Earth Month Ecochallenge: Drawdown

April 1 - April 30, 2021

Samantha Smith

World Centric

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
459 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

1.8

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

50

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

40

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

1.0

public official or leader

contacted
UP TO

1.0

tree

planted
UP TO

2.0

zero-waste meals

consumed

Samantha's actions

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 5 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Zero-waste Cooking

Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 2 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Support Local Food Systems

Plant-Rich Diets

I will source 25 percent of my food from local producers each day. This could include signing up for a local CSA, buying from a farmer's market, visiting a food co-op, foraging with a local group, or growing my own ingredients.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Learn about Biochar

Biochar Production

I will spend 15 minute(s) learning about biochar and how it can help sequester carbon.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Smart Seafood Choices

Ocean Farming

I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Climate Resilience

Learn More about Silvopasture

Silvopasture

I will spend at least 5 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Climate Resilience

Express My Support For Equitable Biking Infrastructure

Bicycle Infrastructure

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact bike routes and express my support for better biking infrastructure.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Climate Resilience

Plant Trees

Temperate Forest Restoration

I will plant 1 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 20 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Improve a Bus Stop

Public Transit

I will improve a bus stop in my neighborhood by posting the stop schedule, adding seating or shelter, adding art or flowers, picking up litter, or implementing some other small improvement.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Watch a Video about Methane Digesters

Methane Digesters

I will watch a video about methane digesters (also commonly known as anaerobic digesters).

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: Climate Resilience Plant Trees

How is planting trees good for your mental, physical, and spiritual health?

Samantha Smith 4/29/2021 10:19 AM

We need trees more than ever both to store carbon dioxide and also to provide us with shade and beauty. My Japanese Maple in the front yard always throws lots of seeds and I have begun to collect the small seedlings and pot them to give away to neighbors.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Support Local Food Systems

Dependable fresh food, supporting local farmers and building resilient communities are just a few benefits of local food systems. Which of these (or other) advantages inspire you the most?

Samantha Smith 4/29/2021 10:17 AM

I love supporting local farmers and also participating in farmer's markets to help build community. It's great to see people come out and purchase fresh local food, very inspiring to help create a resilient community.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?

Samantha Smith 4/19/2021 12:12 PM

Knowing the difference between these dates will keep me from throwing food out when it is still good to eat.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use 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?

Samantha Smith 4/19/2021 12:08 PM

I am definitely conditioned to think that these parts of a vegetable are waste so this will take some getting used to. I am also lucky because we have commercial composting in our town so the scraps don't end up in the garbage.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation Go for a Daily Walk

What have you noticed on your daily walks? What have you enjoyed? What infrastructure changes could make your walks more enjoyable or possible?

Samantha Smith 4/14/2021 2:30 PM

We have good sidewalks in my neighborhood but they end at the main street that has a grocery store on it. I would love to see a safer passage to walk or bike to the store. I would also love to see a rural trail or bike path that goes through some of the fields nearby but with private property it is hard to make these things happen.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks Smart Seafood Choices

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?

Samantha Smith 4/13/2021 4:10 PM

Most of the fish on the state advisory sheet are ones I don't generally eat. I try to limit myself to fish once or twice a week because of the mercury content.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Climate Resilience Learn More about Silvopasture

Had you heard of the term "silvopasture" before now? After learning more about it, what do you think is the biggest advantage of silvopasture?

Samantha Smith 4/12/2021 1:48 PM

I'd never heard the term Silvopasture before but was intrigued by the idea, especially how it is more aesthetically pleasing (rather than a stock yard) and how the cows actually are healthier and grow better with increased shade.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks Learn about Biochar

Can biochar provide additional benefits besides sequestering carbon?

Samantha Smith 4/06/2021 10:18 AM

Yes, biochar can also help plants thrive by providing homes for microorganisms in the soil. I'm learning a lot about this through work with the Sierra Club.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Climate Resilience Express My Support For Equitable Biking Infrastructure

What do you like most about biking in your city? What would you like to improve?

Samantha Smith 4/06/2021 10:17 AM

I would love to see more green bike lanes painted in Napa, especially on some of the major arterials as these tend to be dangerous and busy and bikes are an after thought.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity Watch a Video about Methane Digesters

What does your vision of a sustainable community look like? What would need to be changed in order for such vision to become reality?

Samantha Smith 4/05/2021 11:53 AM

Ideally communities would be more self-sustaining and regenerative. We would borrow more instead of buying new, work in community gardens and help each other out when we need it. I think our value of private property above all else in this country makes it hard for us to be sustainable as we value privacy over community.

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