Ecochallenge.org

Earth Day Ecochallenge

April 1 - April 30, 2020

Melissa Kluesner

HealthPartners (Sustainability Department)

"Making the world a better place one day at a time."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,390 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

advocacy action

completed
UP TO

86

conversations

with people
UP TO

114

disposable cups

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

360

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

2.0

hours

volunteered
UP TO

225

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

60

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

104

pieces of litter

picked up

Melissa's 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.

COMPLETED
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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

People

Volunteer in my Community

I will volunteer 2 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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Wildlife

Research Benefits of Biodiversity

I will spend at least 60 minutes researching how biodiversity positively impacts our world and how the loss of biodiversity harms it.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Wildlife

Research a Wild Animal

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!).

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Fresh Water

Eco-friendly Gardening

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Building Resilience

Connect While Social Distancing

I will connect with at least 1 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

Forests

Explore My Area

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Forests

Use a Reusable Mug

If possible, I will avoid sending 1 disposable cup(s) to the landfill each day by using a reusable mug.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

People

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 1 piece(s) of litter each day while following the CDC’s current guidelines for prevention of disease transfer.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

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

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

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?

Melissa Kluesner 4/30/2020 6:58 AM

Question for others...
Did you enjoy the challenge? Did you feel you put enough effort into the challenge?

Read More
- Samantha McKeough 4/30/2020 9:01 AM
  
  I really enjoyed the challenge! It was a great "distraction" during this unprecedented time. I also enjoyed cleaning up my neighborhood throughout the past 30 days.
  
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- Melissa Kluesner 4/30/2020 6:59 AM
  
  I enjoyed the challenge a lot. It helped me focus on something other than Covid-19 and myself right now...put the focus on the environment and how I can help our world be a better place to live, grow and raise my kids.
  
  Read More
Melissa Kluesner 4/30/2020 6:55 AM

Last day of the challenge! Good work everyone!

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Melissa Kluesner 4/29/2020 9:00 AM

Challenge is going well today! Planning to spend my lunch break with an outdoor walk. Bringing a garbage bag today to hopefully fill with trash!

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Melissa Kluesner 4/27/2020 11:44 AM

Is it just me or does it seem like there is more garbage in the ditches this year than previous years? I keep forgetting to bring a garbage bag with me on my runs outside. So much to clean up!

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Melissa Kluesner 4/26/2020 5:48 PM

We are into the final week of the eco challenge. How did everyone do? Did you feel you put enough effort into the challenge? Wish you would have done more? Feel good about the end result?

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Melissa Kluesner 4/25/2020 4:35 AM

Here’s a little “Spring haiku” 🙂

Tree buds emerging
Gentle breeze makes cool, crisp air
Hear morning birds sing.

Read More
Melissa Kluesner 4/24/2020 7:31 AM

Just finished my last "one time challenge" and I continue to participate in most of my daily challenges!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Wildlife Research Benefits of Biodiversity

How can you encourage biodiversity by your own actions?

Melissa Kluesner 4/24/2020 7:30 AM

I can encourage biodiversity by educating others about the benefits of biodiversity, continuing to plant varying species of plants, preventing spread of invasive plant species, planting plants that encourage pollinators like butterflies and bees, learning and educating myself about varying species of animals and insects, especially those that might be endangered. Together we can encourage biodiversity in animals, insects, plants, etc so that we all can benefit.

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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?

Melissa Kluesner 4/24/2020 6:04 AM

I researched the red fox. My main interest in learning about the red fox is because it's a predator of my chickens and ducks and I wanted to learn more about its habits. I learned that the red fox is a carnivore and typically prey on small rodents but will secondarily prey on birds or poultry. They can commit acts of surplus killings and have been known to kill up to 200 birds at one time, which can be devastating to backyard chickens and ducks. They typically reproduce in the spring and it's usually when they have live young when they might pursue surplus killings. I think the red fox is a really neat animal and I'm glad I learned more about them.

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Melissa Kluesner 4/22/2020 9:24 PM

What did everyone do for Earth Day?

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- Samantha McKeough 4/23/2020 7:16 AM
  
  I went for a walk around Lake Harriet with a friend and we picked up any litter that we saw. We also weren't the only ones doing this, so that was fun to see!
  
  Read More