Katherine Hopkins

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.

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

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

When they are available, I will purchase products made from bamboo instead of wood, plastic, or metal.

I will spend at least 45 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

I will plan ahead to only use paper products made from post-consumer recycled paper for my home or office.

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will research and recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community, making sure to not contaminate recyclables with non-recyclables.

I will advocate for alternatives to single-use packaging at local grocery stores, markets, at work, or on campus.

I will connect with a local nonprofit working on issues affecting women, girls, and/or trans and nonbinary people in my community, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.

Through social media, I will raise awareness about gender inequity in education by sharing the information found in the links below.

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

I will donate to supply a community with reproductive health supplies.

I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities. Fixing leaky faucets can save up to 9 gallons (34 L) of water a day or 270 (1,020 L) gallons of water a month per faucet.

Cheap, single-use items and disposable packaging end up blowing around as litter more often in poor and BIPOC-majority neighborhoods. I will avoid buying and using 1 single-use plastics and instead replace them with durable options.

I will Practice the "5 Rs" — refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle — to reduce my waste more than I can with just recycling alone.

I will start a compost bin where I live.

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

I will enjoy 2 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

I will use my spending power to reward companies leading in creating or purchasing green energy and incentivize others to invest more in green energy.

I will spend 120 minutes researching businesses owned by women, immigrants, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color that I can support when shopping.

I will donate to Native American Rights Fund, which protects tribal natural resources and environmental rights and promotes Native American Human Rights.

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option. If my utility does not offer one, I will purchase Renewable Energy Credits to match my usage.