Leslie van Gelder

Siskiyou Climate Crew

"Trying to make a better world for my grandkids!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
652 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

89

conversations

with people
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

336

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

148

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

167

minutes

spent learning

Leslie 's actions

Action Track: Building Resilience

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

I will watch 2 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

Action Track: Building Resilience

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 3 meatless meal(s) and/or 2 vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Wildlife

Research a Wild Animal

I will spend at least 60 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

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

Fresh Water

Conserve Toilet Water

I will save up to 12 gallons (45 L) of water a day by flushing only when necessary.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Building Resilience

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 7
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Building Resilience

Get Involved in the Water Justice Movement

I will spend at least 5 minutes a day using the resources provided to learn about water justice and find out how I can get involved in local initiatives.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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?

Leslie van Gelder 4/17/2020 7:49 AM

Yes, I felt freer yesterday on my bike on the bike path (very few people) than I have felt in a long time! Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a traffic-free downtown area around the plaza and Lithia Park?! Other cities have done this in the US, and some of my favorite cities in Mexico have done it, too (Guanajuato, Oaxaca). In this time of Stay at Home, you can dream new dreams of how things could change!

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- Ana B 4/21/2020 2:23 PM
  
  I think it would be amazing!...and I think more people would be motivated to take the bus, since they wouldn't be able to park conveniently.
  
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Leslie van Gelder 4/16/2020 1:15 PM

I took my new electric bike out for a spin today. What fun! I’m looking forward to many less car miles with it.

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- Erin M 4/16/2020 8:49 PM
  
  Leslie, that's wonderful! It must have felt so good - what a day! Kathy, I'm 100% with you! I see photos of towns in Europe that are closed to cars and only have bikes, and it looks like paradise! Sometimes I envision parking lots at either end of Ashland for tourists, and folks bus or train or bike to town, with downtown as an idyllic pedestrian / biking scene. It's a lovely vision!
  
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- Kathy Conway 4/16/2020 4:20 PM
  
  Wouldn't it be great to turn Ashland into a bike - not car town. Can't you visualize the plaza area with just people walking and riding bikes - not cars. You can walk to the shops and not have to worry about cars. What would it take to make this happen?
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Fresh Water Conserve Toilet Water

What would a sustainable water future in your region look like? What needs to change?

Leslie van Gelder 4/06/2020 9:31 PM

What would a sustainable water future look like in our area? The most pressing thing is to reduce GHG, so people would ride bikes or walk to get places or take public transportation. We would reduce lawns in our yards and use regenerative agriculture instead in landscaping, mulching to save water. We would reduce our consumption of new consumer goods which use so much water in their production. We would decrease our personal water consumption in bathing, flushing toilets, washing dishes and clothes. And we would plant trees and preserve forests.
What would it take to make these changes? There would need to be policy changes to preserve our forests and to expand our public transportation. There would need to be education and we would need to change our personal water use habits.

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- Ana B 4/10/2020 3:27 PM
  
  Love this answer! Super thoughtful, and definitely takes in the bigger picture.
  
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- Ana B 4/10/2020 3:27 PM
  
  I wonder what sort of policy could be implemented to help shift these behaviors, seeing as most people lean towards what is easiest...
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Wildlife Leave No Trace

Educator Stephanie Kaza advises her students to focus on what they care about most when addressing the enormity of ecological problems. Is there a specific area you feel particularly called to work on?

Leslie van Gelder 4/01/2020 5:47 PM

I want my actions to reflect my concern for the natural world. When I am out in nature, I want to be respectful and feel like I am not doing harm.

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Leslie van Gelder 3/31/2020 3:00 PM

I’m looking forward to taking the challenge for a second time. Not sure how that works? Do I get points for doing the same things again? That doesn’t sound right!

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- Leslie van Gelder 3/31/2020 6:08 PM
  
  Thanks, Erin. That helps.
  
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- Erin M 3/31/2020 4:16 PM
  
  Good question! Actually, at the bottom of each challenge is a little radio button that says "I ALREADY DID THIS" - that in effect removes those things you already do, so you can no longer claim them. Which frees up room for you to do new things! And you can always create your own challenge if you're doing something Eco Friendly but don't see it on the list : )
  
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