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April 1 - April 30, 2020
Sovan Woydak's avatar

Sovan Woydak

Asheville High School

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 406 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    15
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    275
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen
  • UP TO
    275
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    14
    conversations
    with people
  • UP TO
    5.0
    hours
    volunteered
  • UP TO
    1.0
    advocacy action
    completed
  • UP TO
    10
    plastic bottles
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    60
    gallons of water
    have been saved

Sovan's actions

Action Track: Building Resilience

Volunteer in my Community

I will volunteer 5 hour(s) in my community helping people who are most at need right now, including elderly and immunocompromised people, people without childcare, and people whose jobs have been affected by social distancing measures.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

I will spend at least 15 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

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

People

Connect While Social Distancing

I will connect with at least 3 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

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 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

I will watch 1 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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Fresh Water

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 4 disposable plastic bottle(s) a day.

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

People

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 60 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

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 Smart Seafood Choices
    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?

    Sovan Woydak's avatar
    Sovan Woydak 4/09/2020 8:28 AM
    In the US, it is recommended that people eat 12 ounces of fish per week about two average meals to create a healthy diet. There are a lot of advisories when it comes to fish and mercury levels because consuming a lot of fish can mean that your consuming high amounts of mercury. My diet fits well within the advisory because I try to limit seafood a lot!
  • 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?

    Sovan Woydak's avatar
    Sovan Woydak 4/08/2020 9:32 AM
    Sell-by dates are not apart of safety data and lead to billions of food waste every year. The research I did made me realize that we can pretty much ignore them when seeing if food is safe for consumption. Best by dates should be regarded with more caution because that is the date that the product should be consumed to assure good quality. This makes me much more comfortable shopping at grocery stores that sell "expired products" that otherwise would become food waste. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Building Resilience Volunteer in my Community
    How does volunteering enhance your community and/or change your relationship with it?

    Sovan Woydak's avatar
    Sovan Woydak 4/08/2020 9:19 AM
    I've been volunteering my making masks for people in my community and for the hospitals. At this point, it is a good idea for everyone to wear a mask when they go out and about so by helping to provide masks, I'm helping to protect a lot of people. That feels really good and It's really nice to see how happy people become when I tell them what I'm doing. I was feeling really stuck on the best way to help create solutions to the crisis while maintaining social distancing however, this has been a great way to plug in!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Fresh Water Dishwasher Efficiency
    How can your region/household prepare for changing water situations in order to become more resilient?

    Sovan Woydak's avatar
    Sovan Woydak 4/08/2020 9:12 AM
    Both my region and household can prepare for the changing water situation by starting to value water more. We need to learn to value the social, economic and environmental benefits water provides us with in order to properly manage the resource. I believe we need to create a change in our mindset which will lead to changes in the way we use water. Only then can we stay resilient as the water crisis descends upon us!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Fresh Water Conserve Toilet Water
    What would a sustainable water future in your region look like? What needs to change?

    Sovan Woydak's avatar
    Sovan Woydak 4/04/2020 4:12 PM
    A sustainable water future means that everyone is able to meet their water needs while not damaging or effecting the water needs of future generations. The biggest change that would need to happen is for water use in homes to decrease to only meet households' needs rather than their wants. We take water for granted and overuse it very regularly since there are little to no immediate consequences. Limiting water usage in households through conscious actions (ex. not flushing the toilet as often) and by using the technology available to us ( ex. gray water systems) is a great way to create a sustainable water future. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Fresh Water Use a Reusable Water Bottle
    Using the links provided, investigate the bottling practices of water corporations. There have been many cases where the water rights of the local people have been violated or even completely disregarded when a corporation decides to bottle water from a particular water source. How can you advocate for those who have been harmed - both humans and wildlife - by this bottling process?

    Sovan Woydak's avatar
    Sovan Woydak 4/03/2020 7:04 PM
    1. Through my research, I learned about how water companies often tap spring-fed sources and get their water pretty much for free while depleting the sources and violating water rights. The best way to advocate for people being affected by the process is to simply stop buying bottled water. There are various efforts and bills being pushed for that ban and limit these companies' abilities to take local communities water. Supporting these is another good way to advocate against bottled water. A lot of times, people are not educated about their rights so working to make sure small communities know when big companies are violating their rights is a great way to advocate and spreading the message that bottled water isn't better. In fact, most tap water is just as good!

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    People 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?

    Sovan Woydak's avatar
    Sovan Woydak 4/03/2020 7:02 PM
    Every day, we are expected to take on a lot of tasks and get things done. In order to accomplish what is expected of us, we often tune out of our bodies and the outside world. I think this statement rings very true, just think of what an important part of a child's imagination nature plays. However, as we develop and take on the pressures of society, we start to lose that connection. As we become more out of tune with nature, we become more unbalanced. Being outside and connecting with nature is a form of free therapy, it's a way to get back to our roots. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    People Connect While Social Distancing
    How does connecting with others help your own mental and emotional health? How can it help support others?

    Sovan Woydak's avatar
    Sovan Woydak 4/01/2020 8:49 PM
    I'm an over-thinker and always feel like my head I full of thoughts. Being able to connect with other people helps me free up my mind and get things out! It can help others by having someone listen to them talk and making sure they feel heard. Also giving others advice when they ask for it is super helpful.