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April 1 - April 30, 2020
Isaac Fortner's avatar

Isaac Fortner

Lam Research Global

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 506 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    25
    minutes
    spent learning

Isaac's actions

Fresh Water

Eco-friendly Gardening

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Fresh Water

Dishwasher Efficiency

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

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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!).

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

Wildlife

Leave No Trace

I will respect and protect biotic communities by practicing the seven principles of Leave No Trace when doing nature activities alone or with family and friends.

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
    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?

    Isaac Fortner's avatar
    Isaac Fortner 4/24/2020 8:32 AM
    I researched river otters in Oregon. I discovered that river otters are highly susceptible to water pollution, and are used as a "sentinel species" for gauging the effects of pollution on a water system. 

    Otter numbers declined drastically on the Willamette River through Portland due to heavy pollution in the mid 20th century. Thankfully, cleanup efforts and anti-pollution regulations have caused the otters to return, Their numbers along the river continue to grow, and I have seen a few wild otters on my kayak trips. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Wildlife Leave No Trace
    Educator Stephanie Kaza advises her students to focus on what they care about most when addressing the enormity of ecological problems. Is there a specific area you feel particularly called to work on?

    Isaac Fortner's avatar
    Isaac Fortner 4/10/2020 8:16 AM
    I've seen the impacts of erosion firsthand on my property, with soil loosening and falling into the creek below our house, so that's an area I special attention to when out in nature. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Wildlife Use Reusable Bags
    What do you do if you find yourself in the situation of needing a bag for items but don't have a reusable one with you? Carry things out in your hands? In a cart? Accept a disposable one? If you find yourself in this position often, what system could you put in place to try to create a successful habit of not using plastic bags?

    Isaac Fortner's avatar
    Isaac Fortner 4/10/2020 8:14 AM
    I have reusable bags in my car, but if I forget to bring one into a store, I'll either use a cart to bring them to my car, or carry the items in my hands. 
  • 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?

    Isaac Fortner's avatar
    Isaac Fortner 4/10/2020 8:13 AM
    With so much rain in Oregon, we are careful what pesticides and fertilizers we use in our yard, as runoff from our yard goes directly in the creek below our house. 

    We only use natural fertilizers, and promote natural pesticides like ladybugs and praying mantises to feed on pests. We also only plant native plant species, which are already adapted to our soil and environmental conditions, and don't need as much assistance to grow effectively. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Fresh Water Eco-friendly Gardening
    What are the most prominent water concerns in your area? Examples include drought, flooding, pollution, access, security, and privatization.

    Isaac Fortner's avatar
    Isaac Fortner 4/01/2020 2:49 PM
    Flooding is an issue in my area, as there are a lot of natural springs running across my property. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Fresh Water Dishwasher Efficiency
    How can your region/household prepare for changing water situations in order to become more resilient?

    Isaac Fortner's avatar
    Isaac Fortner 4/01/2020 2:47 PM
    Rain barrels are a great way to harvest rainfall that would otherwise run down the sewer.