October 6 - October 27, 2021

Kelly Sifford

"I am just here trying to learn more ways to help make this planet a little healthier for my current family and my descendants! "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
989 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

50

donations

made
UP TO

2.0

water collection systems

installed
UP TO

50

advocacy actions

completed
UP TO

45

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

38

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

15

minutes

spent learning
UP TO

900

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

825

minutes

spent exercising

Kelly's actions

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

Do at Home

I will keep 2 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Joyful Movement

Do at Home

I will spend 10 minutes doing an activity where I'm both moving my body and enjoying myself.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Go for a Daily Walk

Do at Home

I will take a 10-minute walk outside each day.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Do Nature Activities

Do at Home

I will engage in nature-based activities alone, or with my friends or family, for 15 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.)

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Collect Rain Water

Do at Home

I will create a rain garden or bioswale or use rain barrels to collect water for outdoor watering needs.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

Do at Home

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Say No to Plastic Straws

Do at Home

An estimated 71% of seabirds and 30% of turtles have been found with plastics in their stomachs. When they ingest plastic, marine life has a 50% mortality rate. By asking for no straw when placing a drink order, I will keep 1 plastic straw(s) of out of the ocean each day.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Plant an Herb Garden

Do at Home

I will plant an herb garden in my home, workplace, or dorm room.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Explore My Area

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

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Research Voter Suppression

Do at Home

I will spend at least 15 minutes finding out what local laws, policies, and practices keep people from voting in my community.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Community

Raise Money For a Nonprofit

Do at Home

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

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?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature

How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place -- your deep knowledge of and appreciation for your surroundings?
Kelly Sifford 10/25/2021 7:43 AM
The more time you spend outside in your area, the more you will start to notice. From the path the deer seem to travel most through your yard, to the squirrels nest in your favorite tree. When we just go through the motions and don't take the time to really look and appreciate what all is around us, we really miss out on special things.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Consider the ways you can garden: a plot of land? a patio container? hanging basket? windowsill gardens? What would work best for your living situation and lifestyle?
Kelly Sifford 10/21/2021 1:44 PM
We have a fair amount of land so we are hoping to start a small garden in the Spring of next year. Inside my home does not get much light since we are in the woods and I have a covered porch surrounding the house; inside plants do not do well. I have done a hanging basket on my porch with strawberries and that turned out great.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Water

Where are your nearest natural bodies of water? How might they be affected by runoff?
Kelly Sifford 10/20/2021 2:06 PM
We have a creek that runs through the bottom of our property and makes its way through a good portion of South Knoxville. We are always aware of what may be making its way into the creek since we know that creek is both home to many wildlife animals but also their main source of water for so many more amazing creatures.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Water

Trace the water that flows down the drain from your house to the largest body of water nearby. What is the route it takes?
Kelly Sifford 10/19/2021 12:08 PM
We built our house a 1/4 mile through the woods and up a hill. The water from our drains run down the driveway and over to a valley down the hill that ends in a winding creek bed at the base of our property.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Healing and Renewal

How does being playful with others enrich your life?
Kelly Sifford 10/14/2021 9:03 AM
I stole the below answer from Google but that is really only because I was unsure how to word (and spell lol) exactly what I wanted to say and this blurb worked perfectly!

When you smile, your brain releases tiny molecules called neuropeptides to help fight off stress. Then other neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and endorphins come into play too. The endorphins act as a mild pain reliever, whereas the serotonin is an antidepressant.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Water

What single-use items (e.g. straws, coffee cups, vegetable bags, plastic bags) do you regularly use? What could be substituted instead?
Kelly Sifford 10/13/2021 9:50 AM
I have a TON of reusable grocery bags but I struggle to actually use them on big trips to the store. With a family full of boys and as large as mine, we buy a lot of food so it's really a convenience factor. I do reuse the plastic bags I get for things around the house and recycle what I can. I do agree that I need to be more conscience of my bags and make sure I use them when possible.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature

What did you observe while spending time outside -- through sight, sound, smell and/or touch?
Kelly Sifford 10/12/2021 8:07 AM
We are hitting the best time of the year for living in the woods as I do. All the beautiful leaves are changing to such amazing colors. You can smell all the fresh mulch and smoke from all the late night bonfires. As I walk down my gravel driveway I hear the crunch from all the leaves that are starting to fall and all the abandoned shells from where the squirrels just ate their meals. It really is such a peaceful time to be outdoors.

I have attached a cute picture of my youngest son with a frog he found while we were walking our driveway.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health

What's your favorite activity(ies) in which you experience joy while being active and moving?
Kelly Sifford 10/08/2021 7:03 AM
I enjoy turning my music up real loud and dancing around the house while I clean. It's a great way to exercise and it makes cleaning much more enjoyable!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste

While water bottles are needed for health and safety in certain places, we can do more to reduce the unnecessary use of them. What are the barriers to you using reusable bottles and tap water instead of bottled water? How could you make this a permanent habit?
Kelly Sifford 10/07/2021 7:12 AM
My family struggles with only using reusable bottles due to a convenience factor. I have 3 teen boys that are always on the go and they like to grab their water while leaving and don't want to worry about carrying around the empty container. To help with this I have purchased reusable bottles in a variety of shapes and sizes in hopes that they will find one that they can easily carry or will fit in a bag. So far that has worked and drastically cut back the bottle water usage for them but it is still a work in progress.

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Kelly Sifford 10/06/2021 9:16 AM
Hey! I am Kelly and I work in the Quality Department for First Horizon. I joined this challenge in order to hopefully help me be more conscience with my actions. In order to help slow down and possibly reverse some of the damage done to our planet we will need everyone's help so I want to make sure I am doing my part. I own just under 15 acres of wooded land so I have plenty of space at my fingertips to help grow and learn. I am excited to see what new habits I develop throughout this challenge!

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