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April 3 - April 24, 2019

Mass Audubon Feed

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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
    Materials Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants
    Name some of the human activities impacting the health of water systems, both locally (your watershed) and globally (freshwater and oceans). What can you do to improve the health of water systems?

    Jennifer Feller's avatar
    Jennifer Feller 4/24/2019 7:12 AM
    I'm not sure if it counts, but i just left the fallen leaves from last year around the base of the trees and shrubs throughout the winter. My goal was to provide habitat for overwintering wildlife. I didn't think about the potential to capture water too... I will continue to mulch throughout the summer.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Learn More about Silvopasture
    Had you heard of the term "silvopasture" before now? After learning more about it, what do you think is the biggest advantage of silvopasture?

    Jennifer Feller's avatar
    Jennifer Feller 4/24/2019 7:11 AM
    I didn't realize that this solution was more impactful than any grassland only grazing strategy. Have shared it with our famer and ecomanager!

  • Chris Erb's avatar
    Chris Erb 4/24/2019 5:47 AM
    This was a useful exercise, and it was great to know others were working on it, too.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Materials Install a Low-Flow Showerhead
    What would a sustainable water future in your region look like? What needs to change?

    Joy Ackerman's avatar
    Joy Ackerman 4/24/2019 4:47 AM
    Living in a humid temperate region with perennial streams and rivers, it's easy to think that water is never a problem.  But changing climate patterns may challenge us during growing season, at the same time we are trying to increase locally grown food.  Focusing on efficiency in the development of water use for all purposes may be important.  At the home scale, in addition to making infrastructure changes in the house - like a low flow, easy on/off. shower head - it's time to add a rain barrel or two to help with outdoor plant and garden watering.

  • Susan Edwards's avatar
    Susan Edwards 4/23/2019 6:29 PM
    I’m so fortunate to live in an area with sidewalks and great public transportation. Mostly I walk wherever I need to go, or hop on the bus if I’m pooped. 

  • Jennifer Feller's avatar
    Jennifer Feller 4/22/2019 6:48 AM
    i've been trying to eat meatless as much as possible, but I forgot to check in here on the dashboard!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Reduce Animal Products
    In your opinion, what contributes to people in North America eating more meat than any other countries? What does this say about North American values and ways of living?

    Jennifer Feller's avatar
    Jennifer Feller 4/22/2019 6:47 AM
    I think food patterns are mostly habitual, so we eat what we were served as children. The meat industry profited by selling meat as an "all american" food in the 50s and 60s, and a sign of wealth.  So we continue that tradition by serving it to our families, because we grew up eating it. We need to start new traditions that celebrate new foods as signs of prosperity, family togetherness, and celebration.
  • 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?

    Linda Balicki's avatar
    Linda Balicki 4/18/2019 7:01 AM
    Eating smaller portions can help control weight gain and thereby lead to better health overall.
    K
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Materials Recycle Everything I Can
    How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle? How does considering implementing these "R's" make you feel?

    Linda Balicki's avatar
    Linda Balicki 4/18/2019 6:56 AM
    I make reducing and reusing part of my daily life through reusable bags and containers,recycling single use plastic bags,,cutting down on the use if paper and recycling as much as  pissible

    • Alexandra Vecchio's avatar
      Alexandra Vecchio 4/19/2019 3:29 AM
      We have such a "use it once and throw it away" culture in the U.S. It's tricky because it sometimes feels like you are swimming up stream when you reject the one- time use plastic, but once those behaviors become normalized, we can see real change and benefits! Keep up the great work! 

  • Chris Erb's avatar
    Chris Erb 4/17/2019 7:02 AM
    I learned a little about carbon offsets and chose the company that MassAudubon uses for their nature trips.

    • Alexandra Vecchio's avatar
      Alexandra Vecchio 4/19/2019 3:25 AM
      Excited to hear that, Chris! Simply "not flying" isn't always an option and offsets are a great second choice!