Ecochallenge.org

Choices for Sustainable Living Discussion Course

Lindsay Walker

The Sustainable Loggers

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
256 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

21

organic meals

consumed
UP TO

21

locally sourced meals

consumed
UP TO

7.0

whole food meals

consumed
UP TO

21

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

7.0

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

3.0

petitions

signed
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched

Lindsay's actions

A Call to Sustainability

Sign a Petition

I will sign petitions in support of an environmental or social initiative in my state.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

A Call to Sustainability

Talk To Others

I will tell 2 people why sustainability is important to me and what my vision for a sustainable world is.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

A Call to Sustainability

Explore My Area

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

A Call to Sustainability

Watch a Documentary

I will watch a movie about a sustainability issue I would like to know more about.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Ecological Principles

Advocate for Sustainability

I will contact local officials and city leaders this week to challenge them to support sustainability policies.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Ecological Principles

Join An Outdoor Project

I will join an outdoor restoration project in my community.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Locally-Sourced Meals

I will source 1 meal(s) from local producers each day this week.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Advocate for Greener Vehicles

I will assess the vehicles used by my company or college and advocate for a purchasing policy focused on fuel-efficient vehicles.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Go by Bike

I will commute by bike 1 mile(s) each day this week and avoid sending up to 5.14 lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Reduce Animal Products

I will enjoy 2 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Support Local Food Systems

I will source 2 meal(s) from local producers each day this week. This could include signing up for a local CSA, buying from a farmer's market, visiting a food co-op, foraging with a local group, or growing my own ingredients.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Whole Foods Diet

I will enjoy 1 meal(s) free of processed foods each day this week.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Choose Organic Ingredients

I will enjoy 3 meal(s) cooked with organic ingredients each day this week.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Use Reusable Bottles

I will use a reusable bottle and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 1 disposable plastic bottle(s) each day this week.

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?

Lindsay Walker 5/03/2021 3:09 PM

This week's transportation challenge was a bit hard to check off the boxes. I did not go in person to work at all so I actually commuted 0 miles by bike, but I also commuted 0 miles by car. I'm pretty sure I only used my car once this week to drive to a gravel trail for a bike ride. I was able to walk to the store and didn't have any other needs for transportation. One area I am hoping to improve is driving by car between Seattle and Tacoma. We have family and close friends in Seattle and end up driving there almost once a week. We have come up with a bike route via Vashon Island that I think could work to commute by bike. The challenge is finding ways to carry items that we need, especially, weather, and the extra time it would take. I'm looking forward to exploring this as an option for future commutes between Seattle and Tacoma though.

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Lindsay Walker 4/27/2021 8:38 AM

This week I volunteered at a local raingarden with Orcas Love Raingardens. We were mostly weeding and spreading mulch. This raingarden is located at a school in what was previously a ditch where runoff from the track and parking lot quickly flowed into a storm drain. The raingarden increases the amount of time the water sits in the ditch so that it can infiltrate the soil, filtering out pollutants as it does. It is also filled with native plants which also help filter the water.

I also watched a documentary, The Octopus My Teacher, which is less about sustainability and more about connecting with nature. It is a reminder of all that we stand to lose if we don't protect water. We have kelp forests and octopus right here in Tacoma and so it was cool to also be taking action that reduces the toxins in storm water the same weekend.

One action that I did not succeed at this week was recycling everything possible. I struggle to recycle plastic film and plastic bags because I have to take them separately to a location that is not super convenient to me. I currently don't have a method set up with a place to store the bags and film until I take them to recycle. I also had a lot of film that was very dirty and didn't want to bother cleaning it off. One idea is to clean out an area in the garage to store plastic bags that is out of the way and then also have a container in the kitchen to collect them so it is easier to do and then I can take bags to recycle every few months.

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Lindsay Walker 4/20/2021 1:18 PM

This week I kept a food journal to help me track if I was meeting my food goals for the week. I also kept track of any food waste that I put in the compost. I am privileged that the closest grocery store to me carries mostly organic foods and sources some of their foods locally. I'm not sure if it is because of the pandemic or because I participated in this challenge last year but I have definitely noticed a change in my eating habits. When the pandemic started, we began shopping at the coop because it was less crowded and closer to home. We also began purchasing local flour in bulk and baking our own bread, pita, bagels and crackers. We also only get take out once a week or so, when we would eat several meals out before. It is definitely easier to eat a whole foods diet and keep track of where my food is coming from when I am cooking more of my meals at home.

My biggest food waste this week came from coffee grounds and fruit and vegetable scraps. I compost these with the city but have been wanting to start my own compost. I also make stock with my vegetable scraps but don't eat enough to use up all my scraps so let me know if you need some stock :) I think other areas for growth for me are making my own sodas. I drink several sodas a week and they come with garbage and are heavy to transport. I also want to grow veggies to share with my neighbors which I am hoping to build beds and start next year.

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Lindsay Walker 4/13/2021 4:44 PM

This week I explored a new gravel bike trail near Duvall. The Tolt Pipeline trail runs along a pipeline that supplies the City of Seattle with about 30% of it's water. The second part of the trail was in a privately owned logging area. It wasn't until after our ride that I learned that the pipeline supplies water to Seattle. A few days later when I found out, I got to have a conversation with my cycling friends who are from Seattle about drinking watersheds. We biked by Cedar river a few weeks ago, which is the other major drinking watershed in Seattle.

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