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Welcome to Drawdown EcoChallenge!

Watch the short video below to learn the basics.
You'll be an Drawdown EcoChallenge expert in no time!

EcoChallenge.org
Drawdown EcoChallenge
April 3 - April 24, 2019
Laura Kirn's avatar

Laura Kirn

Woodstock Day School

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 300 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    50
    minutes
    spent learning

Laura's actions

Women and Girls

Support Women-Owned Businesses

#62 Women Smallholders

I will spend 25 minutes each day researching women-owned businesses I can support when shopping.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Transport

Use Muscle Power

#49 Cars

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips, and I will only use muscle-powered transportation for all other trips.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Social Justice

Learn about Local Indigenous Practices

#39 Indigenous Peoples' Land Management

I will spend at least 25 minutes learning how local indigenous tribes are caring for the land by attending a training, workshop, or presentation.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Smaller Portions

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will use smaller plates and/or serve smaller portions when dishing out food.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Social Justice

Contact your Elected Officials

#23 Farmland Restoration

I will contact 1 elected officials to voice my opinion on the importance of restoring farmland in my region, including both public and private land.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Keep Track of Wasted Food

#3 Reduced Food Waste

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during the EcoChallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Composting

#60 Composting, #3 Reduced Food Waste

I will start a compost bin where I live.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transport

Improve a Bus Stop

#37 Mass Transit

I will improve a bus stop in my neighborhood by posting the stop schedule, adding seating or shelter, adding art or flowers, picking up litter, or implementing some other small improvement.

UNCOMPLETED
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?

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Women and Girls Support Women-Owned Businesses
    Globally, women typically invest a higher proportion of their earnings in their families and communities than men. How can you better support communities by supporting women? Can you share any past experiences that may help others take action?
    Laura Kirn's avatar
    Laura Kirn 4/23/2019 5:27 PM
    Today I watched Period, End of Sentence for the second time, this time with my fifth grade class. Watching how proud the women felt once they got the small factory up and running... how they quickly established routines and procedures to the work day... you could see the pride and sense of responsibility they felt. There is nothing like having your own wallet to call your own. I will definitely try to support businesses like these in the future. 
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Action Track: Social Justice Learn about Local Indigenous Practices
    What did you learn about indigenous peoples' land management that you can apply in your own life?
    Laura Kirn's avatar
    Laura Kirn 4/23/2019 5:11 PM
    I learned today from Evan Pritchard, an Algonquin, that native spaces once revered for their life force and spirit are now very busy traffic hubs. For instance, hundreds of years ago, to get to waterfalls and rivers for worship, many trails were made. These routes are still in existence today- route 1, route 20 (the Mohawk Trail in Massachusetts), route 44 here in NY.
    Worshiping at waters edge is nothing new. The natives had trails, rivers, and waterfalls to lead the way all along. 
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Smaller Portions
    Fun fact: Your brain and stomach register feelings of fullness after about 20 minutes of eating. While dishing food out, we tend to load our plates with more than we need. Using smaller plates helps to mitigate this. Aside from the environmental benefits, what other benefits might come out of eating smaller portions?
    Laura Kirn's avatar
    Laura Kirn 4/22/2019 8:25 PM
    Less food on the plate, more time to be outside enjoying my magnolia tree. 
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Transport Use Muscle Power
    How do your transportation choices affect your engagement in your community? Does your experience or enjoyment differ while walking, riding transit, biking or driving?
    Laura Kirn's avatar
    Laura Kirn 4/22/2019 8:22 PM
    I like to drive my little stick shift car. But I don't like to waste gas and time. So, I plan all trips accordingly. A ride into Kingston for groceries needs to include all other errands along the way. It's only about 12 minutes or so one-way but it's important that my kids see me consciously planning the mileage. That way I can enjoy the beautiful views and do what's best at the same time. 
    Read More
  • Laura Kirn's avatar
    Laura Kirn 4/22/2019 8:12 PM
    I have worked part-time for the Adams family for years. On Friday, quite a busy day, as I was bagging groceries for customers I really paid attention to the absurd amount of plastic bags used (not just for the larger bags but the plastic bags holding 2 lemons, a package of fish, a bag of onions, etc.)  I asked customers if they'd mind paper instead (they are sturdier and hold more). I talked to customers about the Drawdown challenge. When pressed one woman initally couldn't answer why she put a bunch of bananas in a plastic bag. After a few minutes she said, "So they won't roll around in the car." I told her they wouldn't as I took them out of the bag. 
    Read More
    • Eileen Mcclatchy's avatar
      Eileen Mcclatchy 4/22/2019 8:24 PM
      Yay Laura! I have this thing about Adams and the way cashiers always (almost always!!) ask "paper or plastic " even as my bags from home are right there. I think if they were asking "Did you bring a bag?" it would start to shift the minds of the shoppers who are not so aware of the waste involved in the plastic bag use.
      Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Composting
    Producing food that goes uneaten squanders many resources—seeds, water, energy, land, fertilizer, hours of labor, financial capital. Which of these kinds of waste most motivates you to change your behavior regarding food waste? Why?
    Laura Kirn's avatar
    Laura Kirn 4/10/2019 10:19 AM
    I never really thought about the wasted water on food that my family and I don't eat. In these times of water usage being such a hot topic it will make me think twice about sending scraps to the bin, even the compost bin. 
    Read More
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Keep Track of Wasted Food
    An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Where would you rather use this money?
    Laura Kirn's avatar
    Laura Kirn 4/10/2019 10:15 AM
    On more perennials for my garden!
    Read More
  • Laura Kirn's avatar
    Laura Kirn 4/03/2019 6:19 PM
    Eve, my nonna in Sicily used to wash the American tinfoil and Saran Wrap my mother would bring with her each summer- to last until the next visitor came with more. 
    Read More
  • Laura Kirn's avatar
    Laura Kirn 4/02/2019 5:43 PM
    I use glass for food storage as much as I can. I also reuse plastic bags- from the grocery store and Ziplocs- over and over again.
    Read More
    • Eve Fox's avatar
      Eve Fox 4/02/2019 6:39 PM
      +1. I feel like I've perfected the art of washing ziplocs and plastic bags.
      Read More