Ecochallenge.org

2019 People's Ecochallenge

October 2 - October 23, 2019

Jacqui McGrath

ACHS

"I'm here because every choice matters!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
946 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

2.0

community events

hosted or attended
UP TO

5.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

170

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

75

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

755

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

0.0

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

3.4

pounds

food waste prevented
UP TO

7.2

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

3.0

trees

planted
UP TO

20

zero-waste meals

consumed

Jacqui's actions

High Impact Action Track

Zero-Waste Cooking

Food

I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

High Impact Action Track

Research Impact Investing

Simplicity

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Have a Garage Sale

I will have a group garage sale with friends, family, and/or neighbors.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Host a House Party

I will host a house party with 5 friends and/or colleagues to watch a movie or present a guest speaker on an environmental issue that matters to me.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Do Nature Activities

I will engage in nature-based activities alone, or with my friends or family, for 5 minute(s) each day. (This can be anything from going on a walk or hike, to noticing the leaves changing color, to reading a book with nature themes.)

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Plant Trees

I will plant 3 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard.

COMPLETED
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

Nature

Practice Gratitude for Earth

I will spend 5 minute(s) each day outside, practicing gratitude (prayer, meditation, journaling, etc.) for Earth and the nature surrounding me.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Enjoy the Sunrise/Sunset

I will enjoy the sunrise and/or sunset each day.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Create Your Own Action

Cambalache

I'm hosting a cambalache (swap party) on Oct 17th as a way to motivate myself to de-clutter and invite others to bring their unused stuff, too, for a fun time of trading. We'll donate what's left to a charity.

COMPLETED -3
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?

Jacqui McGrath 10/22/2019 11:08 AM

This Ecochallenge has been so nourishing to my spirit. I'd like to share a photo of some avocado trees in the making that were inspired by the challenge. Isn't it amazing that each seed has the potential to become a tree? I'm watching in awe as these five seeds start a journey that may last a century! It makes me feel so good to know that these trees will provide shade and nutrition for lots of people in the years ahead.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
High Impact Action Track Zero-Waste Cooking

In North America, up to 65% of food waste happens at the consumer level. Chef Steven Satterfield advocates for utilizing every part of a vegetable. How can you incorporate using an entire vegetable, including the skins, tops, and stalks during your next meal prep?

Jacqui McGrath 10/22/2019 4:06 AM

I incorporate most edibleparts of the veggies I buy into food prep. For instance, I put the entire apple into smoothies and chop the broccoli stem up to add to stir fries. I often add "leftover" parts like carrot tops and ugly bits of celery to a slow cooker to make a big pot of broth (usually with leftover parts of a roasted chicken). In the end, I feel good about throwing our organic waste into the compost pile as it gets recycled into amazing soil.

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Jacqui McGrath 10/21/2019 12:07 PM

This "Collective Trauma Online Summit" includes an emphasis on the interconnectedness of individual, societal and environmental suffering: https://collectivetraumasummit.com Several talks address the climate crisis directly. There will be 'free' replays Oct 22 thru 24th for anyone interested in checking out innovative ideas for healing the earth and humanity.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Practice Gratitude for Earth

Kathleen Dean Moore says that a sense of gratitude leads to a sense of moral obligation. Do you agree? How do we cultivate a sense of gratitude as individuals, and as a society?

Jacqui McGrath 10/21/2019 5:01 AM

I agree - the compassion that naturally arises when we feel gratitude can expand our awareness and willingness of others in our 'circle'. I have been imagining growing this circle of compassion ever wider and notice that my gratitude grows with it.

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Jacqui McGrath 10/18/2019 4:46 AM

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- Savanna Jones 10/22/2019 11:36 AM
  
  LOVE this concept Jacqui!! Glad to hear it went so well for all of you!!!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity Have a Garage Sale

Building community is good for your soul and fun to do! What were some of the positive outcomes that came out of your group garage sale?

Jacqui McGrath 10/16/2019 3:31 AM

I agree -- building community is one of my favorite parts about these challenges! I had a movie night over the weekend and I'll be hosting a "Cambalache" party (swap meet) tomorrow. Among the positive outcomes is that I've sorted thru my stuff to de-clutter (simplify, yeah!) and I've invited my friends to do the same. I have about 10 confirmed guests and expect that we'll have a great time looking thru each other's free garage sale items, trying on clothes, etc. Another positive outcome is that we've decided to donate all the stuff to a women's shelter afterwards, hopefully helping families get a new start.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Support Local Pollinators

Why is it important to take care of pollinators?

Jacqui McGrath 10/11/2019 6:34 AM

We depend on our pollinators for our food and herbal medicines. In the reading I did this morning one of the things that impacted me was the importance of having a diversity of native plants for local pollinators so that they have a continual source of foods that they're adapted to eat. Also, especially in the dry season, provide them with a source of water. And...don't use pesticides and don't mow the grass too often to give bees a chance to munch (or even better, pull out the lawn and replace it with plants from the ecoregional planting guides: https://www.pollinator.org/guides#zip

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Jacqui McGrath 10/10/2019 8:04 AM

"The Need to Grow" is airing for free from Oct 10 - 15th. I'm excited to watch it and thought I'd share a link in case anyone else here is inspired to check it out, too: https://grow.foodrevolution.org/ Here's some info on it: "Join in the global online premiere of Rosario Dawson’s award-winning documentary that many are calling the environmental film the world has been waiting for. With the planet on the brink of ecological disaster, and chronic disease rates skyrocketing, this is a story of real-world SOLUTIONS. It will warm your heart, fill you with hope, and inspire you to take action."

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Do Nature Activities

What did you observe while spending time outside -- through sight, sound, smell and touch?

Jacqui McGrath 10/10/2019 3:48 AM

Being outside, especially just before sunrise, floods my senses with gratitude for life. It gives me an easy and instant reminder of "why" my daily choices matter as I listen to the sounds of nature and feel the earth beneath my feet. Simple gratitude helps me remember my three "R's" :)

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Enjoy the Sunrise/Sunset

Father Thomas Berry says, "...our primary purpose is celebration. Celebration of the dawn and the sunset and the different seasons of the year is a religious ritual, a way in which humans can establish their integral relationship with the universe, with the planet Earth." Respond to Berry's assertion.

Jacqui McGrath 10/08/2019 7:25 AM

I agree with Father Thomas Berry about sunrises and sunsets. I love his ideas about the earth's evolution as a conscious process and humans as a sacred community. It helps fill my daily experience with meaning and joy to watch the sunrise and realize my tiny, but important, role in the grand scheme of things. We all live on this little "pale blue dot" (the Earth, as seen from space by astronaut Carl Sagan) together. It's humbling and incredible to really grasp that and appreciate that we are watch our star rise and set each day as a single Earth community. http://emergingearthcommunity.org/thomas-berry

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