

Samantha Boucher
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 810 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO80minutesbeing mindful
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UP TO25minutesspent learning
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UP TO21plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO296minutesspent outdoors
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UP TO706pounds of CO2have been saved
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UP TO20disposable cupsnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO131minutesspent exercising
Samantha's actions
Transportation
Choose a Carbon Offset
If buying a plane ticket, I will also buy a carbon offset.
Energy
Calculate the Carbon Footprint of my Household
Do at Home
I will calculate the carbon emissions associated with my household and consider how different lifestyle choices could reduce our carbon footprint and our impact on the environment.
Simplicity
Meditate
Do at Home
I will meditate or create a moment of silence for 10 minute(s) each day to reflect on things important to me.
Nature
Do Nature Activities
Do at Home
I will engage in nature-based activities alone, or with my friends or family, for 10 minute(s) each day. (This can be anything from going on a walk or hike, to noticing the leaves changing color, to reading a book with nature themes.)
Health
Joyful Movement
Do at Home
I will spend 5 minutes doing an activity where I'm both moving my body and enjoying myself.
Nature
Support Local Pollinators
Do at Home
At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce fruit. I will spend 30 minutes researching which plants support local native pollinators and plant some in my yard.
Community
Support Native Communities
Do at Home
I will use the resource links provided and spend 30 minutes learning about the native populations that lived in my area prior to colonization, and what I can do to support those that still exist.
Action Track: Justice for the Whole Community
Donate to or Volunteer for Low-Income Solar Initiatives
Do at Home
Whether it's by donating or volunteering, I will research the benefits of low-income solar and find out how I can support low-income solar initiatives in my area.
Action Track: Healing and Renewal
Family Game Hour
Do at Home
I will spend quality time with family and friends by playing low-tech game(s) and/or through the spirit of imagination.
Waste
Use a Reusable Mug
Do at Home
I will avoid sending 1 disposable cup(s) to the landfill each day by using a reusable mug.
Waste
Use Reusable Bags
If at all possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.
Waste
Find Local Recycling Depots
Do at Home
I will find out where to recycle the recyclable items that I can't put in recycling dumpsters or my curbside bin.
Nature
Reduce Landscape Waste
I will prepare for a landscape renovation by actively preserving, reusing, or repurposing items already existing in the landscape.
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?
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Samantha Boucher 10/27/2021 1:19 PMI remembered to check in all but ONE day - I feel so accomplished! And everybody did such a great job too. High fives all around! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONNatureWhy is it important to take care of pollinators?
Samantha Boucher 10/26/2021 9:43 AMAnything that attracts cute bees is OK in my book! I already knew that I wanted to replant my gardens with more pollinator plants, but didn't realize that resources were available to find LOCAL ones until clicking through the links here. I've got a lot of plant buying to do and will pick plants from the pollinator list! Pollinators are so critical. And fun to watch for. -
Samantha Boucher 10/18/2021 9:27 AMThis weekend I prepared my yard for a remodel by deconstructing & salvaging useful materials (like wood, pavers, sand, and bricks) and temporarily relocating plants (that would otherwise be demolished) to reduce yard waste and to encourage us to think about reusing materials in new interesting ways. Anybody want some reclaimed picket fencing? ;) -
Samantha Boucher 10/12/2021 10:25 AMFollow-up on the carbon footprint calculator: https://www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-calculator/ is way more robust than the one EcoChallenge links you to. Good to know. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONEnergyAfter you determined your carbon footprint, did you see what different choices you can make in order to reduce it?
Samantha Boucher 10/12/2021 10:18 AMAccording to the Tradewater calculator, my household operates at around 3.28 tons of CO2 every month. The calculator didn't take into consideration things like how efficient our house runs, how many low-energy appliances/lights/etc. we have, or things like that. I might want to try a more robust calculator to see if that number is really lower or not! -
REFLECTION QUESTIONTransportationA round-trip flight from New York City to Los Angeles emits just over 1.5 tons of CO2—per person. That’s a lot of carbon! What can you do to reduce the number of flights you take per year?
Samantha Boucher 10/11/2021 9:11 AMI've never purchased a carbon offset before and was pleasantly surprised that it's not that expensive! ~$20 offsets the carbon footprint of 1.32 tons of CO2 that my husband and I will be generating during a flight later this month. We also opted for a flight with a lower carbon footprint (Google flights shows you this now! How cool!). -
REFLECTION QUESTIONNatureWhat did you observe while spending time outside -- through sight, sound, smell and/or touch?
Samantha Boucher 10/08/2021 12:24 PMToday it was easy to get out and enjoy nature - I stepped outside and just watched the rain. It's immensely refreshing to just stand there for a little while, listen to the drops through the trees, and breathe the clean air. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONSimplicityWhat would you like to invest more time in reflecting on?
Samantha Boucher 10/06/2021 8:45 AMI've started using the Calm app for this challenge. They have handy 10-minute guided meditation sessions that are easy to fit into the day. -
Samantha Boucher 9/30/2021 4:24 PMExcited to get this going with the RED team! Let's try lots of new things and get ALL the points!