Drawdown Ecochallenge 2026

Ecochallenge.org

Amy's points

35 TODAY
105 THIS WEEK
896 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

22

meatless or vegan meals

consumed
UP TO

657

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

5.0

trees

planted
UP TO

147

minutes

spent learning

Amy's actions

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

Conservation Agriculture, Regenerative Annual Cropping

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Support a Community Garden

Multiple Solutions

I will support a community garden by volunteering, donating, or advocating for a new or existing one.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Plant Trees

Temperate Forest Restoration

I will plant 5 trees in my community, public parks, or backyard.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Reduce Food Waste

Reduced Food Waste

I will keep a daily log of food I throw away during Drawdown Ecochallenge, either because it went bad before I ate it, I put too much on my plate, or it was scraps from food preparation, and commit to reducing my food waste throughout the challenge.

COMPLETED 23
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn the Truth About Expiration Dates

Reduced Food Waste

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning how to differentiate between sell by, use by, and best by dates.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 30 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 18
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn About Aquaculture

Improved Aquaculture

Each day, I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about sustainable aquaculture.

COMPLETED 4
DAILY ACTIONS

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Reduce Animal Products

Plant-Rich Diets

I will enjoy 1 meatless or vegan meals each day of the challenge.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Buildings

Learn about the Legacy of Redlining

Multiple Solutions

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning about the legacy of redlining and how city planning and environmental justice issues are interconnected.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Industry

Plastics Audit

Reduced Plastics

I will complete a plastics audit to see where plastics show up in my life and determine how I can reduce the use of single-use plastics.

COMPLETED 23
DAILY ACTIONS

Land Sinks

Learn about Temperate Forests

Temperate Forest Restoration

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the environmental services provided by and the environmental issues affecting temperate forests.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Learn More about Silvopasture

Silvopasture

I will spend at least 30 minutes watching videos and/or reading about the environmental benefits of silvopasture.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Forest-Friendly Foods 1

Tropical Forest Restoration

I will spend at least 30 minutes researching the impact of my diet to see how it contributes to deforestation.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health and Education

Connect With A Nonprofit

Family Planning and Education

I will connect with a local nonprofit working on issues affecting women, girls, trans people, and/or nonbinary people in my community, and find out how I can get involved or become a member.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

Ocean Power

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Land Sinks

Research Peatlands

Peatland Protection and Rewetting

I will spend 30 minutes researching the environmental benefits of peatlands and what is being done around the world to conserve and restore them.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

How does knowing the difference between use by, sell by, and best by dates empower you to make better decisions?
Amy Sarno 4/30/2026 8:01 AM

I've saved so much food learning about use by, sell by, and best by dates. I'm still fairly strict some items, like yogurt, but jarred sauce? Still good! Same thing with chips and crackers, etc.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Industry

What was the hardest item to reduce using or cut out that is plastic? Did you find a way to do it?
Amy Sarno 4/30/2026 6:20 AM

I thought I was doing a much better job of this than I actually am. I'm also realizing that there is a balance between what I can and cannot control. For example, to reduce food waste I took a few of the extra purchased lunches from a work event that would have been thrown out. When I went to have one for lunch the next day I realized the sandwich was in plastic wrap and the roll and butter were also wrapped in plastic. I also didn't realize the salad came with individually wrapped plastic utensils. In summary, a lot of my plastic usage comes from food packaging and choices.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation

What have you noticed on your daily walks? What have you enjoyed? What infrastructure changes could make your walks more enjoyable or possible?
Amy Sarno 4/29/2026 6:49 AM

It's great to be outside and enjoying the fresh weather. I feel more refreshed after walking outside. I've noticed while most of the places where I've been walking (outside of parks) have a sidewalk, they are not pedestrian friendly. Many to most intersections do not have a walk signal or a crosswalk. There also isn't room for cyclists on the road (very narrow shoulders and no bike lanes) meaning that many casual cyclists or youth ride their bikes on the sidewalk, which can be narrow and necessitate single file.

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- Magdalena Baran 4/30/2026 12:59 AM
  
  One thing I’ve really enjoyed is the connection with nature. On daily walks you can see how everything is changing with the season. Spring brings color back. Trees and plants start to bloom, grass turns green again, and the whole area feels more alive. It’s simple, but very calming and grounding.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks

Had you heard of the term "silvopasture" before now? After learning more about it, what do you think is the biggest advantage of silvopasture?
Amy Sarno 4/28/2026 7:04 AM

I hadn't even heard of "silvopasture" prior to this challenge. Thinking about the whole area as a system vs. prioritizing one thing above all others / without consideration of the whole ecosystem. I also think it's good for animals to have shade from trees.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Land Sinks

How is planting trees good for your mental, physical, and spiritual health?
Amy Sarno 4/27/2026 1:30 PM

It felt good to be outside and with others to plant trees. I felt more connected to my community, and felt an uplift to my spirits to see that others care about reducing shade drought and the benefit of trees.

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- Anna Kluzik 4/27/2026 11:39 PM
  
  Time spent outdoors and in green spaces is often associated with lower stress, improved mood, and better attention.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

An average American throws out about 240 lbs of food per year. The average family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that they throw out. Where would you rather use this money?
Amy Sarno 4/21/2026 8:32 AM
I'd rather spend my money on anything other than throwing out food. No more buying food items because I have a coupon and no plan to actually use that item. I'm also going to be more intentional about the "special" ingredients I buy for a new recipe, especially if I only need a small amount.

Food I enjoy that I'll actually eat

Items for any of my many hobbies (e.g. fountain pen ink, a new camera lens, etc.)

A massage
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