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April 1 - April 30, 2021
Rufus Johnson's avatar

Rufus Johnson

ECO-NCMNS

"Use nature to improve my back yard and use my back yard to improve nature."

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 403 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    230
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    80
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    41
    minutes
    being mindful

Rufus's actions

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Composting with black soldier grubs

Learn about NC's native Diptera that has one of the widest digestive enzyme profiles, allowing for digestion of virtually all human food waste in one to two days: pre-and post-consumer; cooked, raw, or spoiled. Sign up for this workshop and discuss with your team members:

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Participate in one of the NCMNS Earth Day programs on April 22nd.

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences has prepared an Earth Week event starting from April 20th to April 25th. To celebrate Earth Day, participate in 1 program on April 22nd and write a short reflection in your feed.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Eat Mindfully

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

COMPLETED 2
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

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Composting

Composting, Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn More about Biomass

Biomass Power

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of biomass.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn More About Geothermal Energy

Geothermal Power

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of geothermal energy and consider investing in this technology.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Sinks

Explore My Area

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 30 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

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

Smaller Portions

Reduced Food Waste

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

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Electricity

Hang Laundry Outside to Dry

I will hand one load of laundry a week outside to dry instead of using the dryer.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Land Sinks
    How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place -- your deep knowledge of and appreciation for your surroundings?

    Rufus Johnson's avatar
    Rufus Johnson 4/27/2021 1:56 PM
    have always been an outdoors person. Being in nature helps to calm me down. I have found that when work or family issues get me down, a simple hike through the forest makes it all easier for me.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food, Agriculture, and Land Use
    While dishing food out, we tend to load our plates with more than we need. Using smaller plates helps to mitigate this. Aside from the environmental benefits, what other benefits might come from eating/serving smaller portions?

    Rufus Johnson's avatar
    Rufus Johnson 4/21/2021 11:30 AM
    My wife's dishware has 3 plate sizes, saucer, small, large plates. I always sue the small late for dinner. This helps me to maintain my weight. I weigh the same thing now as when I graduated high school 45 years ago. (Though I have a little less muscle and a little more fat now days.) I am less likely to overload a smaller plate so as not to waste food.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food, Agriculture, and Land Use
    Would you consider starting a composting bin using black soldier grubs?

    Rufus Johnson's avatar
    Rufus Johnson 4/19/2021 5:13 AM
    I would consider it. But after 20+ years of experimenting I am having good success as my compost piles are naturally
    full of fishing worms, mushrooms, etc.

  • Rufus Johnson's avatar
    Rufus Johnson 4/12/2021 9:41 AM
    While hiking the Roanoke Canal Trail I came across a spot that had many thousands of inch worms. There were so many that I could not walk with stepping on them.
    em.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Electricity
    Geothermal energy is reliable, abundant, and efficient. Project Drawdown states that public investment will play a crucial role in its expansion. In what ways (i.e. with money, time, advocacy) can you invest in geothermal energy?

    Rufus Johnson's avatar
    Rufus Johnson 4/04/2021 4:48 AM
    Our local power company has an option on power bill to buy green energy for a portion of our energy bill. 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food, Agriculture, and Land Use
    Have you ever had a significant experience in nature that altered your perspective or focus? If so, please describe it.

    Rufus Johnson's avatar
    Rufus Johnson 4/01/2021 4:15 PM
    Three years ago I came across a large puddle about 40 feet in diameter. It was completely full of tadpoles. I estimate about 50,000 to 70,000 tadpoles were living in this one puddle of water. Just shows the resiliency of life on earth.

  • Rufus Johnson's avatar
    Rufus Johnson 4/01/2021 4:04 PM
    Planted 5 trees in my yard the past week.