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Mary Krauszer's avatar

Mary Krauszer

Pierce Conservation District

"I strive to live to my values every day. "

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 916 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    710
    minutes
    spent outdoors
  • UP TO
    85
    minutes
    spent learning
  • UP TO
    320
    gallons of water
    have been saved
  • UP TO
    1.0
    community event
    hosted or attended

Mary's 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 16
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Remove invasive weeds

Recruit 2+ friends/family/neighbors and together remove invasive vegetation from our home/apartment building/neighborhood that is in a watershed upstream of downstream salmon and orcas.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Locally-Sourced Meals

I will source 1 meal(s) per day from local Puget Sound producers.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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!

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

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 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Start or Tend a Garden

I will tend to a garden each day, or work on starting one to keep my food local, minimize my climate carbon footprint and therefore reduce my impact to the Puget Sound and/or Pacific Ocean.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Education

Participate in Orca Trivia Night

Get your trivia on! In partnership with Northwest Straits Foundation, Whidbey Island Conservation District is holding a trivia night themed all things Orca, Salmon, and Marine Habitat. Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7pm.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Support Pollution Reduction

I will spend 15 minutes learning about water and air quality issues in my area, how they are impacting orca and environmental health, and how I can help.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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?


  • Mary Krauszer's avatar
    Mary Krauszer 11/04/2020 8:10 AM
    Urban nature walk 11/3. Rattus rattus

  • Mary Krauszer's avatar
    Mary Krauszer 11/03/2020 1:27 PM
    This weekend, we put our back veggie beds to sleep for the winter. Garlic in the back bed will over-winter with leaves from our big leaf maple and straw as cover and organic inputs.

  • Mary Krauszer's avatar
    Mary Krauszer 11/03/2020 8:39 AM
    I've been playing with the Seek app a lot to make my urban nature walks even more fun. I'm impressed with how well it identifies common fungi, like this Poison Puffball from my front yard!

  • Mary Krauszer's avatar
    Mary Krauszer 11/03/2020 8:36 AM
    We spent Halloween morning planting trees in the floodplain with Nisqually Land Trust! 

  • Mary Krauszer's avatar
    Mary Krauszer 10/20/2020 9:23 AM
    I spent my Saturday morning removing blackberry at DeMolay Sandspit Nature Preserve. It felt good to doo some hard work, get the blood pumping, and see the impact that only a few hours can make. 

  • Mary Krauszer's avatar
    Mary Krauszer 10/16/2020 4:33 PM
    My spouse and I took third place in Whidbey CD's Orca Trivia Night last night! 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Nature Start or Tend a Garden
    Have you ever had a significant experience in nature that altered your perspective or focus? If so, please describe it.

    Mary Krauszer's avatar
    Mary Krauszer 10/14/2020 8:07 AM
    One time I saw ants milking aphids on some ivy in a front yard. Recently, I saw a leopard slug ad two grey garden snails eating a smashed earthworm on the sidewalk. The natural world is constantly altering my perspective. 

    • Kris Hay's avatar
      Kris Hay 10/18/2020 2:39 PM
      Whoa. I'm going to go check my ivy or aphid-milking ants!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Smart Seafood Choices
    Many 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?

    Mary Krauszer's avatar
    Mary Krauszer 10/06/2020 9:21 AM
    Current advisories in South Puget Sound relate to PCBs in some salmon, mercury in rockfish (which shouldn't be on the menu anyway), and PCBs in prawn heads. I focus my (very occasional) seafood consumption on sustainable, wild-caught Alaskan fish, so this shouldn't be an issue for me. What I need to work out is the source of tuna at my (birthdays-only) sushi place. :/

    • Camila Matamala-Ost's avatar
      Camila Matamala-Ost 10/06/2020 3:00 PM
      Have you ever been to Mashiko? It's a sustainable sushi place in west Seattle. Might be a nice place to try on your birthday. Also, when I was doing this reflection I didn't even thinj about my sushi consumption...
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Locally-Sourced Meals
    If you were to only eat what is in season locally, what would be the hardest food item for you to give up?

    Mary Krauszer's avatar
    Mary Krauszer 10/06/2020 9:13 AM
    Avocados don't come in my winter CSA! 
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Nature Do Nature Activities
    What did you observe while spending time outside -- through sight, sound, smell and touch?

    Mary Krauszer's avatar
    Mary Krauszer 10/06/2020 9:12 AM
    I've been loving the orb weaver webs in the fog. So beautiful!