Earth Month Ecochallenge 2022: Sustainable Development Goals

April 1 - April 30, 2022

Emily Katzin

"To make a positive difference in my community and to protect the natural world so future generations can be inspired by it. "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,593 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

energy audit

conducted
UP TO

5.0

hours

volunteered
UP TO

49

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

760

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

900

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

900

minutes

not spent in front of a screen

Emily's actions

Basic Needs & Security

Get To Know Your Watershed

SDG #6 Water & Sanitation

I will spend 20 minutes learning about my watershed and the particular water issues my region faces.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Know Your Produce

SDG #2 Zero Hunger

I will visit ewg.org to learn about and use their Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen produce lists.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Food Donation

I will donate food or money to a local food bank.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Reduce Animal Product Consumption

SDG #2 Zero Hunger

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

COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS

Climate & Ecosystems

Ecological & Xeriscape Gardening

SDG #14 & 15

I will do one or more of the following actions in my yard, or volunteer in my community: plant indigenous plants, landscape with water-efficient plants, add mulching, replace a lawn, and/or use eco-friendly fertilizers.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Basic Needs & Security

Get Involved in the Water Justice Movement

SDG #6 Water & Sanitation

I will spend 20 minutes learning about water justice and find out how I can get involved in local initiatives.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health & Equity

Practice Mindfulness

SDG #3 Health & Well-Being

I will spend 24 minutes each day practicing mindfulness.

COMPLETED 26
DAILY ACTIONS

Economy & Communities

Create A Readiness Plan

SDG #9 Industry & Infrastructure

I will develop a readiness plan for my household in the event of an emergency.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Education & Livelihood

Share Your Eco Habits

SDG #11 Communities

Through my social media channels, in person, or as an Earth Month Ecochallenge feed reflection, I will share with others an environmentally friendly habit I have cultivated.

COMPLETED 27
DAILY ACTIONS

Basic Needs & Security

Calculate Your Water Footprint

SDG #6 Water & Sanitation

I will calculate my water footprint and look for a few ways I can reduce consumption or waste.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Economy & Communities

Online Energy Audit

SDG #7 Energy

I will complete an online energy audit of my home, office, or dorm room and identify my next steps for saving energy.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Economy & Communities

Mend Clothing

SDG #9 Industry & Infrastructure

I will mend a piece of clothing for myself, family or friends.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Climate & Ecosystems

Reduce Single-Use Plastics

SDG #14 & 15

Throughout the day, I will note the single-use plastics I use and consider the reusable options available to me.

COMPLETED 28
DAILY ACTIONS

Education & Livelihood

Volunteer In My Community

SDG #11 Communities

I will volunteer hour(s) in my community.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health & Equity

Spend Time Outside

SDG #3 Health & Well-Being

I will replace 10 minute(s) per day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside exercising, enjoying the sunrise/sunset, gardening, journaling, or practicing gratitude for nature.

COMPLETED 27
DAILY ACTIONS

Climate & Ecosystems

Learn About Invasive Species

SDG #14 & 15

I will spend 30 minutes learning about invasive species and ways to reduce their impacts.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Economy & Communities

Choose Clean/Renewable Energy

SDG #7 Energy

I will sign up for my utility company's clean/renewable energy option.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Education & Livelihood

Research Impact Investing

SDG #8 Work & Economy

Using the links provided below, I will research impact investing or my current investment portfolio to determine if they align with my values.

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?

Emily Katzin 4/29/2022 8:12 AM

I was so excited to see a blue-gray gnatcatcher for the first time yesterday! It was hopping around in the trees in my backyard. I think it was a female or juvenile male, as it didn't have the black line above its eyes that give it an amusing expression. I've been enjoying logging birds in the Merlin app. During 2020, my husband and I got into playing the Wingspan board game, which is all about birds. Since then, we've gotten much better at identifying local birds. I'm looking forward to adding more sightings this weekend--it is close to migratory time for many species!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health & Equity Spend Time Outside

What are the implications for a culture that spends most of its time inside and on screens?

Emily Katzin 4/27/2022 10:09 AM

I think our transition to being indoors and on screens has had negative impacts on physical fitness, vision, sense of community, social connections, mental health, and connections with nature. The internet has also had a lot of positive impacts in these areas. It can be a great tool for planning and coordinating activities, meeting new people, learning, etc. It really depends on how it is used. I will say that during the pandemic, my husband and I took a lot of walks in our neighborhood and met neighbors and made new friends, which wouldn't have happened had we spent that time indoors instead. I also think that being outdoors can help foster an environmental stewardship mindset and behaviors.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Economy & Communities Create A Readiness Plan

What was it like to create a readiness plan? Did you find other resources you could share?

