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Welcome to Earth Month Ecochallenge 2024: Conservation!

Watch the short video below to learn the basics.
You'll be an Earth Month Ecochallenge 2024: Conservation expert in no time!

Ecochallenge.org
Earth Month Ecochallenge 2024: Conservation
April 1 - April 30, 2024
anna Jones's avatar

anna Jones

PCC Eco-Panthers

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 766 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    1.0
    Carbon Footprint
    Calculated
  • UP TO
    1.0
    waste audit
    conducted
  • UP TO
    1.0
    water footprint
    calculated
  • UP TO
    649
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    470
    minutes
    spent learning

anna's actions

Climate + Air

Calculate My Carbon Impact

Carbon emissions can show up in many surprising ways in our life. I will calculate the carbon emissions associated with my household and consider how lifestyle changes could reduce the carbon footprint and impacts on the environment.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Climate + Air

Consume only Needs vs Wants

The more stuff we consume, the more greenhouse gasses we put into the atmosphere. I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach this month and only buy things I need.

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

Climate + Air

Calculate my Carbon Footprint

I will calculate my carbon footprint and reflect on ways I can cut down on my impact.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Freshwater + Oceans

Understand My Water Footprint

Each of us has a water footprint, directly linked to our daily activities as well as the water required in the production of things we use each day. Understanding our water use is important for a healthy planet. I will calculate my water footprint and look for a few ways I can reduce consumption or waste, then share what I learned on the feed.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Community

PCC earth week activities

Participate in the earth week tabling fair and learn about sustainability and participate in sustainability related activities.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Biodiversity + Wildlife

Learn about Native Species

The world is full of unique species. I will spend 30 minutes each day learning what the native plants and wildlife are in my region.

COMPLETED 16
DAILY ACTIONS

Land + Forests

Personal Waste Audit

The waste we create daily can go unnoticed. I will track the waste I create in a day and post a photo log on the feed to see how much I create and where I can make different choices to reduce my waste going forward.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land + Forests

30 for 30 in Nature

Studies have shown that when we spend consistent time in nature, our health improves, our creativity increases, and our connection to the planet gets stronger. Each day of the Ecochallenge, I will spend 30 minutes outside (in a large or small patch of nature), then share my observations, reflections, and learnings on the feed.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Community

Raise Awareness for the Conservation of Freshwater and Oceans

I will spend 20 minutes learning more about the importance of freshwater + ocean conservation, and how I can reduce my water use. I will share what I learn with people in person, on social media, and on the feed.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Freshwater + Oceans

Smart Seafood Choices

We need to support healthy seafood populations. I will spend 20 minutes learning about sustainable seafood choices, commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean, and share what I learned on the feed.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Climate + Air
    Consuming only what we need vs. what we want can be really hard to do. What has been challenging about committing to this action for a month? What have you learned about yourself? Will you change any habits going forward?
    anna Jones's avatar
    anna Jones 4/30/2024 6:21 PM
    I thought this was a great challenge because it really made me think about the number of things I was consuming, and I tried especially hard to keep that in mind as I shopped and went out to try and reduce how much I bought as much as possible. I found myself consuming a lot few packaged goods and excess things as I focused on this goal. I definitely want to try and keep this up as I go forward as well.
    Read More
    • Aleksandra Jalinskas's avatar
      Aleksandra Jalinskas 4/30/2024 6:29 PM
      Completely agree! One of my favorite things about ecochallenge more broadly is that I feel as though it provides me with the time to reflect and be intentional on my personal sustainability impact and actions
      Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Freshwater + Oceans
    Many states and countries have advisories on eating fish. Find out what is advised for your region. Do you think your diet choices fall within these guidelines? What steps do you need to take to make sure that they do?
    anna Jones's avatar
    anna Jones 4/15/2024 1:46 PM
    According to the UN, over 1/3 of all fish populations are in decline with 60% fished to their limit. With regulation seafood can be sustainable, but current trends are not sustainable and put ocean lives at risk. Oregon advisories for the lower Willamette Valley in terms of meals per month include Black Crappie - 2, Crayfish - 2, Mussels - 7, and to avoid Carp, Brown Bullhead, bass, and clams (oregon.gov). For imported seafood and more in depth information on what fish and which fisheries are sustainable seafoodwatch.org has a lot of information. I don't eat much seafood, but I've never looked much at where it was sourced from or how sustainable the collection process for it was. Next time I buy seafood I definitely want to take this into account to make sure that I'm shopping for sustainable seafood.

    Sites I referenced if you want to look for more information.
    https://www.seafoodwatch.org/recommendations/join-the-movement


    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land + Forests
    What are the results of your waste audit and what did you learn? How can you reduce your waste going forward?
    anna Jones's avatar
    anna Jones 4/05/2024 5:05 PM
    Today I tried to complete a waste audit, this was my first time doing it, and it said to take pictures, but I didn't feel like taking a picture of a bunch of used tissues, just imagine what like 20 used tissues look like. Other than throwing away tissues I only threw away a few food packages. Cleaning days I definitely dispose of more, but the average day I don't throw that much out, with most being reusable packaging or recyclable. After doing this I was surprised by how little I threw out, because I thought my list would be much longer. I still have room to grow to replace one time use products with reusable ones, but it was still less than I assumed it would be.
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Biodiversity + Wildlife
    What did you learn about a native plant or animal species in your region?
    anna Jones's avatar
    anna Jones 4/02/2024 11:50 PM
    I learned about native plant species and planting small gardens on native plants in your yard to help native wildlife. It was really cool to learn about different plant species, their preferred growing conditions and which animals they benefited. I really only did a surface level dive in the hour I spent researching, but I really want to look more into this, and maybe even think about planting some native plants in my yard if possible.
    Read More