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April 1 - April 30, 2020
Makayla Mayton's avatar

Makayla Mayton

Asheville High School

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,120 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    129
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    3.0
    lightbulbs
    replaced
  • UP TO
    75
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    690
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    675
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen
  • UP TO
    38
    pieces of litter
    picked up
  • UP TO
    78
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    131
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved

Makayla's actions

Climate

Stay on the Ground

Instead of traveling by plane, I will find an alternative way to accomplish the goals of an upcoming trip (i.e. telepresence, vacation locally).

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

Fresh Water

Eco-friendly Gardening

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

COMPLETED
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.

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

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

Climate

Choose LED Bulbs

I will replace 3 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

People

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 5 piece(s) of litter each day while following the CDC’s current guidelines for prevention of disease transfer.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Building Resilience

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

Action Track: Building Resilience

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 20 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!).

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 3 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Building Resilience

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

People

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 1
DAILY 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
    Climate Stay on the Ground
    What was your process like for restructuring your trip? How can you avoid more air travel in the future?

    Makayla Mayton's avatar
    Makayla Mayton 4/15/2020 6:12 PM
    Thinking about the trips I would typically take via plane was a little difficult. I don't usually travel but my family does on business. So, the process of reconstructing one of their regular trips out of state (minus the plane) was looking at other options for transportation in correlation with distance and the smallest amount of emissions. In the future, my family and I can closely look at the distance/mode of transportation to find the perfect fit for the trip and the environment.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Forests Forest-Friendly Foods
    How difficult or easy was it to change your diet?

    Makayla Mayton's avatar
    Makayla Mayton 4/14/2020 1:05 PM
    I think this varies from person to person. For me personally I don't think it will be that difficult and I can find substitutes that don't contribute to deforestation! 
  • 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.

    Makayla Mayton's avatar
    Makayla Mayton 4/14/2020 8:11 AM
    According to several local websites manganese is a naturally present in the reservoirs that serve Asheville. However, when those levels get too high, discoloration occurs. Another water issue according to Citizen Times is the bacteria pollution in the French Broad River, this can be caused by agricultural runoff, sewage leaks and faulty wastewater treatment plants, etc.
  • 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?

    Makayla Mayton's avatar
    Makayla Mayton 4/12/2020 5:24 PM
    -A large portion of humans food supply comes from the ocean
    -About 70% of Earth's oxygen comes from the ocean
    One way I can take care of ocean health is by switching from plastic to reusable bags.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Fresh Water Dishwasher Efficiency
    How can your region/household prepare for changing water situations in order to become more resilient?

    Makayla Mayton's avatar
    Makayla Mayton 4/11/2020 11:06 AM
    My family and I can work on taking shorter showers, doing laundry less frequently, and we can be more mindful about dish washing. If we do these things we can prepare our household for the changing water demand and become more resilient. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Forests Explore My Area
    How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place?

    Makayla Mayton's avatar
    Makayla Mayton 4/10/2020 6:00 PM
    Spending time outdoors can help me connect with nature, be healthy/active, and overall be appreciative. 
  • 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?

    Makayla Mayton's avatar
    Makayla Mayton 4/09/2020 7:42 PM
    -I can make sure that I take less car trips in order to reduce emissions.
    -Change my diet so I eat lower on the food chain (more fruits and vegetables)
    -Go to thrift stores as opposed to purchasing fast fashion
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    People Keep My Community Clean
    How does the act of picking up litter connect you more to your community?

    Makayla Mayton's avatar
    Makayla Mayton 4/08/2020 4:43 PM
    Picking up litter connects you to your community because you are able to scale the amount of trash damaging the environment. It also restores the community, as well as keeping the earth clean. The act of picking up litter can also cause a domino affect: someone witnessing you picking up garbage may encourage them to do the same.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Building Resilience Research Benefits of Biodiversity
    How can you encourage biodiversity by your own actions?

    Makayla Mayton's avatar
    Makayla Mayton 4/07/2020 9:10 PM
    i can support biodiversity by doing whatever I can to protect native animals. I can do this by picking up garbage around Asheville so animals eat anything harmful. People can also attract more diverse wild species by providing food, shelter, privacy, etc. 
  • 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?

    Makayla Mayton's avatar
    Makayla Mayton 4/06/2020 4:16 PM
    I agree with Rachel Carson. I believe that we spend most of our valuable time inside. Many people do not appreciate the outside world. By doing this it implies that many humans are unappreciative and disconnected with the natural world.