Ecochallenge.org

Campus Ecochallenge

Annie Zhai

Nature, God, and Social Justice Spring 2025

"Live in the moment"

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
842 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

34

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

146

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

1.0

waste audit

conducted
UP TO

91

plastic bottles

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

23

pounds of paper

have been saved
UP TO

380

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

695

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

1,106

minutes

of additional sleep
UP TO

75

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

25

minutes

spent learning

Annie's actions

Health

Know My health

I will get my Core Four Biometrics tests (blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and BMI).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Explore My Area

I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Go Paperless

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by 0.11lbs (0.05kg) a day or 3.3lbs (1.6kg) a month by opting into paperless billing, ending unwanted subscriptions and opting out of junk mail.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Waste

Use a Reusable Water Bottle

I will keep 3 disposable plastic bottle(s) from entering the waste stream by using a reusable water bottle.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Personal Waste Audit

I will collect all of my unrecyclable, non-compostable trash to raise my awareness of how much I send to the landfill.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Meditate

I will meditate or create a moment of silence for 5 minute(s) each day to reflect on things important to me.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Water

5-Minute Showers

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

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Choose Two-Sided Printing

I will save up to .21 lbs (.09 kg) of paper per day by switching from one-sided printing to two-sided when I have to print documents.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Exercise Daily

Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 35 minute(s) each day.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Go get a check up

I will make an appointment for my annual physical.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health

Healthy Sleep

Effectively working for sustainability requires self care! I will commit to getting 60 more minute(s) of sleep each night to achieve at least 7 hours per night.

COMPLETED 14
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Stay on the Ground

Instead of traveling by plane, I will find an alternative way to accomplish the goals of an upcoming trip (i.e. telepresence, vacation locally).

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Simplicity

Core Values

We may find more meaning and joy in life when our actions are aligned with our personal values. I will determine what my top 3-5 core values are so that I can better align my actions with them.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Try a New Way to Prep

I will try a new method of food preparation, such as canning, pickling, or baking bread.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

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?

Annie Zhai 4/22/2025 1:36 PM
As we are approaching the end of the Ecochallenge, I definitely want to encourage myself and everyone else to keep up with the habits that we've built. I think through the Ecochallenge, I've found a healthier routine that I would like to keep up with in the long term. I am very thankful for this opportunity to be able to establish these habits and find a lifestyle that works best for me.

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- Brooklyn Ramirez 4/22/2025 6:59 PM
  I really like that you brought up the importance of consistency. Healing our relationships with nature isn't going to happen over night and it is going to take consistent effort from all of us to actively transform how we interact with our environment. It reminds me of a quote from Ruether "A healed relation to each other and to the earth calls for a new consciousness, a new symbolic culture and spirituality."
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health

How do you deal with the physical and emotional stress of the big problems we face? How can you help others cope?
Annie Zhai 4/22/2025 1:33 PM
Personally, whenever I'm stressed out, I try to sleep, eat, and exercise regularly. Sometimes, I will also give myself a break where I spend time relaxing in my room watching a movie or show I like. I think one advice I would give to others is to have a healthy daily routine. At the same time, it is also important to give yourself a break once in a while and recharge by doing things that you enjoy.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Canning and pickling food is a great way to have delicious summer fruits and vegetables all year round. Just make sure to follow the canning and pickling guidelines from the USDA or another trusted source. What are some foods that you would like to preserve and enjoy later in the year?
Annie Zhai 4/21/2025 7:34 AM
I'm a big fan of pickled cucumbers and canned peaches. I tried making pickled cucumbers and canned peaches with my family during Easter break. Next time I go back home, I'm excited to see if my methods were successful.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Simplicity

What are your top 3-5 core values? How did you narrow it down to those as being your core values?
Annie Zhai 4/20/2025 2:12 PM
1. Courage
2. Integrity
3. Freedom
4. Perseverance
I narrowed it down to these core values because I think these are what I live by. I think these values are definitely things I've been upholding and principles I've been following.

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Annie Zhai 4/19/2025 6:00 AM
During Easter break, I first traveled from Washington DC to New York City. Instead of going by plane, I decided to go by train. During the break, I traveled from New York City to Montauk. There are four people in total, and I decided to travel by car instead of plane. This saves a lot of fuel and left a better carbon footprint.

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- Cici Curran 4/19/2025 6:10 AM
  I also decided to train/drive instead of flying! My parents had offered to fly me to our next destination but instead I suggested I meet them at home and we all drive together! I love that we had the same idea!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health

Consider how many hours of sleep you get now. How would you like to shift your sleep patterns? What are you finding works for you to be successful in this action?
Annie Zhai 4/16/2025 2:23 PM
Before this, I’m getting around 6.5 to 7 hours of sleep. I constantly feel tired. However, now I’m intentionally trying to get more than 7.5 hours of sleep. Instead of being on my phone, I try to sleep earlier and I think this has definitely helped me focus better in school and complete tasks easier. I also feel like my sleep quality has been improved because I am less stressed during the day. I think the key to this is persistence and resisting the temptation to be on my phone before bed.

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- Sarah Kang 4/16/2025 3:16 PM
  Hi Annie - I can relate to you. Before this challenge, I was also getting around 6-7 hours of sleep and would constantly feel tired during class or have to take naps throughout the day. However, I have become focused on improving my health by prioritizing my sleep and reducing my screen time. This has definitely helped me feel more productive throughout the day!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation

What was your process like for restructuring your trip? How can you avoid more air travel in the future?
Annie Zhai 4/16/2025 2:17 PM
Instead of traveling by air from DC to New York City, I decided to travel by train. Not only is it more ecofriendly, it is also more convenient and cheaper. In the future, I will definitely try to be more mindful of how I travel. I think this activity definitely opened me up to more environmental friendly ways to traveling.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health

How can you incorporate other personal values (like quality time with friends or spending time in nature) into your exercise routine?
Annie Zhai 4/16/2025 2:11 PM
I can exercise with my friends. Recently, I’ve been asking my friends to go to the gym together so we can motivate each other. At the same time, we can also do sports that require more than 1 person to play together for example badminton. To interact with nature, which is a key theme explored in this class, we can definitely play sports outside or exercise outdoors. Spending several minutes outdoors with nature will definitely enhance our mental and physical wellbeing.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Health

How do you practice self care?
Annie Zhai 4/09/2025 10:26 AM
I think it is really about focusing on what I need at the time. Taking time to reflect and knowing what to do will make me feel better/improve my overall well-being. For instance, meditating every single day, exercising every single day, and making sure I'm getting enough sleep every single night.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Waste

Why is it so difficult to understand the impacts our purchases and waste have on other people, animals, and places? How might your experience with this challenge impact your future consumption and choices?
Annie Zhai 4/07/2025 9:58 AM
I think it is because the impacts of our purchases and waste are so indirect that it is really hard to calculate and keep track of. Sometimes, we generate waste when we are not paying attention. Therefore, I think participating in this challenge definitely prompted me to be more aware of the waste I create every single day and go from there to reduce the waste I produce.

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