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October 3 - October 24, 2018
Nina Allen's avatar

Nina Allen

Port of Portland

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 923 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    6.0
    hours
    volunteered
  • UP TO
    53
    pounds of CO2
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    19
    disposable cups
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    6.0
    lightbulbs
    replaced
  • UP TO
    855
    minutes
    spent learning

Nina's actions

Health

Go get a check up

I will make an appointment for my annual physical.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Visit a Waste Management Facility

I will spend at least 120 minutes visiting a local dump/transfer station, material recovery facility, and/or landfill to learn about the waste stream.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Insulate Water Pipes and Water Heater

I will avoid wasting water while waiting for the shower or sink to heat up.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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

Support Local Pollinators

At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce fruit. I will spend 30 minutes researching which plants support local native pollinators and plant some in my yard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Track my Purchases

I will spend 6 minutes each day maintaining a record of all my purchases and learning about my spending habits.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Recycle Everything I Can

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 30 minutes researching and recycling all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community.

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Eco-friendly Gardening

I will plant native species, landscape with water-efficient plants, and use eco-friendly fertilizers.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

De-Clutter My Home

I will de-clutter, clean, and donate or recycle unneeded items in my home.

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Mug

I will avoid sending 1 disposable cup(s) to the landfill each day by using a reusable mug.

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Choose LED Bulbs

I will replace 6 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Volunteer in my Community

I will volunteer 6 hour(s) in my community during the challenge.

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

Health

Know My health

I will get my Core Four Biometrics tests (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and BMI).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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
    Nature Support Local Pollinators
    Why is it important to take care of pollinators?

    Nina Allen's avatar
    Nina Allen 10/23/2018 2:10 PM
    No pollination=no food.  It's a very simple equation.  Plus, they sound nice buzzing around in the garden.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Simplicity De-Clutter My Home
    How can you prevent yourself from accumulating more things in the future?

    Nina Allen's avatar
    Nina Allen 10/23/2018 1:57 PM
    Don't buy them in the first place!  It saves money and space.  I find that as I get older, I need a lot less stuff. 

    • Julie Kuhn's avatar
      Julie Kuhn 10/23/2018 2:00 PM
      I try to ask myself if this is a want or a need? when you truly think about it, most often you skip the purchase. Though not a "tiny home" I live in an 830 square foot home. Limits your purchases due to the fact you have limited space :)
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Simplicity Track my Purchases
    What have you noticed about your purchases? Where are you inclined to make shifts, if any?

    Nina Allen's avatar
    Nina Allen 10/23/2018 1:54 PM
    Knowing I was tracking my spending made me very careful about pulling out my wallet.  I spent very little discretionary money during this challenge.  Its been great!

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Recycle Everything I Can
    What have you learned about what is accepted by local haulers for recycling, what you can drop off or ship to certain places, and what is not recyclable in your area? What is the most difficult part of recycling for you?

    Nina Allen's avatar
    Nina Allen 10/23/2018 1:52 PM
    visiting a recyle center was very eye-opening!  I have been unknowingly contaminating the recycle system.  When in doubt, throw it out.  Those plastic containers pre-washed greens come in are NOT recyclable.  I have stopped buying them.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Use a Reusable Mug
    Maybe you've heard how good it is to switch from a single use coffee cup to a reuseable one but it's just hard to make the switch. Think about what stands in your way of making this a habit. By identifying the challenges, you can begin to work through them to have better success in taking this action. Knowing the difference you are making, how does it make you feel?

    Nina Allen's avatar
    Nina Allen 10/23/2018 1:48 PM
    Not planning ahead when I leave my home or office leads me to buying drinks in single-use cups.  I need to make sure I have a durable cup in my go bag before I leave the house.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Water Eco-friendly Gardening
    What are the most prominent water concerns in your area? Examples include drought, flooding, pollution, access, security, and privatization.

    Nina Allen's avatar
    Nina Allen 10/23/2018 1:45 PM
    Mt. Hood Snow cap.  Pollution from fertilizer run-off.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community Volunteer in my Community
    What is one thing you can do to help your community become more sustainable?

    Nina Allen's avatar
    Nina Allen 10/23/2018 1:43 PM
    I can replace more of my grass with native, low-water usage plants.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Water Insulate Water Pipes and Water Heater
    How 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?

    Nina Allen's avatar
    Nina Allen 10/23/2018 1:42 PM
    Summers are getting hotter and drier.  Snow caps are not as deep. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Nature Forage for My Food
    Amongst 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?

    Nina Allen's avatar
    Nina Allen 10/23/2018 1:11 PM
    I want to steward local and native plants.  Native and local grow better, and usually need less water during the summer months.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Energy Choose LED Bulbs
    Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! In what other ways can you exercise your civic duty to protect the environment and reduce carbon emissions?

    Nina Allen's avatar
    Nina Allen 10/17/2018 1:42 PM
    Walk instead of drive for short trips.  Don't let the water run when I am brushing my teeth and washing my face.