Misha Skinner-Gehr
"Live sustainably, do what you love, give back."
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 490 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO28meatless or vegan mealsconsumed
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UP TO14petitionssigned
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UP TO1.0documentarywatched
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UP TO210minutesspent outdoors
Misha's actions
A Call to Sustainability
Start a Sustainability Journal
I will start a sustainability journal, capturing my thoughts, concerns and learning about sustainability issues.
A Call to Sustainability
Sign a Petition
I will sign petitions in support of an environmental or social initiative in my state.
Ecological Principles
Recycle Everything I Can
I will recycle all materials that are accepted by local haulers or drop stations in my community this week.
Food
Reduce Animal Products
I will enjoy 3 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.
Water
Say No to Plastic
Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. This week, I'll say "no" to plastic bags at the store and plastic straws in all of my drinks.
Consumption and Economy
Personal Waste Audit
I will collect all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.
Community
Sign a Petition
I will sign a petition in support of an environmental or social initiative in my state.
A Call to Sustainability
Pay Attention to Current Events
I will watch or read the news each day this week with a specific focus on sustainability issues and happenings.
Ecological Principles
Practice Gratitude for Earth
This week, I will spend 30 minute(s) each day outside, practicing gratitude (prayer, meditation, journaling, etc.) for Earth and the nature surrounding me.
Consumption and Economy
Track my Purchases
I will maintain a record of all my purchases.
Ecological Principles
Keep An Ecological Principles Journal
I will keep a journal this week as I observe ecological principles in action in my backyard, neighborhood or community.
Ecological Principles
Reduce My Footprint
I will calculate my ecological footprint and talk with my family or roommates about way we can reduce our negative enviromental impact.
Food
Weekly Meal Planning
I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.
Visions of Sustainability
Collect Rain Water
I will create a rain garden or bioswale, or use rain barrels to collect water for outdoor watering needs.
Consumption and Economy
Buy Only What I Need
I will not buy anything except items required for health and safety.
Water
Watch The Story of Bottled Water
I will watch The Story of Bottled Water to learn more about bottled water's impacts on the environment.
A Call to Sustainability
Explore My Area
I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.
Consumption and Economy
Support Local Businesses
I will buy from local businesses instead of shopping online.
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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Misha Skinner-Gehr 12/02/2020 12:12 PMSO I didn't actually do any of the challenges in the list recently, BUT I did/finished a couple of my own projects.
The one I'm most excited about right now is my Apple Cider Vinegar--which I just rebottled to continue the fermentation process. I have three types: 1 with a live vinegar starter as well as sugar, 1 with just sugar/apples/water, and 1 with agave/apples/water. I'm working on using all the food scraps I can, and sending the rest to the worms or the compost.
The next thing I need to finish up are my tomato seeds, which have been fermenting and need to be dried for planting next year. In order to save tomato seeds, they need to be fermented in liquid THEN dried and saved in a dark, airtight space. The viable seeds will sink to the bottom of the liquid, and the duds will float. (I also chucked some tomatoes out in the yard to see if they'll sprout).
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Misha Skinner-Gehr 11/22/2020 10:42 AMI know it's a little late, but I finally got a chance to get out of the house--away from my desk--and out onto the trails. There's a lot near my house that I want to explore, but haven't yet. The one I checked out yesterday was, not exactly a trail? There's a trail, that turns into a deer trail, and goes down into a creek bed in Terwilliger Park, and then on the other side of the ravine is another trail, but I couldn't for the life of me determine where it was or how to get onto it. So yesterday I got a little off the trail and hiked over to it. Turns out I DID know the trail, but the orientation had be all turned around. Here are some photos from my jaunt
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Misha Skinner-Gehr 11/12/2020 5:17 PMIt was wild to see where our recycled bottles go! My household is getting better about recycling, but it's... a little disheartening to see that often times that recycling really just, doesn't do anything. The real trick is to stop using plastic bottles. I haven't purchased a bottle of water in years, but other members of my household do, and if the plastic bottles get treated like that, what about the cans, and other misc. recycling we have? Does none of it get recycled properly? -
Misha Skinner-Gehr 11/12/2020 5:14 PMRainwater collection is part of my ecochange, and now that I've got the gutters, roof and barrel set up, I've collected almost a full barrel in just about a week. While I don't have much use for the water at this time of year, I will have use for it during the warmer months, with our garden. It is also part of a recycled water system that catches run off from our deck plants, and some of the water from our sink, to be used in the garden during the summer, rather than letting it all go into the sewer.
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Sondra Curran 11/19/2020 11:55 AMThat's awesome! I'm excited to see how you did it because this sounds like something I should do!! and really wanna try.
