Ricardo Chamale-Ventura

Human Ecology Summer 2021

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
313 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

54

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

1.0

neighbor

met
UP TO

7.0

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

120

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

1.1

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

2.0

conversations

with people
UP TO

540

minutes

not spent in front of a screen
UP TO

16

gallons of water

have been saved

Ricardo's actions

Food

Plant an Herb Garden

I will plant an herb garden in my home, workplace, or dorm room.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Limit Social Media

I will limit my social media use to once each day reducing my daily use by 180 minute(s)

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Simplicity

Less Screen Time

I will replace 120 minute(s) of screen time each day with other activities.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Engage In Active Listening

I will practice actively listening to a friend, family member, co-worker, acquaintance, or someone who I may disagree with in at least 3 conversations.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

Power Down the Computer

I will power down my computer and monitor when not using it for more than 2 hours, saving up to (1.1) lbs of CO2 each day that I do this.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Simplicity

Eat Mindfully

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

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Happiness

I will write down three things every day that I am grateful for, or send one email every day thanking or praising someone.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Building Resilience

Meet My Neighbors

I will meet 1 new neighbor(s) each day.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Nature

Do Nature Activities

I will engage in nature-based activities alone, or with my friends or family, for 60 minute(s) each day. (This can be anything from going on a walk or hike, to noticing the leaves changing color, to reading a book with nature themes.)

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will keep 1 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Brush My Teeth Without Running Water

I will save up to 8 gallons (30 L) of water each day by turning it off while brushing my teeth.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Consider the ways you can garden: a plot of land? a patio container? hanging basket? windowsill gardens? What would work best for your living situation and lifestyle?
Ricardo Chamale-Ventura 7/23/2021 7:46 PM
I had a small plot of land in my backyard, so I planted some plants, mint, and a chili plant. It's not much, but it's honest work. I'll add more this following week. This is the best for my living situation since it was already available and there for me to use so I did. It's also in a place that I'll always remember so it makes it convenient.

Read More
- rose guadian 7/25/2021 12:20 PM
  Ricardo, this is very exciting stuff! I hope your mint and chilis turn out great and inspire you to keep going!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Building Resilience

In what ways can you create more real and meaningful interactions with friends — or strangers — each week?
Ricardo Chamale-Ventura 7/16/2021 7:46 PM
Since it´s quarantine, I try to not go out as much as possible. When I do out for work, I do interact with customers. I also interact with strangers at restaurants and at the grocery store. It´s not much, but I consider it meaningful, since I used to rarely interact with anyone. Each conversation can become a meaningful one. My friends and I are starting to hang out with each other now. If I don´t have the time to go outside, I make meaningful connections from the friends I have online which keeps me going. You have to utilize the internet.

Read More
- Basheer Alkam 7/18/2021 10:25 PM
  Hi Ricardo,
  It's a bummer you don't go out as much now a days due to current events, but It's great to know how well you interact with customers in order to create a meaning for each week. I always appreciate at least a conversation when it comes to meeting new people.
  
  Read More
- Laicha Yang 7/16/2021 8:17 PM
  Hi Ricardo,
  Usually, when it comes to interactions I usually text my friends online once in a while to check how they are doing and to catch up on things but once in a while my friends and I would use Zoom to watch movies in which overall I would have to agree that we do have to make usage of the Internet and enjoy what we have.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

What was it like to actively listen to someone? How did both people and the conversation(s) benefit from active listening?
Ricardo Chamale-Ventura 7/11/2021 8:35 PM
It was nice fully hearing what someone has to say. We had a longer conversation than usual and it was more interactive between the both of us. I also kept some information longer in my head.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Energy

What are other easy things you could do to save energy and reduce your environmental footprint?
Ricardo Chamale-Ventura 7/11/2021 8:33 PM
I can reduce my food waste. I can also drive when it´s absolutely necessary and keep lights off if I´m not using them, I can also pick up more organic food from local farmers.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health

How does/can practicing gratitude keep you centered and motivated to work for a better world?
Ricardo Chamale-Ventura 7/11/2021 8:21 PM
Writing down what I´m happy for helped me realized that I had goals and things I wanted to work towards. It reminded me to keep going and pushing.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature

What did you observe while spending time outside -- through sight, sound, smell and/or touch?
Ricardo Chamale-Ventura 7/11/2021 8:18 PM
There´s a park near me and I go there sometimes to get my mind off of things. This time, I got rid of distractions and got a pencil and notebook. I just focused on my senses and enjoyed the environment. I wrote down everything I observed which really helped me.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity

What did you notice in implementing this challenge? Was it hard to choose other activities over screen time? How did you decide to spend your time?
Ricardo Chamale-Ventura 7/11/2021 7:47 PM
Honestly, it was difficult. I´m on my phone a lot doing various tasks. At first, I didn´t know what to do, but then I realized I can use the time to better myself and my body and maybe complete some tasks here. If I had some time left over, I read some of my leftover books I had in storage.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity

Social media can keep us connected with loved ones, make us laugh, and help us to learn new things. It can also create echo chambers and take more time than we realize or intend to give. After completing this action for a few days, how do you feel? What do you notice?
Ricardo Chamale-Ventura 7/11/2021 7:39 PM
Well, it was difficult to say the least. It was refreshing since I had more time to do what I want. It really was difficult because everyone I interacted with was online, and they were always active when I was not. Timezones really made it difficult. I think I´ll keep trying this though.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity

Mindful eating is healthier for us than eating with distractions. How do your eating experiences differ when practicing mindfulness?
Ricardo Chamale-Ventura 7/11/2021 7:31 PM
It sounds weird to say, but I can actually enjoy my food. I got too distracted by my phone so I had my focus on my food. I got to savor it more.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste

While water bottles are needed for health and safety in certain places, we can do more to reduce the unnecessary use of them. What are the barriers to you using reusable bottles and tap water instead of bottled water? How could you make this a permanent habit?
Ricardo Chamale-Ventura 7/11/2021 7:25 PM
I work with my dad a lot and since he´s working in the sun and moving around constantly, we bring water bottles. This is the biggest barrier for us and if we don´t take bottled water with us, next option is not drinking water or hose water. It´s a really big barrier that we sometimes cross through, but we do reuse our bottles.

Read More