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October 3 - October 24, 2018
Gray Wyatt's avatar

Gray Wyatt

SouthCoast Team

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 784 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    30
    disposable cups
    not sent to the landfill
  • UP TO
    544
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    150
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    30
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    18
    plastic straws
    not sent to the landfill

Gray's actions

Health

Support Pollution Reduction

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about water and air quality issues in my area, how they are impacting human and environmental health, and how I can help.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Support Native Communities

I will use the resource links provided and spend 30 minutes learning about the native populations that lived in my area prior to colonization, and what I can do to support those that still exist.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Plant an Herb Garden

I will plant an herb garden in my home, workplace, or dorm room.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Audit Toxic Cleaning Products in my Home

I will spend 30 minutes researching toxic chemicals found in cleaning supplies and personal care products and remove them from my home.

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

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

Waste

Use a Reusable Mug

I will avoid sending 2 disposable cup(s) to the landfill each day by using a reusable mug.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Learn About Local Environmental Justice Concerns

I will spend 30 minutes researching environmental justice concerns in my region, their causes, and local initiatives to address these concerns.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Go get a check up

I will make an appointment for my annual physical.

UNCOMPLETED
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

Water

Conserve Toilet Water

I will save up to 12 gallons (45 L) of water a day by flushing only when necessary.

COMPLETED 17
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

5-Minute Showers

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

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use Reusable Bags

I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Skip the Straw

Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

COMPLETED 18
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
    Community Support Native Communities
    Indigenous speaker and activist Winona LaDuke says that, "most indigenous ceremonies, if you look to their essence, are about the restoration of balance — they are a reaffirmation of our relationship to creation. That is our intent: to restore, and then to retain balance and honor our part in creation." Why is balance important to sustainability?

    Gray Wyatt's avatar
    Gray Wyatt 10/24/2018 2:41 PM
    The reason we need to sustain this planet in the first place is because everything is out of balance. There's too much, too little; too much waste, too much heat, too much pollution, too little bees, not enough fish. The point of sustainability is attempting to restore balance and keep it, more or less.

  • Gray Wyatt's avatar
    Gray Wyatt 10/24/2018 2:21 PM
    It's not difficult to change a handful of small day to day choices for a month, and to encourage others to do so to. I see no reason to stop th goals even the challenge ends. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Plant an Herb Garden
    Consider the ways you can garden: a plot of land? a patio container? hanging basket? windowsill gardens? What would work best for your living situation and lifestyle?

    Gray Wyatt's avatar
    Gray Wyatt 10/17/2018 1:22 PM
    Technically my dorm is not an ideal place to grow plants at all, considering that I have very little control over temperature there. However,it is possible to set out a cart next to my dorm window which plants can live on.Which the now do. What lovely green friends!
  • 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?

    Gray Wyatt's avatar
    Gray Wyatt 10/12/2018 12:43 PM
    Reduce to three minutes. Go big or go home. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Nature Support Local Pollinators
    Why is it important to take care of pollinators?

    Gray Wyatt's avatar
    Gray Wyatt 10/12/2018 12:41 PM
    Most plants cannot reproduce without pollinators. Plants are primarily immobile beings, they can't pollinate for themselves. Taking care of pollinators means their population flourishes, and so does the population of the plants. 
  • 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?

    Gray Wyatt's avatar
    Gray Wyatt 10/12/2018 12:40 PM
    The main issue is corporate law. On a number of occasions I go someplace and ask to use my reusable mug and they say no, it's against the rules. I could only go to places that let me do it, but most of the time that's not a sound plan budget-wise. The only way to really help is to reduce intake in general. I wish more corporations would let themselves be sustainably conscientious. 

    • Jamie Jacquart's avatar
      Jamie Jacquart 10/24/2018 7:35 AM
      Well said! Maybe we can advocate for our on campus dining services to adopt this?
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Skip the Straw
    How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle?

    Gray Wyatt's avatar
    Gray Wyatt 10/09/2018 5:37 AM
    The most I have in terms of recyclables is bottles. Though I'd love to cut those out of my life, it is currently unmanageable in my living situation, though I do not drink water from those bottles, only other liquids. Afterwards the bottles are can be used for things like holding paint and dyes, or for paint water, which is the primary thing I would need a holding receptacle for. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Use Reusable Bags
    What do you do if you find yourself in the situation of needing a bag for items but don't have a reuseable one with you? Carry things out in your hands? In a cart? Accept a disposable one? If you find yourself in this position often, what system could you put in place to try to establish this a successful habit?

    Gray Wyatt's avatar
    Gray Wyatt 10/09/2018 5:33 AM
    If the object is small enough it just goes straight into my shoulder bag, which I always have with me, and is also where I keep my reusable bag. I typically have to carry my things home on a bus, so if I forget a bag I am forced to put my things in a disposable bag. Fortunately this does not happen often, as I only go shopping when I am prepared to shop, and therefore I always have my bag with me when I shop.