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April 1 - April 30, 2020
Erica Toussant's avatar

Erica Toussant

WSP USA Ecochallengers

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 640 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    68
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • UP TO
    40
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    695
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    650
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen
  • UP TO
    362
    pieces of litter
    picked up

Erica's actions

Food

Gardening

Attend webinar about small space gardening. How to create a sustainable and eco-friendly garden for food and activity.

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

Climate

Calculate Personal Carbon Footprint

Complete your personal carbon footprint calculator. Go to www.wsppact.com and answer the questions for each section. The process takes about 10 minutes. Details about your utility bills and travel will be required. Please be as accurate as you can, but it’s not required to search for receipts.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Vedge Pledge and Webinar

I challenge you to go veg for a week. Sign up and I will provide you with daily updates during the week of the challenge (April 20th to 25th - send me an email that you want to join at julie.sinistore@wsp.com) We will have a webinar on Wednesday, April 22nd (Earth Day) at 9am Pacific/noon Eastern about the environmental impacts of food. Join the webinar and/or take the pledge :)

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Oceans

Learn about Our Oceans

I will spend at least 20 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

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

People

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 10 piece(s) of litter each day while following the CDC’s current guidelines for prevention of disease transfer.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 2 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Wildlife

Research a Wild Animal

I will spend at least 20 minutes learning about a wild animal I find interesting, including their life cycle, habitat, ecosystem functions, and interactions with humans (if any!).

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Wildlife

Use Reusable Bags

Plastic bags can be mistaken for food by many wild animals. If at all possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases, including produce bags.

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

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.

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

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
    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?

    Erica Toussant's avatar
    Erica Toussant 4/27/2020 2:44 PM
    The ocean is the main source of our air supply, providing 70% of the oxygen we breathe.  We can take care the ocean by properly disposing of our waste so it does not reach the ocean and affect the wildlife.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Forests Explore My Area
    How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place?

    Erica Toussant's avatar
    Erica Toussant 4/23/2020 6:58 PM
    Spending more time outdoors will increase your sense of place to the areas you spend your time.  I enjoy bike rides and walks along a nearby bike path. At first, there was uncertainty about the path, but over time, the turns of the path and the cracks in the pavement all became familiar. It feels like part of my life and where I live. Exploring new paths will increase the areas of belonging. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Vedge Pledge and Webinar
    How does food impact your carbon footprint?

    Erica Toussant's avatar
    Erica Toussant 4/23/2020 6:48 PM
    Food production accounts for around one fourth of our carbon emissions. Different foods have differing amounts too with meat accounting for more than most plant-based foods.  Adopting diets that reduce or eliminate animals products will overall decrease your carbon footprint. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    People Keep My Community Clean
    How does the act of picking up litter connect you more to your community?

    Erica Toussant's avatar
    Erica Toussant 4/11/2020 4:58 PM
    Removing trash from parks and along the street is like sweeping the floor of your home. Your community is your home.  Yes, some people don't clean their houses well, but you should take care of the things that you have. It's an investment of time and care into where you live that will help you to feel more like it's home.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Building Resilience Support Pollinators
    Why is it important to take care of pollinators?

    Erica Toussant's avatar
    Erica Toussant 4/11/2020 10:08 AM
    We hear about studies where a part of ecosystem is depleted and it's a snowball effect.  When these species are re-introduced, the ecosystem balances out once again.  If we do not take care of pollinators, we will see reductions in genetic diversity and a lack of food production.  Maintaining what we have means we need to take care of all aspects of the ecosystem.  
  • 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?

    Erica Toussant's avatar
    Erica Toussant 4/07/2020 7:00 PM
    This does ring true for me.  While there is a wealth of knowledge literally at our finger tips on our computers, phones, TVs, etc., being outdoors gives you a whole other experience that staying indoors cannot provide.  It gives us an opportunity to feel part of something much bigger than ourselves, which is where I think people at all ranges of spiritual and emotional levels and connect with one another on.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Reduce Animal Products
    Why do people in richer countries eat more meat than people in other places? How does eating more meat affect our planet and other people?

    Erica Toussant's avatar
    Erica Toussant 4/07/2020 5:23 AM
    Part of the reason more affluent people eat meat is accessibility.  Meat is more of a luxury and is often not inexpensive, especially if it is quality meat.  Meat and other animal products are contributing to climate change.  The difference in terms of a global impact that could be made if everyone just replaced one meal containing meat a day for a vegetarian or vegan dish is astounding.  
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Wildlife Use Reusable Bags
    What do you do if you find yourself in the situation of needing a bag for items but don't have a reusable one with you? Carry things out in your hands? In a cart? Accept a disposable one? If you find yourself in this position often, what system could you put in place to try to create a successful habit of not using plastic bags?

    Erica Toussant's avatar
    Erica Toussant 4/07/2020 5:19 AM
    Sundays are grocery shopping days, so I typically don't have this issue as I make the trip specifically for the store.  Every now and then, if I need to pick up an item or two on an off day and don't have a bag in my car, I will use a paper bag from the store if they are available.  I have carried items out without any bag if it's only a couple of items.