

Megan Chandler
"“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” Jane Goodall"
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 1,961 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO1.0documentarywatched
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UP TO1.0energy auditconducted
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UP TO440gallons of waterhave been saved
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UP TO2.0hoursvolunteered
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UP TO870minutesspent learning
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UP TO120minutesspent outdoors
Megan's actions
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.
Simplicity
Needs Vs. Wants
I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach and only buy things I need.
Water
Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants
I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of plants and trees at my home or work.
Water
5-Minute Showers
I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers.
Simplicity
Track my Purchases
I will spend 30 minutes each day maintaining a record of all my purchases and learning about my spending habits.
Nature
Forage for My Food
I will use the 'Learn More' resources below to find where I can forage for my own food locally.
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.
Health
Take Control
Both system and personal sustainability are important! I will develop a plan with my medical professionals to achieve my best health and live my life to the fullest.
Community
Volunteer in my Community
I will volunteer 2 hour(s) in my community during the challenge.
Health
Know My health
I will get my Core Four Biometrics tests (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and BMI).
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
Insulate Water Pipes and Water Heater
I will avoid wasting water while waiting for the shower or sink to heat up.
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.
Nature
Explore My Area
I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.
Food
Weekly Meal Planning
I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.
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 QUESTIONHealth Learn More about Food DesertsWhat are the implications of access to nutritious food for a community?
Megan Chandler 10/24/2018 11:31 PMIgnore poverty and obesity, but instead focus on the education of the community. Learning how to not only help increase availability and access to all areas, but enabling security of having a meal (like healthy snacks for low income schools and communities) and additionally educating generations that come from these areas what healthy options are. We have to support the larger communities, and in turn we all become a healthier global community. -
Megan Chandler 10/24/2018 11:02 PM -
Megan Chandler 10/24/2018 10:42 PMGreat job everyone! This was a fun year :) -
REFLECTION QUESTIONSimplicity Needs Vs. WantsHow is creativity necessary for practicing simplicity?
Megan Chandler 10/24/2018 2:07 PMJoining local buy nothing groups, finding ways to check out from tool libraries, and really stepping back to make good choices when you purchase can not only be frugal, but well for the communities you live in. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONSimplicity Track my PurchasesWhat have you noticed about your purchases? Where are you inclined to make shifts, if any?
Megan Chandler 10/24/2018 2:06 PMI need to find ways to reuse or borrow more - some of the things that feel like needs could be borrows. -
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?
Megan Chandler 10/24/2018 2:05 PMAs Portland gets warmer seasons, it is important to recognize that the water in our lakes and rivers are decreasing. If I can waste less water (especially during the waste of that initial cold spill from my shower), we can help maintain a beautiful state. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWater Mulch the Base of Trees and PlantsWhere are your nearest natural bodies of water? How might they be affected by runoff?
Megan Chandler 10/24/2018 2:03 PMI live off of a wetland on a hill - by stopping runoff I am helping maintain the parks and protected spaces, but also protecting my neighborhood from flooding. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWater 5-Minute ShowersFive minute showers are an impressive step toward reducing your water footprint. What is the next step you can take?
Megan Chandler 10/24/2018 2:02 PMI'm interested in finding out how I can reclaim the water I am wasting - with limited funding, what creative ways can I collect the water that is safe to use on my plants or for other things. -
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?
Megan Chandler 10/24/2018 2:00 PMa source of food is where i connect - I like the idea of stopping waste but also finding and learning about local, native food options. We can reduce so much waste and meet others in our communities just by leaving our direct comfort of our home. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONHealth Take ControlHow do environmental health, community health, and your personal health intersect?
Megan Chandler 10/24/2018 1:58 PMThe environment and community health directly interact with personal health - the space you are in and how it is maintained is critical to your health - we are responsible for both our well being but also others as what we do has a long term impact on every faucet of our community.