Sara Morgan is participating in the Campus Ecochallenge!

"Modeling for my children how to be environmental stewards and changing the world one small personal decision at a time!"

Sara's points

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
319 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

10

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

7.8

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

7.0

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

3.0

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

7.0

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

32

gallons of water

have been saved

Sara's actions

Waste

Use Reusable Bags when Shopping

If at all possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when making purchases.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Learn About and Practice Sustainable Fashion

I will spend 15 minutes learning about sustainable fashion and begin trying to practice it in my own life.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Skip the Straw

Plastic bags and small plastic pieces like straws are most likely to get swept into our waterways. I will keep 5 plastic straws out of the landfill and ocean each day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Energy

Turn Off Lights and Electronics

I will keep lights, electronics, and appliances turned off when not using them.

COMPLETED 2
DAILY ACTIONS

Energy

Switch To Cold Water for Laundry

I will switch to washing my clothes in cold water, saving up to 1,600 lbs of CO2 over the course of the next year.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Energy

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.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Food

Plan Meals for the Week

I will reduce food waste and save money by planning a weekly menu, only buying the ingredients I need.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Brush My Teeth Without Running Water

I will save up to 4 gallons (15 L) of water each day by turning it off while brushing my teeth.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

Take 5-Minute Showers

I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Food

Practice Zero-Waste Cooking

Food waste hurts our planet and our communities. I will cook 1 meals with zero waste each day.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Explore the Community Feed and Connect with Others

I will spend 7 minutes reading the Ecochallenge feed each day and giving high fives or commenting on posts by people who I don't know, but whose content inspires or interests me.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Transportation

Drive Less and Combine Trips

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Participant Feed

Sara Morgan 7/16/2026 6:13 PM

Nature
This week my family is going to spend lots of time in nature! We went camping last weekend, and are leaving again tomorrow afternoon. In total, this month we are spending 29% of our time out in nature (at least!). I love going camping with my family. We bring a plant ID book with us and try to identify the plants around our camp. I also talk to my oldest about being an environmental steward (he has trouble remembering how to pronounce 'steward' which I find ADORABLE). We are also going out kayaking again while on our trip. Any time we see trash while we're out we always pick it up, and we always make sure we take care of our own garbage. These are lessons that were ingrained into me as a child, and I hope my son learns them too!!
Also, recognizing that the forest is a self-supporting system without human intervention. We saw a tree that looked like it could've been struck by lightning last weekend, and there was evidence of a small-scale forest fire surrounding it. There was lots of green growth popping up out of the burnt spots, and I explained to my son how the ash provides nutrients to the soil and less competition for sunlight. It's wonderful to see how natural spaces are so resilient <3

Some pictures of my family enjoying nature last week at Timothy Lake/Mt. Hood national forest!

Above: me and Tyson (3)
Below: Tyson, who loves to cover himself in dirt and run around with no shoes!

Above: rare photo of all 3 of my children together in one spot 😂

Below: Jimmi, living her best life covered in dirt!

Above: the tree we saw that appeared burnt

Below: beautiful view of Timothy Lake with some very friendly geese

Above: the whole family out on a kayak voyage (Tyson is hidden, sleeping in front of his dad)

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- Thomas Gowing 7/17/2026 1:46 PM
  
  Timothy Lake is awesome and I'm glad you guys had a good time. Next time you go keep an eye out for crawfish there's a ton in the lake there.
  
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Sara Morgan 7/16/2026 5:40 PM

Consumerism
This week, to work on my consumerism habits, I made sure I stuck to my shopping list when at the grocery store and didn't make any online purchases out of impulse. I decided to switch to washable rags for cleaning instead of single-use disinfectant wipes and am going to try to make my own cleaning solutions (so I don't have to keep buying wipes and cleaning sprays)! We also went through my boys room and sorted out the toys they don't play with and any clothes that don't fit and donated them. I also talked to my oldest about taking care of his stuff so it lasts longer, because once we throw it away it goes to a landfill so the more life we can get out of something, the better! We also talked about making "garbage art" and have started collecting cool things that were headed to the trash can that we can use to make some sort of art with once we get enough pieces.
It's interesting how this week felt like a combination of previous challenges (food and waste especially), and it feels all very connected!

