Ecochallenge.org

2020 People's Ecochallenge

October 7 - October 28, 2020

Mariah Williams

EcoINL

"Keep our nature wild!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
887 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

79

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

54

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

1.0

waste audit

conducted
UP TO

70

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

68

disposable cups

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

3.3

pounds of paper

have been saved
UP TO

326

minutes

spent learning

Mariah's actions

Waste

Use a Reusable Mug

Do at Home

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

COMPLETED 20
DAILY 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 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

Do at Home

I will keep 6 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Healing and Renewal

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

Waste

Find Local Recycling Depots

Do at Home

I will find out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in recycling dumpsters or my curbside bin.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Go Paperless

Do at Home

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 3.4lbs (1.5kg) a month or 41lbs (18.6kg) a year by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Forage for My Food

Do at Home

I will use the resources below to find where I can forage for my own food locally.

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

Waste

Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion

Do at Home

I will spend 40 minutes learning about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

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

Simplicity

Needs Vs. Wants

Do at Home

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

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

Do at Home

I will watch 1 documentary(ies) about food sovereignty: the right of local peoples to control their own food systems including markets, ecological resources, food cultures and production methods.

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

Waste

Personal Waste Audit

Do at Home

I will collect all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Research Impact Investing

Do at Home

Using the links provided below, I will research impact investing and determine if it is right for me.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Switch to Cold Water

Do at Home

I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 1,600 lbs of CO2 over the course of the next year.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Leave No Trace

Do at Home

I will practice the seven principles of Leave No Trace when doing nature activities alone or with family and friends.

COMPLETED 20
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
Simplicity Research Impact Investing

How might impact investing help you better live your values?

Mariah Williams 10/28/2020 6:57 AM

If you find things to invest in that makes an impact and they line up with your values you are supporting your core values and finding a way to make an impact.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Watch a Documentary about Food Sovereignty

How does food sovereignty address the complex transition from localized food systems to modern global food systems?

Mariah Williams 10/28/2020 6:53 AM

Food sovereignty promotes transparent trade that guarantees just incomes to all peoples as well as the rights of consumers to control their food and nutrition. It ensures that the rights to use and manage lands, territories, waters, seeds, livestock and biodiversity are in the hands of those of us who produce food. (NFU.com)

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity Core Values

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

Mariah Williams 10/27/2020 6:01 AM

My top values are health, love, balance, and happiness. It is hard to narrow it down but I feel like some of my other values easily fall under my top four values.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Personal Waste Audit

Why is it often difficult to understand the impacts our purchases and waste have on other people, animals, and places?

Mariah Williams 10/27/2020 5:39 AM

Sometimes it is hard to understand the impact of our purchases and waste because once it is in the trash and out of our house we don't see where it goes, what happens to it, an what effect it has on other people, animals, and places.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Learn About & Practice Sustainable Fashion

How can you express your personality, creativity, and values in ways that don't require fast fashion or buying more clothes and accessories?

Mariah Williams 10/26/2020 11:22 AM

There are lots of ways to express your personality, creativity and values besides fashion. For example creating art or through music are great ways.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity Needs Vs. Wants

How is creativity a necessary ingredient for practicing simplicity?

Mariah Williams 10/26/2020 11:12 AM

Creativity is a necessary ingredient for practicing simplicity because if you keep your belongings simple you have to think of different ways to be able to utilize them and purpose them in ways you may not think of if you had a tool for everthing.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Explore My Area

How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place -- your deep knowledge of and appreciation for your surroundings?

Mariah Williams 10/26/2020 11:11 AM

Any time I spend in nature I feel like I get a greater appreciate for a clean outdoors and fresh mountain air.

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

Mariah Williams 10/26/2020 11:10 AM

I love to can fruit. Nectarines have become one of my favorite because we have family members with nectarines tree and there is no way they can eat all the fruit so we make the most of it by canning a tone and having it all year long to enjoy!

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Forage for My Food

People are motivated to forage for many different reasons: as a source for food, a means of income, to connect with nature, to participate in cultural tradition, transmitting specific ecological knowledge, or as a means of stewarding local and native plant populations are just a few examples. What is your chief motivation for foraging?

Mariah Williams 10/26/2020 11:07 AM

I think foraging for food is very rewarding. Not only do you get to spend so much time in nature but you also get a taste rewarding treat. Going and picking huckleberries is one of my favorite activities.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste Go Paperless

Reducing your paper mail can reduce mental clutter as well as physical waste -- by reducing what is coming in, you can reduce what is going into the recycling bin too. How does it make you feel? What is the next step you will take to reduce your waste?

Mariah Williams 10/22/2020 5:49 AM

I think one of the best ways to avoid having waste is to try and not produce it. It makes me feel good to call companies that are constantly sending me mail to take me off the list when I think about the overall impact this has. The next step I have taken to reduce waste is find household products that are more environmentally friendly in nature and in the products packaging.

Read More