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October 3 - October 24, 2018
John Chapman's avatar

John Chapman

HP Vancouver, WA

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 606 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    460
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    195
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    195
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen
  • UP TO
    44
    plastic straws
    not sent to the landfill

John's actions

Nature

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 15 minute(s) each day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Collect Rain Water

I will create a rain garden or bioswale, or use rain barrels to collect water for outdoor watering needs.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Say No to Plastic Straws

An estimated 71% of seabirds and 30% of turtles have been found with plastics in their stomachs. When they ingest plastic, marine life has a 50% mortality rate. By asking for no straw when placing a drink order, I will keep 2 plastic straw(s) of out of the ocean each day.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

5-Minute Showers

I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers.

COMPLETED 23
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Ditch the Lawn

I will replace my lawn with a drought-tolerant landscape and save the water, money, and time I used to spend cutting the grass.

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?


  • John Chapman's avatar
    John Chapman 10/23/2018 6:50 PM
    Rain started up this evening... now fill my rain barrels Gaia

  • John Chapman's avatar
    John Chapman 10/22/2018 12:44 PM
    Could be the last day of dry weather around here.  Get out there and enjoy it!


  • John Chapman's avatar
    John Chapman 10/20/2018 5:32 PM
    Beautiful day for mulching leaves.  The leaves are falling almost as fast as I can pick them up, but hey its just one day in the fall battle and I  enjoy being out there. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Nature Spend Time Outside
    Rachel Carson said that we need the beauty and mysteries of the natural world for our spiritual and emotional development. Does that ring true for you? What are the implications for a culture that spends most of its time indoors?

    John Chapman's avatar
    John Chapman 10/18/2018 8:07 AM
    I think we must connect with our surroundings.  If you don't step away from all the electronic connections,  get outside and open yourself up to this beautiful world that surrounds us I think you will find that you become sad, angry and attached to ideas that conflict with our natural world.

  • John Chapman's avatar
    John Chapman 10/17/2018 12:59 PM
    My challenge is going well but I must admit the one I thought would be easy has not been so easy.  The 5 minute shower!  After a hard days work around the houses I really wanted the long hot shower.  I stuck to the 5 minutes and a warm shower, but I really wanted to just stand and soak for a while under a needle spray of hot water... dream on.

  • John Chapman's avatar
    John Chapman 10/11/2018 6:06 AM
     With Autumn upon us the maples in my yard leaves have turned and have begun to fall.  They are so beautiful I almost feel bad mulching them for garden compost.  This is a wonderful time of year to just walk outside, look up and appreciate this beautiful world we live in.  
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Water Ditch the Lawn
    What is the main water source in your region?

    John Chapman's avatar
    John Chapman 10/03/2018 8:13 AM
    Our main water supply in the region (going from Troutdale Oregon to Vancouver WA is the Troutdale Aquifer.  Learned about this in a college run rain barrel making class.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Water Say No to Plastic Straws
    What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?

    John Chapman's avatar
    John Chapman 9/25/2018 6:14 AM
    Not only say no to straws but to plastic grocery bags.  It's easy!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Water 5-Minute Showers
    Five minute showers are an impressive step toward reducing your water footprint. What is the next step you can take?

    John Chapman's avatar
    John Chapman 9/25/2018 6:13 AM
    Easy one for me.  I served in the Navy and a warm 5 minute shower is a luxury.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Water Collect Rain Water
    Trace the water that flows down the drain from your house to the largest body of water nearby. What is the route it takes?

    John Chapman's avatar
    John Chapman 9/25/2018 6:12 AM
    Water drain from my house ends up in the Columbia river.