Katy D

TEAM SOUTHCOAST

"To be the best me and lead by example. Change starts with oneself."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,093 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

29

pounds

waste composted
UP TO

60

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

115

minutes

not spent in front of a screen
UP TO

115

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

82

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

348

gallons of water

have been saved

Katy's actions

Oceans

Learn about Our Oceans

I will spend at least 15 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

Food

Compost Food Waste

I will avoid sending up to .69 lbs (.31 kg) of food waste to the landfill each day by composting my food or learning how to.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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 15 minutes researching which plants support local native pollinators and plant some in my yard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Fresh Water

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 4 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Wildlife

Research Benefits of Biodiversity

I will spend at least 15 minutes researching how biodiversity positively impacts our world and how the loss of biodiversity harms it.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Fresh Water

Conserve Toilet Water

I will save up to 12 gallons (45 L) of water a day by flushing only when necessary.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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

Action Track: Building Resilience

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 10 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

Wildlife

Research a Wild Animal

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning about a wild animal I find interesting, including their life cycle, habitat, ecosystem functions, and interactions with humans (if any!).

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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?

Katy D 4/29/2020 10:43 AM

I can't believe that we are almost done with the ecochallenge! Before we wrap up, I wanted to share a website with everyone, in case you need a positive pick me up! https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/ The Good News Network has wonderful stories about good things. It has been a place I go to when I need to find some positivity.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Wildlife Support Pollinators

Why is it important to take care of pollinators?

Katy D 4/29/2020 10:32 AM

There are two schools to answer this question. First, we should take care of pollinators because they have their own intrinsic value. They have as much right to be here as we do so we should give them the space to exist. Also they are beautiful and mesmerizing to watch. Second, we should take care of pollinators because they serve a vital role in our ecosystems and our economy. They pollinate a lot of the plants that produce the foods we consume on a regular basis. Also, bees, for example, produce honey, a wonderful byproduct that most people enjoy and has many wonderful health benefits when consumed raw. Both are important reasons, but I would like to believe that the first one - that they have their own right to be here, should be sufficient reason for us to take care and provide space for our pollinators.

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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?

Katy D 4/29/2020 10:20 AM

Since the quarantine, I have been using single-use items at the grocery store. I am currently using single use vegetable and plastic bags. Normally, I have my reuseable bags (both groceries and produce). I miss them so much!

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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?

Katy D 4/29/2020 6:29 AM

I think we, as humans, find ourselves in nature. In the natural world, I think we find wonder, amazement, beauty, and so much more. A walk in the woods or at the beach provides so much calm that it allows us to reflect. I think being in quarantine helps prove some of this. Aside from the fact we can't interact with other people (we are social beings and this is a bummer) the inability to find beauty, wonder, and grace has an impact on our ability to re-center ourselves. For those with lovely backyards (or frontyards), you still get the benefit of nature as you watch flowers bloom, trees bud, and creatures come and go. I am lucky in the sense that I can see nature from my windows and doors. We have turkeys, deers, rabbits, squirrels, and a bunch of songbirds.

I think a culture indoors creates a disconnect between ourselves and the world in which we are part of. When that happens, we don't see ourselves as part of the world but rather apart from it. We don't see how who we are and what we do have an impact on the flora and fauna that makes this planet unique. In some ways, I think it also makes us less human - in a social way. Being indoors creates a culture of isolation.

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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?

Katy D 4/24/2020 10:43 AM

My newest habit has been to use less water in the shower. We have a low-flow shower head, which is great, but I found that I don't need it on full blast when I shower. (I am surprised that it took me this long to come to this realization...)

Habits are reinforced through practice so I must be mindful of what I am doing. I try not to be distracted from what I am doing at hand. Sometimes that can be difficult for things you have done all your life, so during those times I have to remind myself to focus.

I find reminders also help - whether they be notes, alarms, etc. I am trying to drink more water on a regular basis. (I find that I become so engrossed in what I am doing I forget to stay hydrated.) I have an app on my phone that I set to remind me every 20 minutes to drink water. I am hoping Pavlov is correct and I will be trained to drink water whenever I hear the reminder bell...

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Katy D 4/24/2020 10:36 AM

One of my actions is the Share an Eco-Tip, so here we go: When we buy new things (like clothes), we try to think of them as replacements. If we buy a new sweater for instance, we need to let go of a sweater we currently have. If it is in good shape, we find it a new home (either gift or donation). If it is not in good shape, we find the best way to discard. We also take the 'kicking and screaming' approach when it comes to big purchases. This gives us plenty of time to weigh the purchase and be mindful of whether it is a need or a want...or possibly something in between.

This doesn't work all the time, but we practice...

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Wildlife Research Benefits of Biodiversity

How can you encourage biodiversity by your own actions?

Katy D 4/22/2020 10:42 AM

Wow! This seems like a very open-ended question. I would think that every action I (or any person takes) has an impact on biodiversity. By being vegetarian, I have removed my consumption of meat. Less demand means less habitat destruction to create pasture. I try to shop locally to reduce my carbon footprint and support local agriculture. By buying local, I also decrease demand for others to destroy habitat to grow products. It hopefully allows those regions and countries to find sustainable and eco-friendly economies. My being mindful of my consumption I can reduce my demands for products that negatively impact biodiversity. By buying local honey, I am support our local bee population. I also do that because we have various plants around our house that are very attractive to pollinators. It is great to see them as they visit the flowers!

I think the one step I have yet to take is advocacy, which I will save for another day. I am still working to minimize my footprint so I can leave room for others, whether they are humans, animals, or plants.

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Katy D 4/22/2020 7:33 AM

Happy Earth Day, everyone! Let's celebrate and honor our planet by working extra hard on our actions and tasks. We all make a difference by what we do. Together, we can make change. Just like every body of water is composed of droplets, land is composed of specks of dirt, and life is made of atoms - if we can learn to act together, we can be a force of nature!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Fresh Water Use a Reusable Water Bottle

Using the links provided, investigate the bottling practices of water corporations. There have been many cases where the water rights of the local people have been violated or even completely disregarded when a corporation decides to bottle water from a particular water source. How can you advocate for those who have been harmed - both humans and wildlife - by this bottling process?

Katy D 4/16/2020 10:02 AM

I think the best way to advocate would be to not purchase water bottled from those corporations. I find that bottles are not sustainable all the way around. Plastic is produced via petroleum. There is also costs to transport those bottles and the water.

I suggest boycotts and bans could be a great advocacy tool, similar to the way the boycott on tuna that harmed dolphins, helped to change the company's behavior.

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Katy D 4/14/2020 10:07 AM

Did you ever notice how small actions can impact others? In a time when we are practicing social distancing, saying hi or waving at people just to acknowledge that you see them can make a difference...especially for people you don't normally interact with.

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