Elizabeth Keller
"To learn about Orca recovery and be mindful about impacts on the enviroment"
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 1,225 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO130minutesspent outdoors
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UP TO1.0treeplanted
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UP TO500minutesspent learning
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UP TO15plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
Elizabeth's actions
Education
Learn about my watershed
I will spend 30 minutesIdentifying what sub-basin I live in and learning about my watershed's water quality, fish habitat problems, and options for volunteering.
Waste
Recycle Everything I Can
Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will research and recycle all materials that are accepted by my local haulers or drop stations in my community.
Waste
Reduce Single-Use Disposables
I will find out how I can limit single-use items and do my best to limit the waste I generate, so long term, it stays out of the Puget Sound and/or the Pacific Ocean.
Food
Smart Seafood Choices
I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean since the Puget Sound is connected to all!
Nature
Leave No Trace
I will practice the seven principles of Leave No Trace when doing nature activities alone or with family and friends to minimize my downstream impact in my watershed.
Waste
Apartment Composting
Research options on how to start composting while living in an apartment.
Nature
Do Nature Activities
I will engage in nature-based activities alone, or with my friends or family, for 10 minute(s) each day to connect with the shared ecosystem in which I live and rely on. (This can be anything from going on a walk or hike, to noticing the leaves changing color, to reading a book with nature themes.)
Waste
Watch documentary about plastics
I watched a documentary to learn more about the full life cycle of plastics.
Food
Watch a TED Talk about Food Sovereignty
Watch a TED Talk to educate about the concept of food sovereignty.
Community
Learn About Local Environmental Justice Concerns
I will spend 20 minutes researching environmental justice concerns that effect people and the connection to downstream fish and wildlife, their causes, and local initiatives to address these concerns.
Nature
Plant Trees
I will plant 1 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard to combat climate change and reduce stormwater impacts to Puget Sound and/or Pacific Ocean.
Food
Learn More about Food Deserts
I will spend 30 minutes learning about food deserts and find out how I can advocate for healthy and fresh Puget Sound food in my region.
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?
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Elizabeth Keller 11/02/2020 5:12 PMToday I went on a lovely walk to drop off my ballot. Got to appreciate nature, enjoy nice weather, get a little exercise, and exercise my right to vote! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONNature Do Nature ActivitiesWhat did you observe while spending time outside -- through sight, sound, smell and touch?
Elizabeth Keller 10/22/2020 4:16 PMIt was a beautiful sunny day today! Nice and warm outside in the sun (bordering on hot) but a perfect temperature in the shade. We noticed that they have been doing some maintenance and cutting back some of the vegetation along the river nearby and that a community close by is also planting a garden! It was great to get out, take a complete break from work and screens, and appreciate time outside and together. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONNature Plant TreesHow is planting trees good for your mental, physical, and spiritual health?
Elizabeth Keller 10/20/2020 10:33 AMI recently planted an avocado tree and have another sprouting in my windowsill, which will be planted in not too long. I enjoy planting and then caring for plants (I am a very new balcony gardener!). It's great to successfully take care of something and see my plants surviving and flourishing. It also makes our space more green (both literally and figuratively).
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Stacie Fejtek Smith 10/21/2020 7:27 PMWay to embrace your nature...even if it is indoors!
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REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Recycle Everything I CanWhat have you learned about what is accepted by local haulers for recycling, what you can drop off or ship to certain places, and what is not recyclable in your area? What is the most difficult part of recycling for you?
Elizabeth Keller 10/19/2020 10:23 AMI learned that they take plastic bags! I generally don't have many grocery bags since I use my reusable ones, but it also includes produce , dry cleaning, and bread bags. That's a few more plastics I can add to recycling instead of trash! I also found there is a site (www.loosefillpackaging.com) to find locations to drop of packing peanuts for reuse (since those cannot be recycled).
The hardest part of recycling for me is making sure recyclables are all clean and dry, particularly containers that had food and are greasy. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONWaste Reduce Single-Use DisposablesBringing your own bags and containers to the grocery store, and even to restaurants for leftovers, are a couple of ways to reduce your waste. What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?
Elizabeth Keller 10/16/2020 5:47 PMI always use my reusable grocery bags! Although, COVID made that tough for a while... Now that we are allowed to bring reusable bags into grocery stores again, I am trying to get back into the habit of using reusable produce bags as well. It is also a process to remember to let restaurants know I don't need plastic utensils or straws. One of my toughest plastics to stop using is plastic used to store meat (store packaging and freezer bags), since I don't want to take risks with bacteria! -
Elizabeth Keller 10/15/2020 9:32 AMInvestigating the watershed I live in at https://water.usgs.gov/wsc/map_index.html and https://mywaterway.epa.gov/ ! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONFood Smart Seafood ChoicesMany states and countries have advisories on eating fish. Find out what is advised for your region. Do you think your diet choices fall within these guidelines? What steps do you need to take to make sure that they do?
Elizabeth Keller 10/15/2020 9:23 AMSome fish I have purchased is safe and sustainable, while others I do not know. It's important to find as much detail about specific fish as possible and try to make an informed choice. I have also noticed that many types of fish that go on sale are those that are not recommended choices based on the Seafood Watch app. It's important for me to take into account advisories and sustainability as well as price and other factors when making each purchasing choice. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONNature Leave No TraceEducator Stephanie Kaza advises her students to focus on what they care about most when addressing the enormity of ecological problems. Is there a specific area you feel particularly called to work on?
Elizabeth Keller 10/14/2020 5:44 PMI think something as simple as this daily task to apply the "leave no trace" approach to enjoying nature is a great place to start. This is a very clear rule in places like national parks but is easy to apply to any setting. It's a great state of mind to appreciate nature and commit to not adding to issues (e.g., littering, etc.).