When I eat mindfully, I actually notice the flavors and textures more, and I tend to feel satisfied with less food. Without distractions, I’m more aware of when I’m full, and I enjoy my meals more than when I’m just snacking while watching something or scrolling.

Silvopasture is the practice of including trees and other large plants into the grazing locations of livestock. The benefits of adding trees are: giving the animals shade from the heat, allows for more tree cover for small plants to grow (and then be eaten) by livestock, and sequestering more carbon out of the atmosphere by planting trees onto grazing land. There are also some downsides such as the possible need for specialized equipment, and more time and money into land management, and the requirement for large plots of land to grow forests.
In order to implement this practice, the geography must be flat and wide enough for cattle and other grazers to roam. This strategy must also be in an area that can support forests, and has enough water to support them.

I found that there were not any volunteer opportunities for biomass collection in California, but there is a volunteer posting by the national park service which is in New Mexico. The post is brief, and may not line up exactly with what this perennial biomass production activity describes, it involves collecting and categorizing plant material from the field. I did do more reading and research into the purpose and meaning of biomass production. I found that the perennial biomass production and energy practice involves utilizing alternative plants that grow all year round instead of annually growing crops such as corn and wheat. These types of plants can be used as a source of food for livestock, whereas woody variants can be used as an alternate source of plant material for paper production. It was mentioned that the main issue of perennial biomass production is producing enough quality material to be implemented as a source of income for the farmers who adopt this into their cropland.

I learned that bamboo is a fast-growing plant that is reported to have uses as a food source, as a building material, and is durable enough to be used as a sustainable alternative to plastic products. Bamboo is an interesting plant because it can be harvested without uprooting the whole plant and as such, does not need to be replanted in a growing site. The bamboo plants also sequester carbon into the soil just like trees, produce oxygen, and can aid as a carbon sink while also being useful as biodegradable products. I am unfamiliar with too many uses as a nutritional food source, but from my experience, bamboo shoots have lots of fiber, and are good in soup with a fun texture. As a building material, the bamboo plant was reported to be light and durable which would make safer housing material in the context of natural disasters. As for plastic alternatives, I have been using bamboo chopsticks and utensils for years and can vouch for their durability.

Sustainability is the natural order of life. We live in the web of it, some people are not aware of this. Sustainability when balance provides for everyone in all due time. Reciprocity and sustainability go hand in hand, by providing for healthy ecosystems and human well-being.

I think mainly the future of my family and of all future generations on our planet is a huge inspiration. Sustainable energy and other energy issues are important to our wellbeing and future as a society and currently, they are a big factor in GCC which is why it's important to hold government officials accountable as they hold power in legislation. Although as an individual there's only so much I can do to positively impact climate issues, doing what I CAN is also inspirational and motivating. As long as you are doing something you are actively making the steps towards a better future. I will be certain to utilize my right in using my voice with elected officials to make sure that our climate concerns are heard.