Ecochallenge.org

2018 People's Ecochallenge

October 3 - October 24, 2018

Melissa Hayes

Columbia Bank

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,128 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

community event

hosted or attended
UP TO

83

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

1.0

conversation

with a person
UP TO

210

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

60

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

342

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

135

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

1,890

minutes

spent exercising

Melissa's actions

Create Your Own Action

Productive Morning

Goal #1) In bed and ready to sleep by 9:30 pm WHY? to get sufficient sleep and be able to accomplish Goal #2) Awake and out of bed by 5:30 am to re-establish morning SAVERS - minimum of 10 minutes each: S - Silence (Meditation) A - Positive Affirmations V – Visualization (for my future) E – Exercise R – Reading S – Scribing/Writing (gratitude journal) WHY? When I go to bed early and get up early, it matches my circadian rhythm. I'm happier, more productive, and make better life decisions.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a walk for 30 minutes each day.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Exercise Daily

Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 60 minute(s) each day.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Meditate

I will meditate or create a moment of silence for 10 minute(s) each day to reflect on things important to me.

COMPLETED 21
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 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Work-Life Balance

I will not work more than 8 hour days each day to practice work-life balance.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Replace Manual Thermostats

I will replace manual thermostats with programmable ones.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Find Local Recycling Depots

I will spend at least 30 minutes finding out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in my curbside bin.

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

Food

Try a New Way to Prep

I will try a new method of food preparation, such as canning, pickling, or baking bread.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Eco-friendly Gardening

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Fix Leaky Faucets

I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities that have been wasting up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water per faucet every day.

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

Community

Host a House Party

I will host a house party with 1 friends and/or colleagues to watch a movie or present a guest speaker on an environmental issue that matters to me.

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

Food

Meet My Local Farmers

I will visit my nearest farm to find out who produces my food, and will learn about the quality of life of those who produce my food in other regions of the world to make better choices when I shop.

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
Health Happiness

How does/can practicing gratitude keep you centered and motivated to work for a better world?

Melissa Hayes 10/22/2018 1:17 PM

Writing down 3 things that I am grateful for each day helps me notice the small things that contribute to my happiness, things which are easily overlooked but so very important.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Water Fix Leaky Faucets

Fixing leaky faucets is one of the tasks that we can easily put off until later. Good job on completing this action! How will you use the momentum from completing this action to increase your water efficiency?

Melissa Hayes 10/17/2018 10:36 AM

I turn off the faucet when I brush my teeth and I'm more aware of how long I'm in the shower. Both of these should increase my water usage.

Read More
Melissa Hayes 10/16/2018 2:13 PM

Enjoying this ecochallenge.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Meet My Local Farmers

When you know who produces your food, you are connecting personally to your complex regional food system. What are the advantages of knowing who produces your food and where it comes from? Do you think this might enable someone to advocate for a better quality of life for those who produce their food, both near and far?

Melissa Hayes 10/16/2018 2:11 PM

I visited a chicken farm and now buy my eggs directly from the farmer. I know how the chickens are raised and that they are actually free range chickens. The eggs taste better and there is no middle man. The farmer gets paid directly for his work.

Read More
Melissa Hayes 10/15/2018 11:52 AM

The challenges I've chosen are making me more aware of how my actions, or inactions, impact the world around me.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Explore My Area

How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place?

Melissa Hayes 10/12/2018 8:51 AM

Spending time outdoors helps me connect with the earth and brings me peace.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Try a New Way to Prep

Canning and pickling food is a great way to have delicious summer fruits and vegetables all year round. Just make sure to follow the canning and pickling guidelines from the USDA. What are some foods that you would like to preserve and enjoy later in the year?

Melissa Hayes 10/12/2018 8:46 AM

I harvested walnuts (about 1,000) from a neighbor's tree this year. I've removed the husks and air dried them for 3 weeks now. Some I will give as gifts others I will be shelling and roasting to preserve and enjoy this winter.
I hope to pickle carrots and cauliflower in the future.

Read More
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?

Melissa Hayes 10/11/2018 10:03 AM

My chief motivation for foraging for food, is to connect with nature and knowing where my food comes from.

Read More
Melissa Hayes 10/10/2018 3:22 PM

The action I'm enjoying the most is my gratitude list. I'm noticing more things to be grateful for every day :)

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy Replace Manual Thermostats

How do you anticipate replacing your thermostats for programmable ones will positively impact your life?

Melissa Hayes 10/09/2018 9:01 AM

Having a programmable thermostat has and will continue to positively impact my life as follows:
•My gas bill in the winter will be lower and my electric bill in the summer will be less so I will save money and resources
•I don't need to remember to turn down the heat before bedtime, the house is cooler when I go to bed so I sleep better
•The house is warm when I wake up, so it's easier to get up in the morning and exercise before work
•The heat/air conditioning automatically adjusts to comfortable settings before I go to bed, before I wake up, and when I leave for work and on weekends so I save money and resources and the house is more comfortable without having to manually adjust the thermostat. It's wonderful!

Read More