University of Richmond

UR Ecochallenge: Ghana

November 17 - November 21, 2025

Amy Bergmann

Champions for Greener Engagement (CGE)

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
385 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

3.0

community events

hosted or attended
UP TO

1.0

documentary

watched
UP TO

448

minutes

spent learning

Amy's actions

Day 1 - Rethink Waste

Enjoy the Ghanaian Breakfast

I will enjoy a variety of delicious Ghanaian breakfast foods at the Heilman Dining Center from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Day 1 - Rethink Waste

Watch the "Sort, Don't Stuff" Video

Watch the short video on how to properly sort your waste.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Day 1 - Rethink Waste

Learn about E-Waste in Ghana

I will learn about how e-waste has a negative impact on the environment and human health in Ghana.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Day 1 - Rethink Waste

Live the Refill Life

I will visit a local refill store to fill up on bulk items and reduce the purchasing of plastic. Refill shops not only allow you to refill containers instead of buying new, but they also carry numerous plastic-free swaps for many of the single-use items available at traditional retailers.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Day 2 - Preservation & Conservation

SUPPORT LOCAL POLLINATORS

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.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Day 2 - Preservation & Conservation

Read about Ghanaian Wildlife Areas

I will virtually visit popular wildlife areas and parks in Ghana.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Day 2 - Preservation & Conservation

Learn about indigenous tribes' relationship to the land

I will learn more about the traditional practices of land care and management.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Day 2 - Preservation & Conservation

Learn About Conservation Practices in Ghana and Organizations Protecting Natural Land

I will learn about how conservation practices are enacted in Ghana, and I will read about the organizations protecting this land.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Day 2 - Preservation & Conservation

Read About James River & Ghanaian Waterway Restoration Efforts

I will learn more about the history of the James River in Richmond and restoration plans for waterways in Ghana, including the Korle Lagoon, and what efforts are being done today to protect these waters.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Day 2 - Preservation & Conservation

Take a photo of a native plant

I will take a photo of a native plant and upload it to the Feed.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Day 3 - Food & Agriculture

Attend the International Education Week Fair: Ghana

I will attend the International Education Week Fair: Ghana at 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. in the Alice Haynes Room, THC, to engage with visiting speakers and others presenting their work and engagement with Ghana.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Day 3 - Food & Agriculture

Learn About the Impact of Chocolate Farming in Ghana

I will learn how chocolate farming in Ghana and West Africa impacts our environment and communities.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Day 3 - Food & Agriculture

Watch Documentary on Regenerative Agriculture

I will learn more about sustainable farming practices in Virginia and around the country.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Day 3 - Food & Agriculture

Learn About Locally Sourced Food

I will learn more about the importance of locally sourced food.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Day 3 - Food & Agriculture

Attend International Dinner

I will attend the International Dinner at Heilman Dining Hall from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Day 3 - Food & Agriculture

Learn About the Farm Bill

I will learn more about the Farm Bill and how it impacts public health and public lands.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Day 3 - Food & Agriculture

Determine Your Food Footprint

I will spend 30 minutes learning about the footprint of my food choices.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Day 5 - Nature Immersion

Learn about the Rights of Nature in Ghana

I will learn about the Rights of Nature Movement in Ghana.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Day 5 - Nature Immersion

Explore Natural Landscapes in Ghana

I will learn more about beautiful natural landscapes in Ghana.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Day 5 - Nature Immersion

Explore health benefits of being outdoors

I will spend 30 minutes learning about the health benefits that nature provides and ways to increase wellbeing through the outdoors.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

Amy Bergmann 11/22/2025 7:24 AM
I wanted to post one more thing about the e-waste videos from Ghana. Recently, my washer broke. Normally my motto is, "If it can be repaired, it should be repaired," even when replacing it seems easier. But I was busy and tired and didn't feel like searching out a licensed and insured repair person, especially if we would have to pay for the visit only to be told it could not be fixed (and then still have to buy a new one anyway). It seemed easier just to order a new washer online right then and have the old one hauled away, where I assumed it would be properly recycled. Well, the Ghana video showed people standing amongst dozens of broken washers, sifting through e-waste for parts, metals, etc. I cannot imagine how it would be cheaper for companies to ship old, broken washers to Ghana rather than recycling them here, but we live in a crazy world. However, I recommitted to my usual "repair, don't replace" motto and hopefully my washer will be fixable and can be used for many more years!

Read More
Amy Bergmann 11/21/2025 6:20 PM
I like to think of myself as fairly well-informed about how my food choices impact the environment, other people, and especially animals. Therefore, I was quite surprised that I was ignorant of the negatives of the chocolate industry. Since I adore chocolate, I wish I hadn't seen that, ha ha! Anyway, I already buy a lot of Fair Trade and Forest Certified chocolate, but I will be even more careful about what I buy now.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Day 3 - Food & Agriculture

What was your favorite dish? Why did you enjoy it?
Amy Bergmann 11/20/2025 4:12 AM
The international dinner was right before my workout class, so I had to eat light, but I thoroughly enjoyed the ginger butternut squash soup. I went back for another (small) bowl! I don't think it was specifically part of the Ghanaian cuisine, but it was very tasty!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Day 3 - Food & Agriculture

Why is it important to purchase locally produced food?
Amy Bergmann 11/20/2025 4:10 AM
Purchasing locally produced food helps cut greenhouse gasses that are spent shipping food to far away destinations.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Day 3 - Food & Agriculture

What are some ways that we as consumers can support more sustainable and humane food systems?
Amy Bergmann 11/20/2025 4:09 AM
How can consumers support more sustainble and humane food systems? That's an easy question for me to answer: go vegan! :-)

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Day 3 - Food & Agriculture

Who did you interact with and what did you learn?
Amy Bergmann 11/20/2025 4:07 AM
I walked by all the tables twice and checked in with about 80% of them, interacting in some small way. I particularly enjoyed the leaf id quiz and was very depressed watching the deforestation video. As they say, "fall is for planting" and I do plan on adding at least one tree to my back land area (to help out possums, deer, etc. that frequent my yard).

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Day 2 - Preservation & Conservation

In your own words, what is the importance of planting native plant species?
Amy Bergmann 11/18/2025 8:59 PM
Native critters rely on native plants and I want native critters to thrive. Plants not from here can create unplanned issues, for example when they planted kudzu here and now it has virtually eaten the south (not a good thing!).

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Day 2 - Preservation & Conservation

Explain how you discovered this native plant and/or your relationship to it.
Amy Bergmann 11/18/2025 8:55 PM
This is Virginia Creeper, which is native to this region. I have some in my yard, though my husband tries to pull it up every chance he gets. He thinks it looks like poison ivy, but I like it!

Read More
Amy Bergmann 11/18/2025 9:45 AM
I love how much of campus gets involved with this! For example, there is a display of books written by female Ghanaian authors in Boatwright Memorial Library. There is a Kente Cloth Exhibition in the International Commons Large Gallery. The Music Library is offering related playlists and blog posts. Passport Café and the Dining Hall are offering Ghanaian food, and much more!

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Day 1 - Rethink Waste

Describe the flavors of a new food that you tried at the breakfast.
Amy Bergmann 11/17/2025 9:12 PM
I tried a roll that had an unassuming appearance but I tried it because it was labeled vegan. I don't know if it was specifically a food of Ghana, but it was really interesting because it was squishy like a marshmallow. However, despite the unusual texture, it was very tasty!

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