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October 3 - October 24, 2018
Barbara Widhalm's avatar

Barbara Widhalm

Human 2, Merritt College

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 868 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    30
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    375
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    832
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    11
    zero-waste meals
    consumed

Barbara's actions

Food

Zero-Waste Cooking

I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED 16
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Choose a Carbon Offset

If buying a plane ticket, I will also buy a carbon offset.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Forage for My Food

I will use the 'Learn More' resources below to find where I can forage for my own food locally.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Practice Gratitude for Earth

I will spend 15 minute(s) each day outside, practicing gratitude (prayer, meditation, journaling, etc.) for Earth and the nature surrounding me.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Switch to Cold Water

I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 1,600 lbs of C02 over the course of the next year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Explore My Area

I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Create Your Own Action

Air-drying my clothes

I will buy a clothes rack and air-dry my laundry. I currently do this with large items, but with a clothes rack I can easily do this with all my laundry. I grew up doing this in Europe, where it is common practice, but got into the habit of using a dryer in the US.

COMPLETED 5
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
    Food Zero-Waste Cooking
    In North America, up to 65% of food waste happens at the consumer level. Chef Steven Satterfield advocates for utilizing every part of a vegetable. How can you incorporate using an entire vegetable, including the skins, tops, and stalks during your next meal prep?

    Barbara Widhalm's avatar
    Barbara Widhalm 10/23/2018 2:04 PM
    This is what I do when I do my vegetable soup / bone broth combination. I find this ritual nourishing for soul, body, and spirit. I have started a habit of keeping all vegetable ends in the fridge or freezer, and when it comes time to make bone broth, I take them out, along with fresh vegetable scraps from making soup (ideally from Imperfect Produce veggies - further reducing food waste). It's a real treat when I take the time to do this. I feel grounded, nourished, and more in tune with the cycle of life. I plan to start my next broth project in about a week, so I appreciate the reminder!

  • Barbara Widhalm's avatar
    Barbara Widhalm 10/23/2018 2:01 PM
    Today, I finally got around to doing my last EcoChallenge: researching urban foraging options. Mapping out urban fruit trees in our neighborhood is something my daughter and I have done for fun in the past, so it was very cool to see that there is an actual map where I can locate edible plants and trees in my neighborhood! https://fallingfruit.org/.  Yum! 

  • Barbara Widhalm's avatar
    Barbara Widhalm 10/19/2018 2:58 PM
    These last two weeks of EcoChallenge have coincided with 2 very tough weeks for me, and so I have felt especially grateful for the gratitude practice and nature gratitude practice I signed up for. What a difference it makes to just even stop for a moment appreciating life.

    • ashley alred's avatar
      ashley alred 10/19/2018 3:17 PM
      I have just joined this challenge, and I can see how the mindful practices are very useful!  

  • Barbara Widhalm's avatar
    Barbara Widhalm 10/13/2018 7:00 PM
    Today I purchased my carbon offset for a flight to a conference in New York, and put in a little extra. I specifically wanted to support an effort that involves tree planting and regenerative forestry. Many of the recommendations in Project Drawdown (http://www.drawdown.org), focus on regenerative agriculture and forestry, and so that's where my heart was pulling me. I selected Arbor Foundation: https://www.arborday.org/takeaction/carbon/impact.cfm. At the recent Climate Action Summit parallel events in San Francisco, there were several really inspiring speakers and programs on the power of regenerative agriculture and building soil. I wonder if there might be an ongoing eco-challenge there for me, to support a regenerative project like that, perhaps one tree a week or so. Something for me to investigate for the remainder of this EcoChallenge!

  • Barbara Widhalm's avatar
    Barbara Widhalm 10/10/2018 10:06 PM
    Today I finally took the time again for my soup making ritual, ingredients from my Imperfect Produce box and farmers market. The vegetable ends I throw in a crock pot with bones (yes, that's a bit of meat protein, but my acupunturist says it's better for my health, and at least these are organic, grass-fed, and locally raised). I love when I can reuse my vegetable ends this way. Sometimes I keep them in the freezer for my next bone broth project. After everything has simmered for a few days, the remaining ends will be composted....This pot of soup will last me four 4 - 6 days, the bone broth several weeks probably. I listened to ocean wave sounds with Tibetan bells as I was making the soup - after a day with lots of screen time teaching, this immersion in smells, sounds, and textures was a real treat for me, even before tasting the outcome! So grateful! I hadn't done this in a while and the EcoChallenge reminded me of the multiple benefits of preparing food in this way, mindfully and with no waste, and with love, of course. 

  • Barbara Widhalm's avatar
    Barbara Widhalm 10/08/2018 8:48 PM
    Today I was especially mindful with my snacking habits - teaching online, I tend to be a notorious snacker, which is actually not that great for my health, and my body has been telling me that in no uncertain terms. I removed my snacks from my desk drawer and didn't even miss them that much. Instead, I took about three short walks around the block between online tasks, appreciating the beauty of my neighborhood.  I especially enjoyed seeing the children in my neighborhood park and on the street. I loved taking in their curiosity and delight with simple discoveries. What a welcome role modeling for me :)

  • Barbara Widhalm's avatar
    Barbara Widhalm 10/07/2018 9:36 PM
    Today I spent some time with my friends at Russian House #1 in Jenner, on the way back from teaching at SSU. It's a donation-based restaurant: you choose what you pay, and they offer a simple but tasty collection of homemade dishes, usually not more than five or six items, with many ingredients sourced from local farmers. They always welcome volunteers, and I felt so much gratitude sweeping the restaurant floor this morning while letting go of the dust in my mind at the same time.  It's a place that nurtures community, spontaneous conversation and collaboration, and creativity. Musicians often gather there, and there are also facilitated evening events on a regular basis, on topics such as an alternative economy, or mindfulness practices. The view of the Russian river meeting the ocean is magnificent: Simplicity coupled with community can feel truly abundant.  http://www.russian-house1.com/.  

    • Michael Rezaee's avatar
      Michael Rezaee 10/08/2018 4:57 PM
      I have to check this out! Me and my friends are always looking for eclectic places that serve local, and delicious meals. Thanks for the share! Business with a mission + food = love haha

  • Barbara Widhalm's avatar
    Barbara Widhalm 10/05/2018 11:14 AM
    I started this day with an early morning nature walk, practicing gratitude for the gift of life, and I can really feel the difference! I am grateful for the reminder this EcoChallenge is offering me. I used to spend time in nature a lot more regularly during the week and have lately let my busy schedule get in the way. What a difference starting the day surrounded by trees!

  • Barbara Widhalm's avatar
    Barbara Widhalm 10/04/2018 10:04 AM
    It's an extremely busy time of the semester for me, this week especially, so I actually appreciate the grounding practices that are part of this challenge: the gratitude for nature practice and daily gratitude/happiness practice. And I look forward to doing some investigating as part of some of the other challenges (e.g. local foraging options!)