April 1 - April 30, 2020

Frida Velez

"I care about the amount of CO2 released into our atmosphere from big companies and suburban neighborhoods, and I want to slow it down."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,301 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

130

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

50

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

165

disposable cups

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

252

conversations

with people
UP TO

168

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

169

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill

Frida's actions

Wildlife

Research a Wild Animal

I will spend at least 10 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

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 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Oceans

Learn about Our Oceans

I will spend at least 30 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

Climate

Creation for Enviornment

Create something: a poster, song, lyric, poem, drawing, dedicated to the environment, climate change, or a specific topic related to climate change.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

People

TIKTOK #FORCLIMATE

We change or the climate does. 🌎🌿🌱 Create a TikTok video #ForClimate. Show us the impacts of extreme weather and then share how you're going to make a difference. BE CREATIVE! Be sure to tag #ForClimate

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

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 3 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

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 14
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 27
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

Fresh Water

Eco-friendly Gardening

I will plant native species, landscape with water-efficient plants, and use eco-friendly fertilizers.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

People

First Days of Spring

I will honor the first days of spring by taking a picture of something in nature and posting it somewhere, ideally on social media.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Wildlife

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

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

Forests

Use a Reusable Mug

If possible, I will avoid sending 2 disposable cup(s) to the landfill each day by using a reusable mug.

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

Frida Velez 5/01/2020 4:55 AM
I learned from the challenge that it can be easy and fun to help save the earth, but it's also very effective if you just spend 10 minutes researching something about the earth.

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Frida Velez 4/22/2020 7:15 AM
We have 8 days left. Everyone should try to check in every day and complete some challenges so we can win this challenge! Lumiere is catching up!

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- Jaime Desormeaux 4/22/2020 8:37 PM
  Yes they are!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Forests

How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place?
Frida Velez 4/20/2020 5:10 AM
Spending more time outdoors increases your sense of place because it can lower your perceived stress levels and benefit your mental health. This gives you a sense of place in your mind. Also, a study found that people who exercise outdoors instead of indoors or in a gym makes them feel 50% happier. So if you go outdoors instead of staying cooped up inside, it really makes you feel as if you have your own place, your own hideaway to be proud of. Finally, walking more outside is supposed to strengthen your cardiovascular health, reduce stress, improve mood and self-esteem, bring you toward a healthy weight, strengthen bones, and enhance creative thinking. All of these good things give you a sense of place inside your body.

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- Jaime Desormeaux 4/24/2020 8:25 PM
  Connecting with life, even if the life form doesn't talk, will always have the potential to create more joy.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Wildlife

Why is it important to take care of pollinators?
Frida Velez 4/19/2020 12:56 PM
It's important to take care of our pollinators because crops need pollination in order to survive and for us to be able to eat them. For every 3 bites of food we take, 1 of them is from crops that depend on pollinators. And many people work in the produce and food industry (and depend on it for income), just domestic honey bees produce $10 billion worth of crops each year. Plus, other animals in the world depend on pollinated crops to survive, and if they didn't have those plants to eat, whole species could die out. Lastly, bees and other pollinators are part of the circle of life too, and they need a habitat and food to live on.

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Frida Velez 4/17/2020 7:44 AM
The other teams are catching up to us. We have a little less than two weeks left of this challenge, I think we can step up and show our appreciation for the earth by trying to complete at least one challenge every day.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Fresh Water

What are the most prominent water concerns in your area? Examples include drought, flooding, pollution, access, security, and privatization.
Frida Velez 4/12/2020 11:07 AM
The most prominent water concerns in my area are unsafe drinking water (chlorine, bacteria/viruses and leachate) and minor drought.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Oceans

What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?
Frida Velez 4/11/2020 10:24 AM
I usually use ZipLoc bags, plastic straws, and bubble wrap. But I could substitute them for reusable plastic containers and paper/metal/ceramic straws. For the bubble wrap, I could reuse it for other packages, or keep it to make it into art.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Oceans

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?
Frida Velez 4/10/2020 7:40 AM
I think that my diet choices in fact do fall within these guidelines, but steps for someone to take in order to make sure they do are to research types of fish that you can eat and fish that you shouldn't eat, based on the amount of mercury/overfishing/farming choices/endangerment. Then, whenever they go to a store to purchase fish, they should ask whether the fish were sustainably farmed. If the answer is no or "I don't know," the person should recommend an app to the store for finding sustainably-raised fish. Always pick the fish that you already know are better for eating before you buy anything.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Fresh Water

How can your region/household prepare for changing water situations in order to become more resilient?
Frida Velez 4/09/2020 7:34 AM
My region/household can prepare for changing water situations in order to become more resilient by understanding my water footprint, turning off the tap while brushing my teeth or shaving, avoiding beauty products with harsh chemicals, only washing full loads of laundry, buying high-efficiency plumb fixtures, and/or collecting rainwater (runoff) to water my plants.

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Frida Velez 4/08/2020 9:27 AM
It's nice to have goals every day with this challenge. Chikara is doing well so far, and I know we can win against the other teams and show that we really care about the earth.

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