Mackenzie Kotch

I will create a rain garden or bioswale or use rain barrels to collect water for outdoor watering needs.

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of plants and trees at my home or work.

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

I will plant native species, landscape with water-efficient plants, and use eco-friendly fertilizers.

I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option.

I will replace 2 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

I will spend at least 10 minutes assessing the vehicles used by my company or college and advocate for a purchasing policy focused on fuel-efficient vehicles.

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

I will spend 5 minutes researching environmental justice and environmental racism concerns in my region, who is affected by them, and local initiatives to address these concerns.

I will journal each day about my experiences in nature.

I will spend 20 minute(s) per day outside, practicing gratitude (prayer, meditation, journaling, etc.) for Earth and my natural surroundings.

I will carry all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash with me to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 3.3lbs (1.6kg) a month by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

I will save up to .21 lbs (.09 kg) of paper per day by switching from one-sided printing to two-sided when I have to print documents.

If at all possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

I will keep 3 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

I will spend 10 minutes finding out where landfills and/or toxic waste sites are situated in my region and which communities are most impacted by these sites.

I will source 3 meal(s) each day from local producers.

I will advocate for local and/or organic food options at work or on campus.

I will enjoy 2 meal(s) cooked with organic ingredients each day.