Earth Month Ecochallenge: Drawdown

April 1 - April 30, 2021

Mercedes Sears

Walgreens Boots Alliance

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
179 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

meatless or vegan meal

consumed
UP TO

120

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

45

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

1.0

zero-waste meal

consumed

Mercedes's actions

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Restore Wetlands

Coastal Wetland Restoration

I will volunteer 30 hours with a wetland restoration project in my region.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Support Nutrient Management

Nutrient Management

I will research and support local farmers who have made the decision to not use synthetic nitrogen fertilizers.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Accelerating Solutions

Advocate For More Packaging Options

Multiple Industry Solutions

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

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Recycle Everything I Can

Recycling

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.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Industry

Practice the 5 R's

Recycling

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

COMPLETED 1
DAILY 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 1
DAILY ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Zero-waste Cooking

Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Reduce Animal Products

Plant-Rich Diets

I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meal(s) each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Health and Education

Connect With A Nonprofit

Health and Education

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Support Businesses Owned by Women, BIPOC, or Immigrants

Sustainable Intensification for Smallholders

I will spend 30 minutes researching businesses owned by women, immigrants, and Black, Indigenous, and people of color that I can support when shopping.

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?

Mercedes Sears 4/20/2021 8:14 AM

I was slow to post but not necessarily slow to start. Our family has made great strides to becoming more mindful in our daily practices.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Practice the 5 R's

What are some more "R's" you could add to your daily practice to reduce your waste?

Mercedes Sears 4/20/2021 8:12 AM

I am working to be more mindful of items that can be repaired. Too often we just throw thing away instead of attempting to repair them or to repurpose them. Working to find new life for old or broken things.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health and Education Connect With A Nonprofit

What are the most pressing issues for women, girls, and trans/nonbinary people in your community?

Mercedes Sears 4/20/2021 8:09 AM

In my community one of the biggest issues facing trans/nonbinary individuals is the lack of access to health care and to providers who are sufficiently knowledgeable on the topic.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Reduce Animal Products

Why do people in richer countries eat more meat than people in other places? How does eating more meat affect our bodies, our planet, and other people?

Mercedes Sears 4/20/2021 8:00 AM

This was super easy for me and my little one but my husband had a little trouble with this one. This prompted me to explore items I don't normally buy (vegan and vegetarian). I was very surprised by how well my family took to them. We will defiantly add them to out kitchen as a staple.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Eat Mindfully

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

Mercedes Sears 4/20/2021 7:50 AM

We have always been a family that has the TV on in the background. This month we have enjoyed the the silence. Without the TV on conversation has increased and meal have become a chance to refuel not only our bodies but our family connecting... Not to mention the energy being saved by turning off that silly TV.

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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?

Mercedes Sears 4/20/2021 7:47 AM

I initially had a hard time with this as some parts of certain vegetables do not seen very appealing. After some research, mostly on Pinterest, I am amazed by what you can do with those unappealing parts. Thank you for prompting this research. Our family will definitely be more mindful going forward.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry Recycle Everything I Can

How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle? How does considering implementing these "R's" make you feel?

Mercedes Sears 4/20/2021 7:41 AM

This month we introduces our 3 year old the the three "R's" (thanks to Jack Johnson and the Curious George soundtrack for the assist). He gets super excited when he finds waste that can go into the recycle bin and has been a champion of finding new homes for outgrown toys and clothes. He has even helped me repurpose some old furniture into new pieces.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health and Education Support Businesses Owned by Women, BIPOC, or Immigrants

Globally, women typically invest a higher proportion of their earnings in their families and communities than men. What have you done in the past to support women-owned businesses? How can you better support communities by supporting women?

Mercedes Sears 4/20/2021 7:35 AM

When buying plants for my garden I was able to find an assortment of berry bushes that were grown by a women-owned business. I was not in the market for berry bushes but after seeing the cause I bought a variety of them. Can't wait to enjoy my summer berries. Thinking they will taste even sweeter now.

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