Tess Van Gorder
"My mission is to develop more sustainable habits that reduce the waste in my life. "
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 1,178 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO1.0energy auditconducted
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UP TO2.0locally sourced mealsconsumed
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UP TO21meatless or vegan mealsconsumed
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UP TO270minutesspent exercising
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UP TO95minutesspent learning
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UP TO30minutesspent outdoors
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UP TO153pounds of CO2have been saved
Tess's actions
Nature
Forage for My Food
I will use the 'Learn More' resources below to find where I can forage for my own food locally.
Transportation
Choose a Carbon Offset
If buying a plane ticket, I will also buy a carbon offset.
Health
Support Pollution Reduction
I will spend at least 20 minutes learning about water and air quality issues in my area, how they are impacting human and environmental health, and how I can help.
Waste
Find Local Recycling Depots
I will spend at least 15 minutes finding out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in my curbside bin.
Health
Learn More about Food Deserts
I will spend 30 minutes learning about food deserts and find out how I can advocate for healthy and fresh food in my region.
Health
Learn About Local Environmental Justice Concerns
I will spend 30 minutes researching environmental justice concerns in my region, their causes, and local initiatives to address these concerns.
Health
Exercise Daily
Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 30 minute(s) each day.
Food
Buy From a Farmers Market
I will purchase produce and meat from a local farmers market or food co-op.
Waste
Go Paperless
I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by opting into paperless billing and ending unwanted subscriptions.
Food
Reduce Animal Products
I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or 0 vegan meal(s) each day this week.
Nature
Explore My Area
I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.
Simplicity
De-Clutter My Home
I will de-clutter, clean, and donate or recycle unneeded items in my home.
Health
Happiness
I will write down three things every day that I am grateful for, or send one email every day thanking or praising someone.
Energy
Online Energy Audit
I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.
Create Your Own Action
Attend Water Webinar on Tuesday
My goal is to attend the 1 hour webinar on water hosted by corporate responsibility. I want to learn more about how we help our clients manage their water use.
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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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?
Tess Van Gorder 10/24/2018 1:11 PMForaging for food would be a very unique way to connect with nature. It was very interesting to use the Falling Fruit website to see how much is tracked and what is around you. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONHealth Learn More about Food DesertsWhat are the implications of access to nutritious food for a community?
Tess Van Gorder 10/23/2018 12:33 PMHaving access to nutritious food sets you up for better longer term health outcomes. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONTransportation Choose a Carbon OffsetA round-trip flight from New York City to Los Angeles emits just over 1.5 tons of CO2—per person. That’s a lot of carbon! What can you do to reduce the number of flights you take per year?
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REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Buy From a Farmers MarketWhat is one food choice that you make, or could make, that would do more good and less harm?
Tess Van Gorder 10/21/2018 7:35 AMKeep better track of my food so less food can go bad before I have a chance to cook/eat it. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONNature Explore My AreaHow can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place?
Tess Van Gorder 10/20/2018 3:12 PMIt can make you feel more connected to the space you live in and make you appreciate it more. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Find Local Recycling DepotsOur ability to recycle certain things ebbs and flows based upon many factors. Luckily there are places that accept uncommon things to recycle or dispose of in a less harmful way. What did you find when looking for places to recycle items that can't be recycled in your curbside bin?
Tess Van Gorder 10/19/2018 11:02 AMI found that St. Paul offers a drop off organics service and will provide you with a container to get you started. It was very interesting to see how a majority of my waste could be composted. -
Tess Van Gorder 10/19/2018 10:51 AMDid you know that spending time in nature can improve blood pressure, boost mental health, and decrease cancer risk? Sounds like a great reason to challenge yourself to explore a new nature trail/walk in the area! -
Tess Van Gorder 10/18/2018 4:48 PMI love seeing all of the different challenges my co-workers have taken on for this challenge! -
Tess Van Gorder 10/17/2018 11:53 AMOnly one week left! The participation in this office has been great. Keep it up! -
Tess Van Gorder 10/11/2018 9:37 AMIs one of your goals to eat more whole foods, less meat, or to eat more fruit and vegetables? Here's a list of Minnesota's Seasonal Fruit & Veggies: https://www.thespruceeats.com/minnesota-seasonal-fruits-and-vegetables-2217187