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April 1 - April 30, 2020
Andrea (Ang) Ortiz's avatar

Andrea (Ang) Ortiz

The Hartford Environmental Action Team

"To create goals that allow me to focus on sustainability living that benefits the planet. I will commit to picking 2-3 goals daily/weekly that will support this statement. "

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 1,000 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    257
    pieces of litter
    picked up
  • UP TO
    1.0
    community event
    hosted or attended
  • UP TO
    755
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    312
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    90
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    93
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    4.0
    documentaries
    watched
  • UP TO
    10
    pounds
    food waste prevented
  • UP TO
    518
    gallons of water
    have been saved

Andrea (Ang)'s actions

People

Connect While Social Distancing

I will connect with at least 2 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

People

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 2 piece(s) of litter each day while following the CDC’s current guidelines for prevention of disease transfer.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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

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

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

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Oceans

Join a Cleanup Effort

I will host or participate in a trash pickup at a local river or beach that follows the CDC’s current guidelines for prevention of disease transfer.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Oceans

Learn about Our Oceans

I will spend at least 60 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

Action Track: Building Resilience

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

I will watch 3 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

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

Action Track: Earth Day Together!

Earth Day Action: Research and Support Local Organizations

I will spend 60 minutes researching local organizations and businesses in my community, then support one of them by writing a testimonial or positive review, ordering curbside, making a donation to my favorite nonprofit, or supporting them in another way.

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: 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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

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?

    Andrea (Ang) Ortiz's avatar
    Andrea (Ang) Ortiz 4/30/2020 11:51 AM
    With the world today there is not much choice on not flying.  But I have made smart choices and only even drive when I have to. I am lucky to have a store close by so an easy walk and bike ride when the weather is nice.  I will continue to do this over driving when I can to further reduce emissions from my car as while as saving money on gas.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Building Resilience Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty
    How does food sovereignty address the complex agrarian transition to modern food systems?

    Andrea (Ang) Ortiz's avatar
    Andrea (Ang) Ortiz 4/30/2020 11:49 AM
    It is funny as I found this question in a Harvard study when researching.  Modern food systems rely on single seeds from the same suppliers. We need to look at different species.  Documentaries are informative but articles were very hard to ready and understand.  I recommend documentaries. 

  • Andrea (Ang) Ortiz's avatar
    Andrea (Ang) Ortiz 4/30/2020 11:45 AM
    Great challenge everyone.  I learned a bunch from the videos and research this time around.  Thank you for the great ideas and new behaviors created. 
  • 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.

    Andrea (Ang) Ortiz's avatar
    Andrea (Ang) Ortiz 4/29/2020 5:40 AM
    I am lucky to live in an area (Upstate NY) where water is plentiful.   Even at times of drought, our water table is high enough that we are able to manually water our plants and garden as needed.   Pollution would most likely be the biggest factor.  It amazes me the amount of trash that is on the side of the roads and will ultimate end up in a body of water too. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Earth Day Together! Earth Day Action: Research and Support Local Organizations
    Why is it important to support local organizations and businesses? How does it help to build a more resilient community?

    Andrea (Ang) Ortiz's avatar
    Andrea (Ang) Ortiz 4/29/2020 5:38 AM
    Supporting local organizations keeps the economy flourishing in our own backyards.  That in turn makes folks have pride in where they live. The benefits of a flourishing economy where people have pride is also good for the environment.  People in these communities are more apt to take care of their surroundings and each other. Never doubt what a great sense of community can do. 
  • 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?

    Andrea (Ang) Ortiz's avatar
    Andrea (Ang) Ortiz 4/27/2020 5:28 AM
    We watched the documentaries on Netflix called Mission Blue and End of Line- both very educational regarding fishing impacts as well as overall human footprint in the Oceanic world.  
  • 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?

    Andrea (Ang) Ortiz's avatar
    Andrea (Ang) Ortiz 4/27/2020 5:26 AM
    We do not eat a lot of fish in general, but the fist that we do consume fall into the guidelines advised for our region. 
  • 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!

    Andrea (Ang) Ortiz's avatar
    Andrea (Ang) Ortiz 4/27/2020 5:25 AM
    My children and I made posters on the importance of recycling for Earth Day.  We also got out and cleaned up our local trail. 

  • Andrea (Ang) Ortiz's avatar
    Andrea (Ang) Ortiz 4/27/2020 5:22 AM
    Must watch-  Mission Blue documentary on Netflix.  It follows a well know Oceanographer.  Very educational and interesting. 

  • Andrea (Ang) Ortiz's avatar
    Andrea (Ang) Ortiz 4/27/2020 5:20 AM
    Saturday was a beautiful day here locally.  We were able to finally get back outside for a long period of time after a rainy on and off week.   We continued our quest to pick up as much litter as we could while also getting in lots of walking time.