

Vie Meyers (Slaysman Environmental)
"As an Environmental Horticulture major, I would like to "practice what I preach" while spreading eco-consciousness during the challenge :)"
POINTS TOTAL
- 0 TODAY
- 0 THIS WEEK
- 777 TOTAL
participant impact
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UP TO29meatless or vegan mealsconsumed
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UP TO495minutesspent exercising
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UP TO60minutesspent learning
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UP TO2,185minutesspent outdoors
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UP TO425minutesnot spent in front of a screen
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UP TO0.0plastic containersnot sent to the landfill
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UP TO18poundswaste composted
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UP TO18whole food mealsconsumed
Vie's actions
Nature
Go for a Daily Walk
I will take a 20-minute walk outside each day.
Food
Whole Food Lifestyle
I will enjoy 2 meal(s) each day free of processed foods.
Nature
Practice Gratitude for Earth
I will spend 30 minute(s) per day outside, practicing gratitude (prayer, meditation, journaling, etc.) for Earth and my natural surroundings.
Nature
Do Nature Activities
I will engage in nature-based activities alone, or with my friends or family, for 20 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.)
Food
Reduce Animal Products
I will enjoy 1 meatless meal(s) and/or 1 vegan meal(s) each day this week.
Waste
Use Reusable Bags
If at all possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.
Waste
Compost Food Waste
I will avoid sending up to .69 lbs (.31 kg) of food waste to the landfill each day by composting my food or learning how to.
Nature
Leave No Trace
I will practice the seven principles of Leave No Trace when doing nature activities alone or with family and friends.
Nature
Tend a Garden
I will tend to a garden, or prepare for one, each day using sustainable gardening practices.
Nature
Explore My Area
I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.
Nature
Spend Time Outside
I will replace 20 minute(s) each day typically spent inside (computer time, watching television, etc.) with quality time outside.
Nature
Support Local Pollinators
At least 30% of crops and 90% of flowering plants rely on pollinators to produce fruit. I will spend 10 minutes researching which plants support local native pollinators and plant some in my yard or local community garden.
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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Vie Meyers (Slaysman Environmental) 4/20/2021 4:51 PMToday I helped my dad begin to build a new standing garden; I'm super excited to see how it turns out! -
Vie Meyers (Slaysman Environmental) 4/19/2021 6:00 AMThe other day I explored a great area with my boyfriend called Baldpate Mountain in New Jersey. It has great walking trails if anyone wants a day trip :) -
REFLECTION QUESTIONNature Leave No TraceEducator Stephanie Kaza advises her students to focus on what they care about most when addressing the enormity of ecological problems. Is there a specific area you feel particularly called to work on?
Vie Meyers (Slaysman Environmental) 4/15/2021 2:10 PMOne of the reasons I chose the major I did was because I want people to appreciate the diversity, beauty, and usefulness of plants. Maintaining diversity and encouraging pollinator-friendly, native species is something I feel called to educate people on.-
Kenneth Slaysman 4/18/2021 2:08 PMThere is a nurdery near where I live that sells pollinator, native species. I've visited the last 2 years and added swamp milkweed and other native species to my garden.
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REFLECTION QUESTIONNature Support Local PollinatorsWhy is it important to take care of pollinators?
Vie Meyers (Slaysman Environmental) 4/15/2021 2:09 PMConsidering a lot of our food (as well as the food of livestock!) comes from flowering foods, like apples, almonds, etc, pollinators are vital to our food chain. They also help continue the life cycles of native plants, therefore encouraging endemic diversity. -
Vie Meyers (Slaysman Environmental) 4/15/2021 2:07 PMYesterday my standing garden fell over completely, so I got to take some time with my dad to rebuild another one. I'm currently in the process of moving all of my plants :) -
Vie Meyers (Slaysman Environmental) 4/12/2021 7:07 AMI woke up and checked on some perennial poppies I bought from my work the other day; they've begun to bloom, and look absolutely amazing! I love the process of blooming and it reaffirms my major even more.-
Kenneth Slaysman 4/12/2021 3:25 PMSpring blooms really are joyful.
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Vie Meyers (Slaysman Environmental) 4/07/2021 5:56 PMToday I thought about the challenge a lot while I planted onions outside; it was a great day and I'm super excited to continue.-
Kenneth Slaysman 4/09/2021 2:20 PM- Vie,
I've got garlic that I planted in the fall starting to show up. I love watching stuff grow!!
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REFLECTION QUESTIONNature Spend Time OutsideRachel Carson said that we need the beauty and mysteries of the natural world for our spiritual and emotional development. Does that ring true for you? What are the implications for a culture that spends most of its time indoors?
Vie Meyers (Slaysman Environmental) 4/07/2021 5:48 PMIt absolutely rings true for me, and I notice significant changes in my mood when I get to go outside for long periods of time. If a culture spends more time indoors, like ours is headed towards, that culture becomes desensitized to the needs of the natural world and what it can offer us spiritually.-
Kenneth Slaysman 4/09/2021 2:26 PM
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REFLECTION QUESTIONNature Tend a GardenHave you ever had a significant experience in nature that altered your perspective or focus? If so, please describe it.
Vie Meyers (Slaysman Environmental) 4/06/2021 4:46 PMMy parents always took me camping and orienteering as a kid, and I always was surrounded by rock climbers, mountain bikers, and hikers. Being raised in that environment made me appreciate nature so much because nature is what made those experiences possible. -
REFLECTION QUESTIONNature Explore My AreaHow might spending more time outdoors enhance your brainpower?
Vie Meyers (Slaysman Environmental) 4/06/2021 4:34 PMThe outdoors are so diverse and bountiful that it almost forces people to question their surroundings; from wondering about a type of tree to watching species interact, watching the world unfold around you in and of itself is like a scientific practice.