Skip to main content

Modal Title

Modal Description

Welcome to Earth Day Ecochallenge!

Watch the short video below to learn the basics.
You'll be an Earth Day Ecochallenge expert in no time!

Ecochallenge.org
Earth Day Ecochallenge
April 1 - April 30, 2020
joe windler's avatar

joe windler

WashU Together

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 345 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    68
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    1.0
    mile
    not traveled by car
  • UP TO
    1.0
    mile
    traveled by foot
  • UP TO
    250
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    250
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen
  • UP TO
    1.4
    pounds
    food waste prevented
  • UP TO
    7.0
    pounds
    waste composted
  • UP TO
    3.7
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved

joe's 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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

People

Register for Earth Day

I will register for a FREE ticket to attend the virtual St. Louis Earth Day Festival which spans from April 18-26, 2020, in order to gain access to daily live content and links that highlight the amazing work in our community that are paving way for a more sustainable future.

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

Food

Weekly Meal Planning

I will reduce food waste and save money by prepping for 1 meal(s) each day, only buying the ingredients I need.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Compost Food Waste

I will avoid sending up to .69 lbs (.31 kg) of food waste to the landfill each day by composting my food or learning how to.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Building Resilience

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

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

Climate

Local Climate Issues

I will spend at least 15 minute(s) a day researching climate issues or climate solutions in my local area and share with others through my team feed, social media, or conversations with my peers.

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?

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    People Register for Earth Day
    Why is it important that we learn about environmental advocacy in our own community?
    joe windler's avatar
    joe windler 4/21/2020 6:51 AM
    The environmental movement is a grass roots movement.  Work at the local level is an important part of the whole and is tackled best by those that are familiar with their specific hurdles and opportunities. 
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Weekly Meal Planning
    An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Does this surprise you? Where would you rather use this money?
    joe windler's avatar
    joe windler 4/21/2020 6:46 AM
    It's shocking, but it's not surprising.  I'd put that $1,500 into tackling food insecurity!
    Read More
  • 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?
    joe windler's avatar
    joe windler 4/21/2020 6:44 AM
    Yeah, it rings true.  To stay indoors is to deny ourselves connections with the place from which we and all other life came.  Spending a majority of our time indoors is like refusing to learn from past mistakes or denying that your early years shaped who you are today.  If you don't embrace your natural habitat, how do you know what it really means to be a human?
    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.
    joe windler's avatar
    joe windler 4/14/2020 7:14 AM
    Flooding is a major concern along the Mississippi and Missouri riverfronts, however much of this is due to massive human intervention.  We build dams and levees that disrupt the natural flow of water during changes between high and low water levels. sometimes the results are catastrophic.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Compost Food Waste
    New to composting? Be sure to check out the action resource links to learn tips and more about it. As you transition from throwing food away to composting, what do you notice about how much you are tossing? How will you use your compost once it is ready?
    joe windler's avatar
    joe windler 4/14/2020 7:09 AM
    Since we've started composting, it's amazing how little we are taking out the trash!  Between recycling and composting, our trips to the dumpster are about 1 per month, maybe even less in the winter when things tend to stink less over time.  We bring our compost to the community garden where it gets mixed with others and eventually used as a rich fertilizer for the garden beds.
    Read More