Wendy Shepard
10/24/2018 10:02 AM
The river is within easy walking distance. Water from my drain is delivered to our community's new and modern treatment plant before it is discharged into the river.
Wendy Shepard
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 1,082 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO1.0community eventhosted or attended
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UP TO1.0documentarywatched
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UP TO0.0hoursvolunteered
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UP TO19meatless or vegan mealsconsumed
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UP TO285minutesspent learning
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UP TO51plastic strawsnot sent to the landfill
Wendy's actions
Health
Learn More about Food Deserts
I will spend 60 minutes learning about food deserts and find out how I can advocate for healthy and fresh food in my region.
Water
Insulate Water Pipes and Water Heater
I will avoid wasting water while waiting for the shower or sink to heat up.
Nature
Forage for My Food
I will use the 'Learn More' resources below to find where I can forage for my own food locally.
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.
Water
Install Greywater Catchment
I will install a greywater catchment system in my home.
Nature
Join An Outdoor Project
I will join an outdoor restoration project in my community.
Water
Collect Rain Water
I will create a rain garden or bioswale, or use rain barrels to collect water for outdoor watering needs.
Health
Learn About Local Environmental Justice Concerns
I will spend 120 minutes researching environmental justice concerns in my region, their causes, and local initiatives to address these concerns.
Waste
Skip the Straw
Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep 3 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.
Food
Reduce Animal Products
I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or 0 vegan meal(s) each day this week.
Energy
Turn it off
I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.
Food
Choose Organic Ingredients
I will enjoy 1 meal(s) cooked with organic ingredients each day.
Waste
Use Reusable Bags
I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.
Waste
Advocate For More Food Packaging Options
I will advocate for alternatives to single-use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, at work, or on campus.
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?
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Wendy Shepard 10/24/2018 10:07 AMI really enjoyed this challenge! Would like to continue to participate even after it is over! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWater Collect Rain WaterTrace the water that flows down the drain from your house to the largest body of water nearby. What is the route it takes?
The river is within easy walking distance. Water from my drain is delivered to our community's new and modern treatment plant before it is discharged into the river. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWater Insulate Water Pipes and Water HeaterHow do you think climate change will affect your region’s water supply? Think about the effects of weather, storms, salinity, and sea level rise, among other changes. How can you find out more about climate change’s impact to your region's water?
Wendy Shepard 10/24/2018 9:56 AMI may be mistaken, but I think our region's water supply will remain pretty secure. I do believe weather changes will be a challenge for local farmers in terms of erosion during unnaturally heavy rains and the effects of unseasonable temperature swings on crops. I am a member of several nonprofit organizations that regularly hold lectures. I also graduated from Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences so I receive a quarterly magazine that frequently addresses topics like this. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Advocate For More Food Packaging OptionsWhat concerns you the most about how we are affecting the planet? Consider both local and global actions.
Wendy Shepard 10/24/2018 9:42 AMLocally, I am concerned about the impact of fracking. I have attended lectures on both sides of this issue and I have come to the conclusion that it is a dangerous process as it affects public health and water supplies. Globally, I am concerned about climate change. I do believe that human activities have affected weather patterns and that we are rapidly we are reaching the point of no return. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Skip the StrawHow could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle?
Wendy Shepard 10/24/2018 9:34 AMI am fortunate that my parents and grandparents were great examples of how to be thrifty and happy. As an adult, nearly all of my friends embrace these values. I follow blogs that offer up ideas of how to repurpose items that would go into a landfill. I've actually stopped buying products that I like because the packaging could not be recycled. I think I'm doing pretty well! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Use Reusable BagsWhat do you do if you find yourself in the situation of needing a bag for items but don't have a reuseable 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 establish this a successful habit?
Wendy Shepard 10/24/2018 9:26 AMI nearly always forget to take bags into the store with me, but they are always in the trunk of my car. I either carry the items out in my hands, in my big purse, or in a cart and then bag them up with I get to my car in the parking lot. It's a little disorganized, but it has not been a problem for me. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONNature Forage for My FoodAmongst the motivations for foraging are: a source of food; means of income; connecting with nature; cultural tradition; or transmitting "local ecological knowledge, and a means for stewarding local and native plant populations" (McLain et al. 2012, 13). Which of these would be your chief motivation and why?
Wendy Shepard 10/24/2018 9:16 AMTransmitting knowledge and means for stewarding local and native plant populations is my greatest motivation. We are seeing how climate change is affecting native plants so much that it is impacting bird populations and pollinators. As I replace plants in my yard, I am selecting varieties that provide food for me as well as for the wildlife that depends on the berries and insects that they need to support migration. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONNature Join An Outdoor ProjectHow well do you know the area you live in? Is a deep knowledge of your surroundings -- known as a 'sense of place' -- important to you? If so, why?
Wendy Shepard 10/24/2018 9:09 AMI know my area very well and welcome every opportunity to learn more about its history. It is very unsettling to visit places where I grew up and see housing plans that have distorted the contours of the landscape so much that the only way to locate landmarks is by GPS and a plaque. Planners should strive to do better when it comes out to laying out new developments and industrial parks. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONHealth Learn More about Food DesertsWhat are the implications of access to nutritious food for a community?
Wendy Shepard 10/24/2018 9:03 AMGood nutrition directly contributes to improved public health. Children need a reliable source of nutritious food for physical and mental development. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONHealth Learn About Local Environmental Justice ConcernsWho is most affected by environmental degration and/or environmental irresponsiblity in your community? How are they affected?
Wendy Shepard 10/24/2018 9:00 AMIn my community, it is the children who are most affected. The kids don't seem to play outdoors very much. They need to be able to get out into nature where they can see wildlife and learn the benefits of all the different varieties of native plants so that they feel a part of and comfortable with their natural surroundings. I don't know that they understand how important stewardship to the land is for the future. The impact is to their physical and mental health.