Earth Month Ecochallenge: Drawdown

April 1 - April 30, 2021

Susan Wix

CompuCom Women in Technology ARG

"To learn more about sustainability topics and do my part to leave earth better than when I arrived!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,151 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

energy audit

conducted
UP TO

365

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

210

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

225

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

3.3

pounds of paper

have been saved
UP TO

2.0

trees

planted

Susan's actions

Action Track: Accelerating Solutions

Create Sustainability Trivia Questions

Internally, we have several team members who are organizing a sustainability trivia event. I will help source 15 - 20 questions for the event and will help support the live event.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Buildings

Online Energy Audit

Multiple Solutions

I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Climate Resilience

Support a Community Garden

Multiple Solutions

I will support a community garden by volunteering, donating, or advocating for a new or existing one.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Attend Zero Waste is the Buzz Meeting on 16-Apr

I chose this goal because I was invited to this meeting, and i wanted to learn more about honey bees and their zero waste habits.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Attend Sustainability Jump in Series with Shelley Dearhart on 4/20

Attend the event with Shelley Dearhart. M.S. where she will discuss seafood sustainability – what is sustainable seafood, why is it important to our planet, and what you can do to eat sustainably! This session takes place on Tuesday, April 20th from 5:00-6:00 PM ET via Microsoft Teams Live

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

ATTEND SUSTAINABILITY JUMP IN SERIES SPEAKER WITH DR. WALLACE J NICHOLS ON 4/13

Attend Dr. Wallace J Nichols, New York Times best-selling author of, “Blue Mind.” Dr. J will be addressing several topics including the impacts of waste reduction, climate change and the neuroscience behind why we simply feel better when we are in, on, or in view of water. The session takes place on Tuesday, April 13th from 12:00-1:00 PM ET via Microsoft Teams Live.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Research and Consider Switching to a Hybrid or Electric Vehicle

Electric Cars, Hybrid Cars

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching and weighing my options to see if a hybrid or electric vehicle makes sense for my lifestyle.

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 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Tend A Garden

I will tend to a garden, or prepare for one, each day using sustainable gardening practices.

COMPLETED 8
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

Farm Irrigation Efficiency

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of trees and plants in my yard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Calculate My Carbon Footprint

All Drawdown Solutions

I will calculate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with my household and consider how different lifestyle choices could reduce my negative impact on the environment.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Go Paperless

Recycled Paper

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 3.3lbs (1.6kg) a month by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Explore My Area

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 60 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Plant Trees

Temperate Forest Restoration

I will plant 2 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

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

Health and Education

Learn about the Need for Family Planning

Health and Education

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning more about the need for family planning globally.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Research Barriers to Participation and Representation

Health and Education

I will spend at least 60 minutes learning more about the barriers to women's equal participation and representation around the world.

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?

Susan Wix 4/30/2021 7:40 AM

This challenge has been really great. It opened my eyes to many facts that I did not know, and it encouraged me to spend more time in and explore my community.

Read More
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?

Susan Wix 4/29/2021 9:11 AM

I have really enjoyed my daily (near daily) walks. It's given me the opportunity to decompress, get some exercise, and connect more with my husband since we walk together. I've enjoyed seeing the beauty of the parks and trails so near my home, waving hello to my neighbors and others part of my local community, hear the birds chirping, and watching the landscapes change as we move from early to late spring. Our community has made some big changes in the past two years with regard to making the area more walkable. We've explored more than 5+ miles of recently-established trails.

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Susan Wix 4/28/2021 9:45 AM

Did you know that over 1,000,000 creatures die in our oceans due to plastic bags and other plastics being thrown into the ocean? Time to stop with the overuse of plastic!!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks Explore My Area

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

Susan Wix 4/26/2021 12:19 PM

Spending time outdoors has helped me realize that there are very calm and serene places very close by to me. Although I don't live on near the ocean or mountains and my neighborhood my be full of hustle and bustle, I can easily, with a < 2-mile walk, quickly find myself among trees, streams, flowers, chirping birds and other beautiful surroundings. It's mine for the taking and enjoyment, I simply need to make the time do seize those moments.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

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?

Susan Wix 4/25/2021 3:23 PM

Some of the human actions are polluting waterways, overfishing, diverting the natural flow, and taking actions lead to climate change which then ultimately affect water sources. I can help improve the health of local water systems by paying better attention to how I used water both inside and outside my home.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Buildings Online Energy Audit

What are your next steps for saving energy?

Susan Wix 4/18/2021 11:59 AM

Time to re-weatherstrip around the door leading into my house from the garage! It's a simple task that will help save energy. I'm also going to check other areas, such as my windows to ensure they are sealed properly.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health and Education Learn about the Need for Family Planning

What did you learn about the need for family planning? How do the needs of different people in different places compare to each other?

Susan Wix 4/17/2021 4:17 PM

I learned that the need for family planning is extremely important and my reading helped me connect the dots between the number of people on this earth and the impact those people have on our carbon footprint. I never really thought of it in that way (the true connection between family planning, increase in population, and the populations impact on the carbon footprint). Very interesting information. And it makes me glad to live in a country where I, my daughter, and other young women have options with regard to family planning and sexual health eduation.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Climate Resilience Support a Community Garden

What are the multiple benefits of community gardens, including carbon sequestration? Why do these benefits matter to you?

Susan Wix 4/16/2021 9:33 AM

I just donated to one of my local not-for-profit organizations, Gleaners to help support the Corteva Grows Greenspace Group which has 500 members in Indianapolis, focused on beautification, education, and sustainability out in our community. They have established a community garden and are making a difference through their Harvest for Hunger garden to serve those in need locally. Love it!

Read More
Susan Wix 4/15/2021 1:42 PM

Wow! I just explored some new areas of my local park. Saw streams, birds, trees, protected wildflowers beginning to emerge from their winter's sleep, etc. How enjoyable and refreshing it was. Loved the sights, sounds, smells, and the overall sense of call I felt being out with nature. What a stress-reducer!

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Susan Wix 4/14/2021 2:26 PM

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Time for another stroll through the park to destress and explore.

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