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Sara Morgan 7/10/2026 10:53 AM

Transportation
I have been trying to limit the miles I drive by planning my errands and grouping stops. I am usually very organized and enjoy planning, so I made a plan at the beginning of the week of all the things I knew I had to do this week (we are going on our first camping trip of the season this weekend, so I had a few more errands than usual) and how I can limit my miles. I'm also planning on getting either a hybrid or EV in a couple of months, whichever we're able to afford and is reliable for me and my kiddos. I've been having lots of conversations with my son about alternative ways we could get around, and he's decided everyone should ride bicycles and walk because it's good exercise!

Below: Paxton, my little Earth-Warrior-in-Training!

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- Amy Minato 7/14/2026 12:36 PM
  
  start them young!
  
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- Thomas Gowing 7/10/2026 7:17 PM
  
  Planning is great for running errands, I do it all the time. like you I'm also trying to limit the places i go and the multiple stores in different areas that i have to go to each week.
  
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Sara Morgan 7/10/2026 10:19 AM

Community
This week was an eye-opener about how busy I've been with my kids, work, and school, and I have been somewhat neglecting my community building! To remedy this, I've been making an effort to reach out to my friends more this week and intentionally paying attention to what is going on around me instead of being in such a hurry or absorbed in whatever I am doing. I've been greeting strangers and making conversation with people around me when appropriate. In general, trying to be more friendly! I'm a bit shy, so this is sort of out of my comfort zone, but I want to model for my children how to engage with the world in a positive way.

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- Amy Minato 7/14/2026 12:35 PM
  
  the first step in building community is allowing time for it..
  
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- Haley Underwood 7/11/2026 10:07 PM
  
  Hi Sara!
  It can be very difficult to make time for friends when you have so many different life events like work, school, and kids occurring all at once. I'm so glad you were able to make an effort to reach out to friends and socialize a bit more with strangers. I also struggle to be more social with people I don't know, as I am a bit shy as well, but I will definitely be making an effort to talk with strangers around me more!
  
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- Bernard Garcia 7/11/2026 9:37 AM
  
  We all can get busy, but I imagine you are busier than most. Being more friendly brings more light to the people around you.
  
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- Chantel Eddins 7/10/2026 1:00 PM
  
  I love this! It’s amazing how the small things, like reaching out to friends or simply greeting someone with a smile, can make such a big difference. Stepping outside your comfort zone isn't always easy, but you're setting a wonderful example for your children. Keep it up—you never know how your kindness might brighten someone else's day:)
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

Who inspired you on the feed, and why? Did you meet anyone new, learn anything exciting, or discover a new perspective?
Sara Morgan 7/10/2026 10:13 AM

It's really cool seeing posts from different people doing the same thing my team is! Very encouraging to know there are people in different places making these sustainable choices every day. It makes me feel connected to something bigger than just myself, and that the little habits I am forming are meaningful!

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- Amy Minato 7/14/2026 12:34 PM
  
  me too!
  
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Sara Morgan 7/04/2026 11:19 AM

Food
This week, for the food challenge, we've been making a collection of little changes. We've skipped meat in meals a couple of times, tried to limit our food waste by feeding extra food to pets (strawberry tops to my bunny!), and actually eaten leftovers! I've been planning meals ahead of time, so we use ingredients we already have/limit the number of trips we make to the store, and buy fewer unnecessary things. I've also cut back on the packaged snacks we buy for the younger kids (like yogurt melts and rice puffs), and focusing almost entirely on whole-ingredient snacks like shredded cheese, whole-grain bread, fresh fruits, steamed veggies, etc. This isn't a huge change because that was already a big part of their diet, but I realized how some of their snacks were individually packaged and created SO much waste when used.
I've also started moving away from single-serving yogurt cups and got a little tub instead.

(This is Buttbutt, my salad-eating buddy. It's short for Butterscotch)

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- Amy Minato 7/06/2026 8:48 PM
  
  so cute!
  
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- Thomas Gowing 7/04/2026 11:50 AM
  
  That's awesome to have a little buddy to eat with, especially since the bunny will eat your veggy and fruit leftovers. cutting back how many times you have to go to the store really adds up. keep up the good work.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

In North America, up to 65% of food waste happens at the consumer level. Chef Steven Satterfield advocates for using every part of a vegetable. How can you incorporate using an entire vegetable (including the skins, tops, stalks, etc.) during your next meal prep?
Sara Morgan 7/04/2026 11:06 AM

We've been doing this in my home this week! I give my kids pizza crust to my rats as a treat, my bunny gets the strawberry tops I cut off, and we've been limiting the amount of food waste by planning meals ahead and using extra ingredients to make other things.

