Andy Gurka
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 500 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO3.0community eventshosted or attended
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UP TO30gallons of waterhave been saved
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UP TO6.0meatless or vegan mealsconsumed
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UP TO17milestraveled by bike
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UP TO0.0milestraveled by bus
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UP TO1,025minutesspent learning
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UP TO350minutesspent outdoors
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UP TO10neighborsmet
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UP TO42plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
Andy's actions
Day 3 - Food & Water
PLAN YOUR MEALS
I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, and only buying the ingredients I need.
Day 3 - Food & Water
REDUCE SEAFOOD INTAKE AND EAT SMART SEAFOOD
I will make responsible and sustainable seafood choices.
Day 3 - Food & Water
COMPOST FOOD SCRAPS
I will participate in the composting program on campus or compost my food scraps at home.
Day 3 - Food & Water
LOWER YOUR WATER "FOODPRINT"
I will learn about water use in food production and eat less water intensive foods.
Day 3 - Food & Water
EAT LOCAL
I will buy local produce and meats when shopping for groceries.
Day 2 - Climate Crisis
TURN IT OFF
I will keep lights, electronics and appliances turned off when not using them.
Day 4 - Conservation & Biodiversity
SPEND TIME OUTSIDE
I will replace 15 minute(s) each day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.
Day 1 - Community & Justice
HELP OTHERS
I will offer to help person(s) who are in need each day.
Day 5 - Rethink Waste
LEARN ABOUT & PRACTICE SUSTAINABLE FASHION
I will spend 10 minutes learning about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.
Day 5 - Rethink Waste
GO PAPERLESS
I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.
Day 5 - Rethink Waste
CARRY MY TRASH
I will carry all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash with me to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.
Day 5 - Rethink Waste
PICK UP LITTER
I will pick up litter on-campus or in Richmond for ___ minutes.
Day 5 - Rethink Waste
REDUCE SINGLE-USE DISPOSABLES
Historically, marginalized and low-income communities live closer to landfills, contributing to a multitude of health problems. I will find out how I can limit single-use items and do my best to limit the waste I generate and divert waste from the landfill.
Day 5 - Rethink Waste
Use Reusable Bags
I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.
Day 5 - Rethink Waste
REUSABLE BOTTLES AND MUGS
I will avoid sending 5 disposable beverage containers to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or water bottle.
Day 4 - Conservation & Biodiversity
LOCAL INDIGENOUS PRACTICES
I will take 10 minutes to learn how local indigenous tribes are caring for the land.
Day 4 - Conservation & Biodiversity
ENJOY THE SUNRISE/SUNSET
I will enjoy the sunrise and sunset.
Day 4 - Conservation & Biodiversity
GO FOR A DAILY WALK
I will take a 25-minute walk outside each day.
Day 4 - Conservation & Biodiversity
PRACTICE GRATITUDE FOR EARTH
I will spend 10 minute(s) each day outside, practicing gratitude (prayer, meditation, journaling, etc.) for Earth and the nature surrounding me.
Day 4 - Conservation & Biodiversity
EXPLORE MY AREA
I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.
Day 4 - Conservation & Biodiversity
SUPPORT LOCAL POLLINATORS
At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce fruit. I will spend 5 minutes researching which plants support local native pollinators and plant some in my yard.
Day 4 - Conservation & Biodiversity
ATTEND CLOSING KEYNOTE
I will attend the closing keynote lecture given by David Orr.
Day 3 - Food & Water
THE TRUTH ABOUT EXPIRATION DATES
I will spend at least 5 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.
Day 3 - Food & Water
GO MEATLESS
I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) per day.
Day 3 - Food & Water
SMART LAUNDRY
I will conserve water and energy by only doing full loads of laundry in cold water.
Day 3 - Food & Water
SHORT SHOWER CHALLENGE
I will save up to 6 gallons (23 L) of water each day by keeping my showers under 5 minutes.
Day 3 - Food & Water
ATTEND INTERNATIONAL DINNER
I will attend the International Dinner at Heilman Dining Hall.
Day 3 - Food & Water
ATTEND THE LOCAL - GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY FAIR
I will attend the Local-Global Sustainability Fair at Tyler Haynes Commons.
Day 2 - Climate Crisis
DISCONNECT FROM EMAIL
I will disconnect from my email when not at school or work.
Day 2 - Climate Crisis
GO BY BIKE OR PUBLIC TRANSIT
I will commute by bike or public transit 0 miles each day.
Day 2 - Climate Crisis
SMART LAUNDRY
I will conserve water and energy by only doing full loads of laundry in cold water.
Day 2 - Climate Crisis
ADJUST THE THERMOSTAT
I will adjust my thermostat down 2 degrees from usual when I use the heat and up 2 degrees when I use air conditioning.
Day 2 - Climate Crisis
ATTEND VIRTUAL GALLERY TALK
I will attend the Virtual Gallery Talk and Breakfast on "Fragile Interconnectedness: Greenland & the Amazon" and listen to photographers give insights into their work.
Day 2 - Climate Crisis
GO ON MINDFUL SELF-GUIDED TOUR
I will visit the Eco-Corridor for a self-guided tour between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to slow down, destress, and engage in mindfulness stations.
Day 1 - Community & Justice
BUY FROM A FARMERS MARKET
I will purchase produce and meat from a local farmers market or food co-op.
Day 1 - Community & Justice
SHOP WOMEN-OWNED
I will shop from women-owned businesses today.
Day 1 - Community & Justice
LEARN ABOUT EQUITY & INCLUSION
I will spend 10 minutes learning about equity and inclusion resources on campus and in Richmond.
Day 1 - Community & Justice
MEET MY NEIGHBORS
I will meet 2 new office, dorm, or apartment neighbors each day.
Day 1 - Community & Justice
SUPPORT NATIVE COMMUNITIES
I will use the resource links and spend 10 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.
Day 1 - Community & Justice
LEARN ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN RICHMOND
I will spend 15 minutes learning about environmental justice issues in Richmond.
Day 1 - Community & Justice
TALK TO MY FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES ABOUT ECOCHALLENGE
I will tell friends and/or colleagues about the Ecochallenge and share information about how to get involved.
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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Andy Gurka 11/16/2023 5:36 AMI just discovered the walking trails with a friend at Larus Park that is just across the Huguenot Bridge! https://gohikevirginia.com/hikes-near-richmond-va/-
Jason Honesto 11/16/2023 6:23 AMCan't wait to check this out! Thanks, Andy!
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Andy Gurka 11/15/2023 9:25 AMThe food labels articles were fascinating! I admit that I am one that usually lives by expiration dates! So interesting! https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/05/23/726079350/to-reduce-food-waste-fda-urges-best-if-used-by-date-labels-
Jason Honesto 11/15/2023 12:44 PMWas just having the expiration date conversation with Christian last night and found these articles super helpful! Great, informative read!
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Andy Gurka 11/14/2023 5:48 AMDean told me last night that it was cold in our apartment and I told him to put a sweatshirt on! 😂😂 -
Andy Gurka 11/13/2023 2:32 PMNot sure if you all selected this action or not, but this article from the NY Times about environmental justice is really interesting. The heat map is particularly powerful! -
Andy Gurka 11/06/2023 11:25 AMOne of my favorite things we do each year as an office!