.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    People Keep My Community Clean
    How does the act of picking up litter connect you more to your community?

    Cassandra Urban's avatar
    Cassandra Urban 4/23/2020 8:14 AM
    I believe clean properties with mowed lawn, pretty gardens, freshly painted houses and fences etc.  and no litter on the ground makes a community not only beautiful but also welcoming.  It also helps to protect the wildlife in the area by not contaminating the soil and water, or an animal accidently eating plastic or something that is harmful to them. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Wildlife Research Benefits of Biodiversity
    How can you encourage biodiversity by your own actions?

    Cassandra Urban's avatar
    Cassandra Urban 4/22/2020 11:45 AM
    I can encourage biodiversity by teaching others and becoming more active in environmental causes. I can also change eating habits, and start eating more of a plant based diet and less meat, By doing this, less land would be cleared for pasturing, keeping our wildlife intact.

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Wildlife Research a Wild Animal
    What interesting facts did you learn about the animal you researched? What are some of your favorite things about this animal?

    Cassandra Urban's avatar
    Cassandra Urban 4/21/2020 12:27 PM

    I learned about the Giraffe.  The giraffe is the tallest animal on the planet.  Females can grow as tall as 15 feet and males can grow as tall as 18 feet.  Newborn giraffes, calves, are approximately 6ft and grow an inch a day for the first week.  They sleep an average of 5 minutes per day, doing this by 1 to 2 min naps, mostly standing up.  This is due to survival from predators.  They spend about 16 to 18 hours a day eating.  The most interesting fact is that they have the same number of vertebrae in their necks as humans, which is seven.  The difference is, a human's vertebrae is approximately .5 inches in length, whereas, a giraffe's vertebrae is approximately 10 inches long.  They are a vulnerable species.  Poachers kill them for their coats, meat and tails!  The number of giraffes in todays wild has drastically dropped in the past 35 years.  They are drastically approaching the endangered species list!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Fresh Water Water-Friendly Beauty Products
    Beyond what does or doesn't come out of the tap at home, how do your choices affect freshwater locally and globally?

    Cassandra Urban's avatar
    Cassandra Urban 4/20/2020 12:37 PM
    I have a pond with a stream, and that stream connects to the Huron River.  I will not use pesticides, especially on my grass because I don't want it going into the pond, and stream. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates
    How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?

    Cassandra Urban's avatar
    Cassandra Urban 4/20/2020 12:09 PM
    it empowers me to make better decisions two ways:  knowing what product is freshest when purchasing from store; and, preventing waste by purchasing the freshest product and using those products before they expire.  Also, knowing that certain products that have sell by and best by dates on them, doesn't necessarily mean that the product is no longer safe to use.  That you can have a few more days after those dates to use the products.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Weekly Meal Planning
    An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Does this surprise you? Where would you rather use this money?

    Cassandra Urban's avatar
    Cassandra Urban 4/02/2020 7:13 AM
    This, unfortunately does not surprise me.  We are a wasteful society!  Are eyes are always bigger than our stomachs, so to speak!  We always want more than we can handle, thus, creating a lot of waste.   I know I could definitely use an extra $1500 a year.  I am a single mother, and can't afford to be wasteful.  I try my best in only buying what we need and can consume.  By doing this, I garden and do composting as well.  Waste not want not!!!