Steph Leach

I will make sure I’m registered to vote. While I’m at it, I’ll sign up to help others register too!

I will replace my lawn with a drought-tolerant landscape and save the water, money, and time I used to spend cutting the grass.

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of plants and trees at my home or work.

I will fix faucets or report leaky faucets to facilities that have been wasting up to 3 gallons (11 L) of water per faucet every day.

I will save up to 8 gallons (32 L) of water a day by installing a low-flow shower-head.

I will calculate my Water Footprint to learn about my tap water use and "virtual water" use.

I will plant native species, landscape with water-efficient plants, and use eco-friendly fertilizers.

I will spend quality time with family and friends by playing low-tech game(s) and/or through the spirit of imagination.

I will find out what stocks and bonds are in my investment account portfolio to determine if they align with my values (e.g. environmental, social responsibility, community).

We may find more meaning and joy in life when our actions are aligned with our personal values. I will determine what my top 3-5 core values are so that I can better align my actions with them.

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

At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce fruit. I will spend 45 minutes researching which plants support local native pollinators and plant some in my yard.

I will naturally heat and cool my house, office, or dorm room by opening or closing my windows, curtains, and blinds, and by using fans.

I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 1,600 lbs of CO2 over the course of the next year.

Organizations have a responsibility to make sustainable business decisions. To understand how to improve sustainable practices, it’s important to start with understanding the current impact. I will share the Tradewater Business Carbon Calculator with my organization.

I will find out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in recycling dumpsters or my curbside bin.

I will collect all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.

I will refrain from buying anything throughout the month (other than what is needed for health and safety) and instead live with what I have or learn about Buy Nothing groups in my area.

I will limit my social media use to once each day reducing my daily use by 30 minute(s)

I will adopt a "Needs Vs. Wants" approach and only buy things I need.

I will watch 1 documentary(ies) about systemic racism.

I will plant 6 tree(s) in my community, public parks, or backyard.

I will raise money to support Ecochallenge.org or another nonprofit.

I will spend 240 minutes learning about the experiences of trans, femme, and/or nonbinary people.

I will spend 240 minutes researching environmental justice and environmental racism concerns in my region, who is affected by them, and local initiatives to address these concerns.