Shelby Kita

Whatcom Conservation District

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
362 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

120

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

33

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

60

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

120

gallons of water

have been saved

Shelby's actions

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will keep 3 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream, and downstream in Puget Sound and/or the Pacific Ocean, by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 11
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

5-Minute Showers

I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers to minimize my water footprint, as in many watersheds, a drop for me is one less for salmon, which then warms streams or impairs salmon streamflows.

COMPLETED 6
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Meet My Local Farmers

I will visit my nearest Puget Sound farm to learn about locally produced food and the quality of life of all involved in producing it to make better choices for Puget Sound when I shop.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Education

Learn about my watershed

I will spend 60 minutesIdentifying what sub-basin I live in and learning about my watershed's water quality, fish habitat problems, and options for volunteering.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Do Nature Activities

I will engage in nature-based activities alone, or with my friends or family, for 30 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.)

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Pick up Trash

I will pick up and properly dispose of litter on a daily walk through my neighborhood, since stormwater will otherwise carry it to the Puget Sound and/or the Pacific Ocean.

COMPLETED 0
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
Nature Do Nature Activities

What did you observe while spending time outside -- through sight, sound, smell and touch?

Shelby Kita 9/25/2020 11:19 AM

The first thing I typically notice when spending time outside is the sky and plants. My immediate action is to always look up at the sky and observe if it's sunny, cloudy, or overcast? My favorite plants to look at are the trees because I wonder how old and tall they are. It's wild to think that some trees I look at can easily be 100+ years old! When it's sunny I enjoy reading or just sitting outside either on my patio or at a park (my two favorite parks/areas to go to is Marine Park and Woodstock Farm).
During spring, every Friday I would take an hour walk with my partner either around the neighborhood, parks, or trails and try to identify plants and animals. Not only did this help with my identification skills, but it also made me interested to look things up and learn more about a plant or animal species. This is something that was easy to do and I want to continue this again, rain or shine!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature Leave No Trace

Educator 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?

Shelby Kita 9/25/2020 11:06 AM

I've always been interested in conservation and restoration efforts. From where I grew up to Washington, I've always been aware of dwindling populations of native plants and animals. This is a reason I was drawn to intern with NSEA and continue my time with NSEA as an AmeriCorps Member.
I personally feel that I didn't take much action in my hometown to help protect and restore the natural environment. Since being here in Bellingham, especially in the past couple of years, I have been part of restoration work.

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