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Welcome to 2020 People's Ecochallenge!

Watch the short video below to learn the basics.
You'll be an 2020 People's Ecochallenge expert in no time!

Ecochallenge.org
2020 People's Ecochallenge
October 7 - October 28, 2020
Rachel Drochter's avatar

Rachel Drochter

Saint Louis Zoo Volunteers

"To learn and have fun while making a positive impact!"

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 305 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    advocacy action
    completed
  • UP TO
    2.0
    hours
    volunteered
  • UP TO
    200
    minutes
    spent exercising
  • UP TO
    65
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    60
    minutes
    not spent in front of a screen

Rachel's actions

Simplicity

Limit Social Media

Do at Home

I will limit my social media use to once each day reducing my daily use by 30 minute(s)

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Less Screen Time

Do at Home

I will replace 30 minute(s) of screen time each day with other activities.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Waste

Use the plastic footprint calculator

Complete the 3-minute consumption calculator to find ways to balance your plastic footprint.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Healing and Renewal

Go for a Daily Walk Outside

Do at Home

I will take a walk outside for 15 minutes each day.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Smart Seafood Choices

Do at Home

I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Volunteer in My Community

Do at Home

I will volunteer 4 hour(s) in my community during the challenge.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Watch a lecture series on climate change

The Aquarium of the Pacific has bundled a number of their past lectures on various aspects of climate change. You can pick and choose, but they have arranged them in a sequence that they believe presents a coherent picture of climate change and its impacts. Each of these lectures was presented by a leader in his/her field. See link below.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Support Local Pollinators

Do at Home

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Online Energy Audit

Do at Home

I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Read about sustainable living

Read a (new to you) book about sustainable living. Check the links for some suggested titles or ask a friend or fellow volunteer for a recommendation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Be a litter hero

Pick up trash in your neighborhood or a local park.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Build a bee condo

Help a very important native pollinator - bees! Provide a nesting spot.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Use the sustainable palm oil app.

Download the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo's sustainable palm oil shopping app.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Buy orangutan-friendly candy this Halloween

Orangutans and many other animals are in danger due to unsustainable palm oil plantations, which destroy their forest homes. Palm oil can be found in many products—even candy! We are dedicated to caring for animals, so we encourage you to consider purchasing candy that contains sustainable palm oil. For a list of suggestions, please visit: https://www.stlzoo.org/files/9815/6985/6138/STLZoo_Candy_Guide_for_Holloween.pdf

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
    Waste Use the plastic footprint calculator
    Were you surprised by your results? What did you learn?
    Rachel Drochter's avatar
    Rachel Drochter 10/20/2020 7:14 AM
    This was a real eye opener for me! Most of my plastic consumption and waste came from food and personal hygiene products (and amazon packages!). My calculator results showed that if everyone consumed plastic like me, there would be more plastic in the ocean than fish by 2028. Yikes!

    I was also especially interested in joining this challenge because of the social justice aspect. I want to gain a better understanding of how my actions affect not only the environment but also the lives of people I would never meet. The plastic footprint calculator hit this home for me...."Collecting the same amount of plastic as your annual footprint will take 8 full days for a waste picker scavenging in India’s landfills and streets yet only earns the person $22.23 in an informal industry designed to exploit."

    I think I can decrease my plastic footprint in areas of personal hygiene and care, and will spend some time during research on this topic. I have long advocated for and always by cruelty products but buy less plastic is my new challenge! 
    Read More
  • Rachel Drochter's avatar
    Rachel Drochter 10/07/2020 3:11 PM
    Happy first day everyone!
    Read More
  • Rachel Drochter's avatar
    Rachel Drochter 10/05/2020 11:26 AM
    I joined this challenge because I want to make a better effort to reflect on my own actions and how they impact others, pick up new, and better habits, and learn from our Zoo volunteers. You all have so much knowledge, experience and great ideas! 
    Read More