Ecochallenge.org

Earth Day Ecochallenge

April 1 - April 30, 2020

Mattie Palme

Asheville High School

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
637 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

17

miles

traveled by foot
UP TO

160

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

23

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

17

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

5.0

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

12

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

10

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

16

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill

Mattie's actions

Oceans

Say No to Plastic Straws

An estimated 71% of seabirds and 30% of turtles have been found with plastics in their stomachs. When marine wildlife ingest plastic, they have a 50% mortality rate. By asking for no straw when placing a drink order, I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) of out of the ocean each day.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Wildlife

Research a Wild Animal

I will spend at least 30 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

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

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

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Wildlife

Research Benefits of Biodiversity

I will spend at least 20 minutes researching how biodiversity positively impacts our world and how the loss of biodiversity harms it.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Climate

Use Muscle Power

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips, and I will only use muscle-powered transportation for all other trips.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Climate

Choose LED Bulbs

I will replace 10 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Fresh Water

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 1 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

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

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

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

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
Fresh Water Use a Reusable Water Bottle

Using the links provided, investigate the bottling practices of water corporations. There have been many cases where the water rights of the local people have been violated or even completely disregarded when a corporation decides to bottle water from a particular water source. How can you advocate for those who have been harmed - both humans and wildlife - by this bottling process?

Mattie Palme 4/30/2020 7:22 PM

Yes there have been cases. I can stand against these companies by not buying their bottled water.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Forests Explore My Area

How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place?

Mattie Palme 4/30/2020 7:12 PM

It lets you see what nature is like and have experiences for yourself and have your own thoughts without others influencing you.

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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?

Mattie Palme 4/30/2020 6:49 AM

Oceans can provide food, but they can also be treated to be turned into drinkable water. I can not throw away trash as much so that less trash ends up in the ocean.

Read More
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.

Mattie Palme 4/29/2020 7:35 PM

We have a river that will flood certain areas of the town if it rains a lot. Also, we have some pollution because of how many cars are running, which isn't a lot compared to some really big cities.

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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?

Mattie Palme 4/28/2020 8:49 PM

I do not eat seafood, and so I can't do anything to change the seafood I eat. However, my parents do eat seafood, and I think that they try to make sure their food is sourced well. I can help this by further informing them by using the links on this website.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Building Resilience Support Pollinators

Why is it important to take care of pollinators?

Mattie Palme 4/28/2020 8:14 PM

Pollinators are very important for the earth, and for the food we eat. Without them, we would lose a third of our food source. We have to take care of them because in the past and currently we are destroying the planet and they are struggling to do as much work as they did before.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Climate Use Muscle Power

How do your transportation choices affect your engagement in your community? Does your experience or enjoyment differ while walking, riding transit, biking or driving?

Mattie Palme 4/28/2020 7:59 AM

Riding in a car or bus is more boring than biking and walking, because when I walk I have more time to see my surroundings.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Wildlife Research Benefits of Biodiversity

How can you encourage biodiversity by your own actions?

Mattie Palme 4/28/2020 7:55 AM

Humans can not pollute the earth as much, meaning for me, I can throw out less things, and take cars less. This will help biodiversity because animals are getting killed off from pollution, so by reducing pollution, the animals can continue living better.

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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?

Mattie Palme 4/20/2020 8:53 PM

Now that I have learned about the dates, I can know what food I can still eat and what needs to be thrown away. This can help the health of me and my family, but also reduce food waste because I will know when to buy things if I need to use them on a certain day.

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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?

Mattie Palme 4/20/2020 1:40 PM

I researched jellyfish because I also needed to do it for another school project. I don't really have any favorite things about jellyfish, other than that I think they look cool.

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