Emily Katzin 4/26/2022 9:31 AM

Some of our readiness plan came about when buying our house in October, and some was actually required as part of our insurance. We have smoke and CO detectors, as well as multiple fire extinguishers in case of a fire. We also have a sump pump and a backup in case of heavy rain/flooding. One thing I need to look into is having ladders or other ways of getting out of the second floor of the house if need be, and our main priority will be to grab our kitty on the way out of the house. In case of heavy winds or a tornado, we will plan on going into the basement. We try to keep some flashlights around different rooms of the house as well. Back when I worked at Energizer, I got some really cool flashlights that act as a night light and charge, but you can pull them off the wall and use them as a bright flashlight if need be.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Education & Livelihood Volunteer In My Community

What is one thing you can do to help your community become more sustainable?

Emily Katzin 4/26/2022 9:07 AM

I did three litter pickups in my neighborhood and one in the Metroparks. Some studies have found that people are more likely to litter in areas that already have litter, and less likely to litter in clean areas. I hope that cleaning up these areas encourages the community to keep them clean. Litter negatively impacts wildlife and can cause problems when it gets in waterways. For example, microplastic can be found in tap water samples around the world. I have also been participating in a community Facebook group where community members give away and donate items, and look forward to participating more in that group.

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Emily Katzin 4/25/2022 11:39 AM

It was great to get out on Saturday and check out the Shaker Square Farmers Market. I got some house plant soil from RustBelt Riders and repotted some of my indoor plants. They've been very happy with the soil and started opening up more. I can't wait for the farmers market to come back to main campus in June! Shopping at local markets is definitely a great way to reduce packaging waste, and you can't beat the flavor of local produce in my opinion.

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Emily Katzin 4/25/2022 9:13 AM

I hope everyone had a great Earth Day weekend! I did a litter pickup in my neighborhood on Friday, and went to the Cleveland Lakefront Preserve yesterday in hopes of catching migrating birds. I think I may have come a little early--I know that late April/early May is a great time to catch migratory species. We did see a turkey, song sparrows, chipping sparrows, gold finches, ruby crowned kinglets, a northern mockingbird, and a ton of red-winged blackbirds. I'm hoping to see more birds out on the lake next time, as well as a bunch of the migratory warblers. Maybe next weekend! If you haven't been there before, I highly recommend it!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Basic Needs & Security Get Involved in the Water Justice Movement

Who is affected by water insecurity in your region? How are they affected? How are you impacted by water insecurity?

Emily Katzin 4/22/2022 10:46 AM

Individuals who are experiencing financial hardship or instability and are unable to pay their utility bills can have their water shut off. This happened to an increasing number of individuals during the pandemic and other economic recessions during which individuals may have been laid off, had their hours or income reduced, or lost their positions due to their company closing. Water insecurity can have multiple negative health impacts, including dehydration and impacting individuals' ability to wash their hands and other surfaces to help prevent the spread of illness. This has been especially stressful for many individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lack of access to clean water has negative effects on public health, which impacts communities as a whole.

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Emily Katzin 4/22/2022 10:25 AM

Happy Earth Day!
I am very happy to have the windows open in the house, and saw a hermit thrush in my yard for the first time today :) I'm looking forward to getting out this weekend and hopefully spotting some new birds to log in the Merlin app!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Basic Needs & Security Get To Know Your Watershed

What watershed do you live in presently? What is something interesting or unique about your watershed?

Emily Katzin 4/20/2022 11:02 AM

I live in the Cuyahoga River watershed, which drains over 800 square miles. According to the EPA: "The Cuyahoga River watershed is degraded due to sediment and streambank erosion, water quality impacts from municipal and agricultural discharges, and historic contamination from urban and industrial sources. While urban stormwater runoff, combined sewer overflows and wastewater treatment plant bypasses are still in the process of being addressed, the overall water quality is starting to improve..." The watershed currently has 9 beneficial use impairments, which represent types of significant degradation. 3 of the 9 have been removed since 2017 (restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption, eutrophication or undesirable algae, and degradation of aesthetics), which are signs of improvement. The remaining 6 are significant/disturbing and show that we still have a lot of work to do:
Degradation of Fish and Wildlife Populations
Fish Tumors or Other Deformities
Degradation of Benthos
Restrictions on Navigational Dredging
Beach Closings
Loss of Fish Habitat

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Emily Katzin 4/15/2022 7:43 AM

It is so exciting to start seeing buds and blossoms! Where are your favorite places to see spring blooms? One of my favorite places is the top of the lagoon trail in the Cleveland Metroparks Rocky River Reservation. I took this photo there some years ago of a red admiral butterfly. I also can't wait for the bluebells, which seem to grow in shadier/more moist parts of the park.

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- Shirley Mirous 4/15/2022 8:42 AM
  
  I haven't been to Rocky River lately, was down@ Brookside behind the zoo last weekend to see the pink blossoms.
  
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