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Misha Skinner-Gehr 11/12/2020 5:12 PMI'm usually pretty good about buying only what I need, especially when I'm on a tight budget (which I am right now). This week was pretty usual for me, buying only what I needed for health/wellness and safety. I bought a few food items on Wednesday. On Tuesday I invested in a pair of blue light blocking glasses, because I've been struggling with headaches from too much screen time, which has been impeding my work. But otherwise, not outstanding purchase. Makes you really think about what you need/don't need. -
Misha Skinner-Gehr 11/10/2020 3:24 PMThis week I processed a bunch of apples from our neighborhood orchard. I froze the good fruit, used the clean scraps to start a batch of applecider vinegar, and gave the rest to our worms (we have a vermiculture that most of our veggie and fruit scraps go to). With the last batch of apples that I processed, I used about half to make a bunch of apple bread and freeze it for breakfast during the winter. Frozen baked goods keep for a surprisingly long time! I haven't decided what to do with the rest of the frozen apples yet.-
Sondra Curran 11/19/2020 11:56 AMGood to know!
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Misha Skinner-Gehr 11/05/2020 11:48 AMWhile I made some adjustments to the meals I planned this week, it was primarily because the meals I made produced more leftovers than i anticipated, and i was able to make the food stretch for longer than I planned. I’ve gotten to the end of the week and I still have beans and rice, and many of the veggies that I got for my initial meal plan. This is the first time I’ve done a meal plan, so I’ll get it more streamlined the more I do it.
I'm also saving all my apple and pear scraps, and I'm going to make apple cider vinegar.
Meal plan oct. 30 - nov. 6.
Friday:
- apple bread, egg, tea
- fried rice, kale, tomato
- soup
Saturday: go to Saturday market.
- cereal + fruit
- soup
- halloween snacks (deviled eggs, apples, Oreos)
Sunday: make beans + rice
- oatmeal and fruit (make extra for oatcakes)
- soup
- beans and rice bowl
Monday:
- oatcakes + fruit
- soup
- beans and rice bowl
Tuesday: make rice for tomorrow
- apple bread + and fruit
- wraps
- beans and rice bowl
Wednesday:
- Apple bread + fruits
- Mac and cheese + kale
- Mac and cheese + kale
Thursday:
- apple bread, fruit, yogurt
- Veggies + fried rice
- beans + rice
Shopping:
Saturday Market
Imperfect box Monday-
Sondra Curran 11/19/2020 11:58 AMI have had an INSANE amount of rice and bean bowls this year haha they are so yummy and easy!! and just like this.. so easy to make for multiple days
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Misha Skinner-Gehr 10/30/2020 10:18 AMI actually got to spend a lot more time outside this week, before the rain sets in: Here are a few excerpts from my reflections/journal:
10/27/20 - We've been getting some beautiful autumn weather--the smoke ate up the last bit of summer and jumpstarted us into fall. It's not bad when we can keep the house warm. Today is bright, crisp and clear, the sky a startling blue with the birds flitting across it. Cold nights have made the apples ripe, and they've mostly been picked. I got some and intend to make applebread for winter breakfasts. It is pleasing to see what fruits I can glean from the land. Though many of our tomatoes stayed green, I made fried green tomatoes, others are ripening under a light, and the ones that rot I am seeding in the yard. Hopefully some will come up in the spring.
This year, our first frost came between Oct. 23rd, and Oct. 27th. It feels early, but the unpredictability of the weather is a consequence of climate change.
10/29/20 - Today I was lucky enough to have work that took me outside; all the way to Clackamas and Carver park. The air was crisp but not too cold, the sky was blue. I spent the Uber ride watching the trees blur past against the bright sky. At the river my boss was fishing; there are big chinook in the Clackamas, and if you wait you’ll see them jumping in the evening for bugs. The water twinkles gold in the sunlight.
We walked through dappled sun to the creek that runs into the river. I enjoy the sun on my skin and the quiet between the trees. -
Misha Skinner-Gehr 10/22/2020 8:54 PMI didn't actually successfully accomplish either of the challenges that I picked out this week. 1) 30 outside enjoying nature every day and 2) 1 meal a day free from processed food. It wasn't a complete failure though, because I learned several things, even though I didn't accomplish the challenges. I now know: I don't know what exactly is considered processed food, or and I didn't know how much of it was in my diet (yogurt? tofu? jam? I'll have to do more research and planning before I try this one again); I also realized that I don't normally get outside every day, especially when I have school and work and I do both of those from my desk: it's very easy to stay tied there all day.
But, I can always try again and learn from what didn't work. -
Misha Skinner-Gehr 10/18/2020 11:44 AMYesterday I spent a large portion of my day--more than I meant to--doing yard work. We are working on transforming our front yard into something that is both aesthetic and productive. We have a growing midden of leaves, weeds, and plant matter in the backyard, as well as a compost bin. One of my goals is that as little biotic material as possible leaves the property, so anything that we generate can be put back into the earth eventually.
I also planted bulbs, flowers, and seeded bread-seed poppies in the front and side yards to come up in the spring. We plan on making herb and flower beds in the front yard eventually, but that will take more time.
While working I spent quite a while contemplating indigenous land management practices, how I can implement them on a small scale, how they could be used on a large scale, and how people could be educated about them, as well as contemplating Land-Back initiatives in general.