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- Amy Minato 7/06/2026 8:47 PM
  
  animals are great receptacles for leftovers!
  
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- Jesse Anderson 7/05/2026 12:11 PM
  
  That's a great use for the "scraps"! We had a bearded-dragon growing up and we would always give her our leftover scraps whenever we had them.
  
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Sara Morgan 7/04/2026 10:50 AM

Water
This week, I recruited my whole family to practice water conservation. We have been turning off the water when brushing teeth, not running the water while doing the dishes, the kiddos have been taking baths with less water, and I've been taking shorter showers. I've talked with my oldest (8) about the importance of saving water and how limited it is on the planet. My family loves going to Timothy Lake on Mt. Hood, and we have a deep appreciation for natural places and for splashing in the water. We recently got a kayak and two paddleboards, so we've been spending more time on the water this year. I talked to my son about protecting the lakes and rivers and how it's our job to be environmental stewards and fight for the water.
I've also been trying to make different choices about meat. My husband and I both LOVE steak, but I can't eat it now without thinking about how much water went into it.

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- Amy Minato 7/06/2026 8:45 PM
  
  so cool to involve your family! i love Timothy Lake too
  
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- Haley Underwood 7/05/2026 7:31 PM
  
  Hi Sara!
  That's so nice that you were able to make it a family challenge and attempt to limit your overall household water use. It can be very difficult to do this, as I noticed how vital water is in all of our routines, whether that is hygiene, dishes, making food, or simply hydrating ourselves. I'm glad you're making an effort to teach your kids how important and valuable drinking water and bodies of water are. My struggle was attempting to limit my bacon intake in the morning, but it helps to consider how much water is used to make meat products.
  
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Sara Morgan 6/27/2026 10:18 AM

I've been thinking a lot more about my energy consumption, specifically my AC usage. We run two units in our house, one in the main living area and one in my bedroom. I have two pet chinchillas who can overheat very easily due to their thick fur, and my bedroom door stays closed to prevent my cats from menacing my chillas. I've been trying to limit the AC by turning up the temperature in my bedroom to 75, pointing a fan towards my critters, and hanging a covering in the hall outside the living room to minimize the space the second AC is cooling, and also turning that one up. I've also been making sure to turn off the main one when we leave, along with all lights, the TV, and any extra appliances.

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- Amy Minato 6/29/2026 10:52 AM
  
  super cute! lucky critters..
  
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- Haley Underwood 6/27/2026 11:49 AM
  
  Hi Sara!
  Attempting to navigate your personal AC usage can be tricky, as we want to limit the amount of energy we use, but we also have other people to look out for, like our pets. I have a senior dog who overheats very easily, so I try to keep the area he is in fairly cool, while still limiting our use of AC and keeping a specific schedule every day. Fans can be extremely helpful for this! We have a small one for our two dogs, and I'm glad you have some for your cute chinchillas. Being conscious and aware of how our personal use of energy affects the system as a whole is so important. Thank you for your post this week!
  
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Sara Morgan 6/27/2026 10:05 AM

This week I decided to make more intentional choices around waste! My family is usually pretty good about using reusable bags, but we have recommitted to bringing them every trip. The biggest challenge for us is remembering to grab them on our way into the store, so I moved them to a more accessible location in the car. I also brought a reusable straw and cup to work (I am a barista at Oaks Park), where I typically go through about 2 drinks a day. I made this decision because I want to do my part to reduce plastic waste.

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- Amy Minato 6/29/2026 10:53 AM
  
  good plan. will the oaks park concession allow the public to bring their own cup?
  
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- Maxwell Morey 6/28/2026 6:28 PM
  
  I think we all know that feeling of forgetting to bring our reusable bags! Countless times I have left them at home after my last trip to the store. Other times I'm in a rush and leave them in the car. I rarely make these mistakes anymore, but like anything it took a commitment to making a change. Something I have yet to do is buy a reusable straw. Good choices this week, Sara.
  
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