Ecochallenge.org

Earth Day Ecochallenge

April 1 - April 30, 2020

Harper Dechant

Asheville High School

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
416 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

11

public officials or leaders

contacted
UP TO

10

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

2.8

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

13

disposable cups

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

13

conversations

with people
UP TO

1.4

pounds

food waste prevented
UP TO

68

gallons of water

have been saved

Harper's actions

People

Pick Up the Phone

I will make 4 phone call(s) per day to a public official or company to advocate for planet-friendly and/or environmentally just policies.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Wildlife

Research a Wild Animal

I will spend at least 20 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

Action Track: Building Resilience

Connect While Social Distancing

I will connect with at least 3 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

Food

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Forests

Forest-Friendly Foods

I will replace or remove the palm oil, coffee, and cocoa products in my current diet that are known to contribute to deforestation.

UNCOMPLETED
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

Oceans

Smart Seafood Choices

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Forests

Use a Reusable Mug

If possible, I will avoid sending 5 disposable cup(s) to the landfill each day by using a reusable mug.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Climate

Choose LED Bulbs

I will replace 4 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Building Resilience

Volunteer in my Community

I will volunteer 4 hour(s) in my community helping people who are most at need right now, including elderly and immunocompromised people, people without childcare, and people whose jobs have been affected by social distancing measures.

UNCOMPLETED
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

People

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

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Earth Day Together!

Earth Day Action: Write a Love Letter, Poem, or Song to Earth

I will express my love and gratitude for our Earth by writing a love letter, poem, or song to Earth.

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?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Earth Day Together! Earth Day Action: Write a Love Letter, Poem, or Song to Earth

What are you grateful for about our planet? Share what you created or your general thoughts of love and gratitude with everyone else!

Harper Dechant 4/22/2020 9:41 AM

I am grateful every day of all the things our planet does for us, we would be nothing without it. It supplies us with oxygen, food, water, and so much more. However, most of us do not take the time to think about it and how much it's doing for us. We truly have such a beautiful world and we need to stop taking that for granted. I think Earth Day gives us a good reason to think about how we are treating the place we live and what we could be doing better while also celebrating it.

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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?

Harper Dechant 4/20/2020 9:38 AM

Our oceans support us in many ways a big one for people is that they give us food options. While the food is good we also need to be careful about what we eat, how much we eat, and where it's from. In order to help the oceans, you should be aware of the seafood you are buying and maybe do some research before you do go buy it.

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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?

Harper Dechant 4/20/2020 9:15 AM

I know have a better idea of how to buy food and when I should buy it and eat it and stop eating it. I think I am more aware when buying food because I can get a better idea of how long I am going to have a product and how I can get the best out of the products I buy.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
People 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?

Harper Dechant 4/20/2020 8:07 AM

Lately, I have been more conscious about turning off my lights when I leave the room. I also try to only keep on the lights that I need. Every time I leave a room I try to be aware of how I am leaving it and how long I'm going to be gone.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Forests Forest-Friendly Foods

How difficult or easy was it to change your diet?

Harper Dechant 4/16/2020 8:33 AM

It was pretty difficult to change my diet because we are so used to buying certain products and we had to change our ways of purchasing food and pay more attention.

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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?

Harper Dechant 4/14/2020 12:43 PM

I researched giraffes and I learned that they are the tallest mammals on Earth, they're necks are too short to reach the ground, and they only need to drink once every few days, etc. I have always like giraffes and thought they were really interesting because of their size and unique features.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Building Resilience Volunteer in my Community

How does volunteering enhance your community and/or change your relationship with it?

Harper Dechant 4/12/2020 11:44 AM

Volunteering helps your community which can give you perspective on a side of where you live that you didn't know about before. It gives you an opportunity to connect with more people that you aren't normally around and you can form connections and bonds.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Climate Choose LED Bulbs

Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! In what other ways can you exercise your civic duty to protect the environment and reduce carbon emissions?

Harper Dechant 4/12/2020 11:39 AM

In order to protect the environment and reduce carbon emissions, you can walk more, carpool, bike, conserve water, recycle, eat locally, etc.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Forests Use a Reusable Mug

Maybe you've heard how good it is to switch from a single use coffee cup to a reusable one, but it's just hard to make the switch. What stands in your way of making this a habit? By identifying the challenges, you can begin to work through them to have better success in taking this action. Knowing the difference you are making, how does it make you feel?

Harper Dechant 4/10/2020 11:54 AM

I am really good about using reusable cups at home but when I go somewhere in public to get a drink I hardly ever take a cup. I think when I go out I should start bringing a mug or just keeping one in the car.

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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?

Harper Dechant 4/10/2020 11:43 AM

The guide advises someone who lives in North Carolina to eat certain seafood from certain areas (mostly from the U.S) and advise you not to eat certain seafood from places out of the country. I don't know exactly if the seafood I eat falls within the guidelines because I don't buy it but my mom is very conscious of the food she picks out so I'm sure she takes that into consideration.

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