Ecochallenge.org

2020 People's Ecochallenge

October 7 - October 28, 2020

Melanie Stewart

UNMC / Nebraska Medicine LiveGreen

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
802 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

51

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

490

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

270

minutes

spent learning

Melanie's actions

Action Track: Healing and Renewal

Happiness

Do at Home

I will write down three things every day that I am grateful for, or send one email every day thanking or praising someone.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

De-Clutter My Home

Do at Home

I will de-clutter, clean, and donate or recycle unneeded items in my home.

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Needs Vs. Wants

Do at Home

I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach and only buy things I need.

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Eco-Friendly Gardening

Do at Home

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Sign Up to Vote

Do at Home

I will make sure I’m registered to vote. While I’m at it, I’ll sign up to help others register too!

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Forgiveness

Do at Home

I will begin, or continue, on the journey of forgiving myself and/or other(s). I may do this through journaling, meditation, prayer, and/or talking with a licensed healthcare professional.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Try a New Way to Prep

Do at Home

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Reduce Animal Products

Do at Home

I will enjoy 2 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Healing and Renewal

Joyful Movement

Do at Home

I will spend 30 minutes doing an activity where I'm both moving my body and enjoying myself.

COMPLETED 13
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Healing and Renewal

Core Values

Do at Home

We may find more meaning and joy in life when our actions are aligned with our personal values. I will determine what my top 3-5 core values are so that I can better align my actions with them.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

Learn About Trans, Femme, and Nonbinary Experiences

Do at Home

I will spend 60 minutes learning about the experiences of trans, femme, and/or nonbinary people.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community

Support Native Communities

Do at Home

I will use the resource links provided and spend 60 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

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
Action Track: Healing and Renewal Core Values

What are your top 3-5 core values? How did you narrow it down to those as being your core values?

Melanie Stewart 10/28/2020 1:15 PM

This was an interesting exercise for me, and I'm glad resources are provided--it's nice to know what I'm looking at has been vetted, rather than doing a google search. While I felt some of the value conflict examples were a little extreme, I found that to be interesting and can see where that leads to stress and problems.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Justice for the Whole 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?

Melanie Stewart 10/27/2020 1:51 PM

I picked this option because indigenous communities and culture not only stress balance, but also sustainability. They did, and do, have a an extreme appreciate for the environment and what it provides to them--while recognizing how hard they had to work for those resources, so not wasting resources was critical. I loved the resource provide with the map and the way it should regions and overlapping areas. I was taken with how many names are used in modern day culture--I'm willing to guess many don't realize that connection, or respect it.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community Learn About Trans, Femme, and Nonbinary Experiences

How is equality for trans, femme, and nonbinary people important to a just and sustainable society?

Melanie Stewart 10/26/2020 8:17 AM

To be a just and sustainable society we have to be inclusive and equal--regardless of sexual identity, race, sex, gender, or any of the other things that make us different. Having differences is a good thing--as long as everyone is on equal footing.

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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 or another trusted source. What are some foods that you would like to preserve and enjoy later in the year?

Melanie Stewart 10/26/2020 8:14 AM

I've always wanted to can, but have been scared of not doing something right and causing issues. I did some research and this year I canned salsa and tomato juice, as well as some dill pickles. They all taste great and I'm excited to have them in the winter!
Next up: homemade bread!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Reduce Animal Products

Why do people in richer countries eat more meat than people in other places? How does eating more meat affect our planet and other people?

Melanie Stewart 10/19/2020 1:41 PM

Producing meat requires a lot of resources--you have to grow food for your food. This adds extra steps and extra resources.

I'm doing much better at eating less meat, and enjoying some health benefits. I struggle to be vegan, it's the cheese (dairy technically; milk sour cream, but usually cheese)! I know there are alternatives, but I'm not there just yet. I don't eat a ton of it, but little amounts in a lot of recipes.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Healing and Renewal Joyful Movement

What's your favorite activity(ies) in which you experience joy while being active and moving?

Melanie Stewart 10/14/2020 10:39 AM

I've really enjoyed walking outside. I'm so happy we are having a fall this year! Seems like sometimes we go from summer to winter. Fall is my favorite and I'm happy to be outside in it. Pretty soon we can crunch leaves! ;)

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