Ecochallenge.org

Earth Day Ecochallenge

April 1 - April 30, 2020

Haley Swiger

Murraysmith

"To adopt practices and big and small that will have a long lasting impact"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
357 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

9.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

6.0

lightbulbs

replaced
UP TO

8.0

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

85

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

140

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

140

minutes

not spent in front of a screen
UP TO

9.0

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill

Haley's actions

Wildlife

Research Benefits of Biodiversity

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching how biodiversity positively impacts our world and how the loss of biodiversity harms it.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Oceans

Smart Seafood Choices

I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.

UNCOMPLETED
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

Climate

Choose LED Bulbs

I will replace 4 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

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

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

Action Track: Building Resilience

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 30 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

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

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

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

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

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?

Haley Swiger 4/08/2020 5:25 PM

So I decided to research skunks since I recently moved into a different home and we seem to have one that lives somewhere in our yard. We smell it almost every night just right outside our front door and I have started to grow this odd curiosity towards them. Now trust me I don't mind at all and am not planning on disrupting them if I don't have too but wanted to know what was up and if my pup is at risk by letting them hang around. So my favorite thing I learned was how they will leave these shallow holes randomly when they are search for bugs and whatnot at night. We have found these odd holes all over our new flower beds and couldn't figure out why. So it was interesting to find out where they came from. I did also discover they carry rabies so I am glad I researched skunks so I know that my concern for my dog encountering this skunk isn't misplaced.

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Haley Swiger 4/08/2020 4:58 PM

This sunshine has been awesome for going on walks in my neighborhood to help get some time out doors. Although it does feel weird whenever people cross the street to keep that six foot distance away from my family and I. But I appreciate the gesture it just feels odd.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Forests Forest-Friendly Foods

How difficult or easy was it to change your diet?

Haley Swiger 4/08/2020 4:56 PM

It has been difficult because I did not realize just how many products have palm oil in them. So I have been trying to find alternatives and am working on no longer purchasing items that contain palm oil if I am able. I have been working really hard on not drinking coffee and have switched to yerba mates to help give me a boost in the morning.

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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?

Haley Swiger 4/08/2020 4:53 PM

For me reducing carbon emissions is an over arching challenge that really is impacted but a multitude of factors in my life. Trying to eat less meat has been one of my biggest goals since there are so many facets of the meat industry that are adding to our overall carbon foot print. Additionally I always commute to work either visit public transit or ride share. In terms of electricity specifically we always choose the greenest option offered by our power company and strive to use energy efficient appliances and turn off anything we are not using such as lights and TV's, when we are not in the room.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Building Resilience Support Pollinators

Why is it important to take care of pollinators?

Haley Swiger 4/06/2020 4:05 PM

It is important to take care of pollinators because they are part of creating more plants. Native flowering plants such as douglas spirea, goldenrod and yarrow are some pollinating plants that are the most common and help stimulate further plant population growth and continuation.

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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?

Haley Swiger 4/06/2020 3:59 PM

I think one big implication is that we do not see ourselves as part of the natural world anymore. There is this separation that was created once we became more industrialized and we no longer have that physical connection to nature and its inhabitants. We created this "other" and now we are able to shuck ourselves of the blame of the state of our planet.

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Haley Swiger 4/06/2020 3:56 PM

Enjoying continuing to learn more about how to incorporate sustainable practices into my day to day life. Recently switched to bar shampoo and conditioners but am having some trouble adjusting. Anyone else familiar with these that may have some advice?

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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?

Haley Swiger 4/03/2020 5:24 PM

I think the type of products we use has a huge impact on freshwater locally and globally. By using all natural products you can easily filter out any impurities without such heavy industrial equipment. I had the opportunity to volunteer at an eco-architecture facility in India a few years ago, and they were able to use a pretty simple, and all natural, filtration system since we were all required to use 100% all natural soaps, shampoos and even toothpaste. All of the water was reused in their garden where a majority of the produce we ate came from. It was really cool to see in action how the types of products we use have an impact on the lifespan on our water.

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Haley Swiger 4/03/2020 5:16 PM

My challenge is going pretty good so far! I love how big of a variety of challenges there and that you can choose the difficulty of the challenge. It's encouraging me to look more into aspects of sustainability I never really considered before. This past year I have been really trying to work on incorporating more sustainable practices into my everyday life so this challenge is really helping me find ways to implement more of these practices.

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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?

Haley Swiger 4/03/2020 5:12 PM

I have to admit I have always been pretty inconsistent with when I throw out items regardless of their word choice. But knowing that most of these guidelines have to do with quality and taste rather than the safety of the food. So it's good to know that even if it is past the suggested date the chance of it making you sick is pretty slim. I found this article to be helpful

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/food-labeling/food-product-dating/food-product-dating

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