My new neighborhood is adjacent to a nature preserve. I have noticed a variety of birds and plants and enjoy seeing the hummingbirds on almost a weekly basis. I find my walks are more enjoyable when it doesn't feel like a task and I can incorporate throughout my day. 

I can choose recycled packing materials and reuse shipping boxes. I can also use reusable bags instead of getting new bags at grocery stores. 

When I went to New Zealand's south island, I realized how pristine nature truly is when "untouched" by the modern world.   

Supporting local farmers! I am lucky to live in an area with tons of farmer's markets. 

Oh boy was this harder than expected! We eat a lot of fresh food, so I thought we were doing a pretty good job. It turns out just about everything we get that isn't fresh seems to have palm oil snuck into it even some of my bathroom products! It has been quite the learning experience to try to cut palm oil out and I plan to continue learning and working on eliminating it. 

I think my biggest area for improvement is reducing packaging and purchasing less. I've made big efforts to cut packing out of the kitchen, cleaning and bathroom, but sometimes retail therapy and supplies for hobbies get the better of me. 

I think the obvious answer here is that eating smaller portions is better for your metabolism and physical, but I think its also better for you mental health. I think it helps us create the mindset of taking just what we need and not more just because it is there

Environmental quality is a direct influence on my sense of community. The more we care about the environment around us and take care of it and the people in it, the better our community is. Nobody wants to live in a place where there is trash everywhere, the water is polluted and the air is dirty. When we have a collective effort to invest in where we live we create a better community

I feel like just about every time I camp it shifts my focus. I think the most impactful one has been hiking through the narrows in Zion Canyon. Being so deep in a canyon and seeing all the layers of history in the rock is one of the most humbling experiences I've ever had. We are small short lived creatures in the context of Earth