Ecochallenge.org

Campus Ecochallenge 2022

April 1 - April 21, 2022

Elizabeth Blymire

Carlisle HERD

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
390 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

40

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

280

minutes

of additional sleep
UP TO

155

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

60

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

350

minutes

not spent in front of a screen
UP TO

7.0

more servings

of fruits and vegetables
UP TO

10

whole food meals

consumed

Elizabeth's actions

Nature

Leave No Trace

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

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

More Fruits and Veggies

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 2 cup(s) of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Less Screen Time

I will replace 15 minute(s) of screen time each day with other activities.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Eat Mindfully

I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Water

5-Minute Showers

I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Enjoy the Sunrise/Sunset

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

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 30 minute(s) each day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Community

Volunteer in my Community

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

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Healthy Sleep

Effectively working for sustainability requires self care! I will commit to getting 60 more minute(s) of sleep each night to achieve at least 7 hours per night.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Go get a check up

I will make an appointment for my annual physical.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Happiness

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

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Food

Whole Food Lifestyle

I will enjoy 2 meal(s) each day free of processed foods.

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Participate in a local trash pick-up

I will spend time picking up litter at a local trash pick-up to help clean the community.

UNCOMPLETED
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
Water 5-Minute Showers

Name some of the human activities impacting the health of water systems, both locally (your watershed) and globally (freshwater and oceans). What can you do to improve the health of water systems?

Elizabeth Blymire 4/06/2022 11:33 AM

Farmers use toxic pesticides on their crops, which run-off into local streams and eventually into larger bodies of water through watersheds. This makes those water systems dangerous environments to live in for the organisms living there. In order to help this, farmers can use healthier ways to keep predators or weeds away.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity Eat Mindfully

Mindful eating is healthier for us than eating with distractions. How do your eating experiences differ when practicing mindfulness?

Elizabeth Blymire 4/06/2022 11:27 AM

I can connect with the people I'm eating with more than if any of us are looking at our phones or watching TV.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Spend Time Outside

Rachel Carson said that we need the beauty and mysteries of the natural world for our spiritual and emotional development. Does that ring true for you? What are the implications for a culture that spends most of its time indoors?

Elizabeth Blymire 4/06/2022 11:26 AM

Yes because, as we've seen during quarantine, we weren't the same people when we stayed indoors most of the time. We started developing cabin fever and needed to make connections with the natural world in order to gain back some sort of happiness, so we started going for walks or runs.

Read More
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." What is your response to Berry's assertion?

Elizabeth Blymire 4/06/2022 11:24 AM

I agree, watching the sunrise or sunset has always been a really calming experience for me. It's always been a calming experience to watch these phenomenon, so I try whenever I have the time.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity Less Screen Time

What did you notice in implementing this challenge? Was it hard to choose other activities over screen time? How did you decide to spend your time?

Elizabeth Blymire 4/06/2022 11:20 AM

It can be difficult to take time away from the screen, but I still really like to read, so it's not always difficult for me to find time to do that.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health More Fruits and Veggies

How does eating more fruits and vegetables and less meat positively affect yourself, other people, and our planet?

Elizabeth Blymire 4/05/2022 6:05 AM

Eating more fruits and vegetables can benefit your health by reducing your chances of catching certain diseases, such as cancer or heart disease. This can help the planet because some cattle farms take part in unhealthy farming practices, so eating more fruits and vegetables will allow those farms to have less resources to which they can sell their products.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Happiness

How does/can practicing gratitude keep you centered and motivated to work for a better world?

Elizabeth Blymire 4/05/2022 5:59 AM

Expressing gratitude can help motivate you to work for a better world for the benefit of the people you love.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Healthy Sleep

Consider how many hours of sleep you get now. How would you like to shift your sleep patterns? What are you finding works for you to be successful in this action?

Elizabeth Blymire 4/02/2022 5:04 PM

I need to start getting on a more consistent sleep schedule. It's been challenging with school getting crazy, but I would like to try going to bed at the same time over the summer to help with that. What usually works for me is reading before bed because this has always been a form of relaxation for me.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Whole Food Lifestyle

Michael Pollan states that “it is better to pay the grocer (our edit: or the farmer!) than the doctor.” What are your thoughts on this assertion?

Elizabeth Blymire 4/02/2022 5:02 PM

I have mixed feelings about this. I see what he is trying to say here, but I feel like doctors can guide you to the grocer or farmer if it comes down to your health.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Leave No Trace

Educator Stephanie Kaza advises her students to focus on what they care about most when addressing the enormity of ecological problems. Is there a specific area you feel particularly called to work on?

Elizabeth Blymire 4/01/2022 12:18 PM

I feel called to work on problems regarding plants because global warming is impacting the botanical make-up of our state, and everywhere across the world. Plants are too important to give up, so we must do as much as possible to protect them.

Read More