Ecochallenge.org

Campus Ecochallenge

Maddy Kurland

YCP Sustainability Fa2021

"To inspire change in others, achieve personal growth, and promote sustainability!"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,930 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

63

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

114

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

2,431

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

1,421

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

275

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

1,010

minutes

not spent in front of a screen
UP TO

40

people

helped
UP TO

24

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

143

pounds of CO2

have been saved

Maddy's actions

Action Track: Building Resilience

Help Others

I will offer to help 2 person(s) who are in need each day.

COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED 39
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Joyful Movement

I will spend 30 minutes doing an activity where I'm both moving my body and enjoying myself.

COMPLETED 30
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 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Building Resilience

Learn More about Food Apartheid

What can lack of access to nutritious food affect a community? How can having access to nutritious food help a community become more resilient?

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Meditate

I will meditate or create a moment of silence for 15 minute(s) each day to reflect on things important to me.

COMPLETED 17
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Say No to Plastic Straws

An estimated 71% of seabirds and 30% of turtles have been found with plastics in their stomachs. When they ingest plastic, marine life has a 50% mortality rate. By asking for no straw when placing a drink order, I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) of out of the ocean each day.

COMPLETED 24
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Explore My Area

I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Spend Time Outside

I will replace 20 minute(s) each day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Go for a Daily Walk

I will take a 12-minute walk outside each day.

COMPLETED 24
DAILY ACTIONS

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 41
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Drive Less

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips.

COMPLETED 19
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?

Maddy Kurland 11/21/2021 11:48 AM

With thanksgiving break right around the corner and the end of the semester nearing, I am really starting to adopt a lot of these eco-friendly actions into my life. I plan to stick with these habits while at home and hopefully spread awareness and helpful tips to my friends and family members.

Read More
Maddy Kurland 10/14/2021 5:29 PM

Today I was under a lot of stress with upcoming school work, specifically tests. Although it was hard at first, I made the time to be mindful, organize my thoughts, and make a plan of actions for completing the necessary tasks. I came out of my thinking more calm and motivated, which I think saved me time in the long run.

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Maddy Kurland 10/05/2021 12:38 PM

This challenge has made me more aware of my actions and has begun to instill new, more environmentally-friendly habits within me. It gives me a sense of accomplishment to acknowledge what actions I have completed each day, and I like the challenge of trying new things to advocate for my community.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Spend Time Outside

Rachel Carson said that we need the beauty and mysteries of the natural world for our spiritual and emotional development. Does that ring true for you? What are the implications for a culture that spends most of its time indoors?

Maddy Kurland 10/04/2021 5:16 PM

A culture that spends most of its time inside learns and becomes accustomed to overlooking the beauty of the things nature provides to us. In the modern day, our negligence emphasizes our focus on electronics and technology; it takes us further away from our connection to the environment and can even negatively influence mental health. The outdoors gives us freedom, comfort, relaxation, and more. Without it, society is at a loss.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Water Say No to Plastic Straws

What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?

Maddy Kurland 9/29/2021 4:46 PM

Single-use items I commonly use are coffee cups, plastic bags/ grocery bags, and straws (straws are usually less used due to new lids deeming them unnecessary). I try to reuse the grocery bags by using them as trash bags or to carry other items. I could switch to a reusable metal cup that could be washed and cleaned as desired, reusable grocery bags, and metal straws.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Explore My Area

How might spending more time outdoors enhance your brainpower?

Maddy Kurland 9/23/2021 5:21 PM

Spending time outdoors can act as a distraction from any stressors in life, which can give you a well-needed and well-deserved break. Being outdoors gives you a new environment where you can breathe, press pause, then get back to grinding out work.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Go for a Daily Walk

How do you experience your neighborhood or city differently when walking instead of driving?

Maddy Kurland 9/22/2021 5:28 PM

When walking, you get to breathe in and truly view your surroundings. Unlike in a car, the buildings, trees, walkways, flowers, etc. are more than just a blur. The world that wasn't given a second glance now has beauty. Additionally, when you walk, you get the opportunity to interact and engage with fellow community members--you're more socially active in your neighborhood/city.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Happiness

How does/can practicing gratitude keep you centered and motivated to work for a better world?

Maddy Kurland 9/22/2021 5:26 PM

Being grateful for what you have, whether that be a physical object or something intangible like love, support, etc., keeps you grounded. It allows you to reflect on what you've done to get where you are today and encourages you to set new goals, so you have even more to look back on and look forward to.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food Reduce Animal Products

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

Maddy Kurland 9/17/2021 7:24 PM

The production and thus consumption of eating meat leads to an increase in greenhouse emissions polluting the planet's air. This factors into climate change and other environmental declines like water pollution, deforestation due to production sites needing mass amounts of land, and more.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health Joyful Movement

What's your favorite activity(ies) in which you experience joy while being active and moving?

Maddy Kurland 9/17/2021 7:19 PM

My favorite activities are lacrosse, running, listening to music while walking or doing something outside, hanging out with my friends, and watching interesting shows/movies. All of these activities bring me joy, they help me relax, and they give me a well needed distraction from stressors.

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