GRACE JOHNSON

"Coming from rural Northern California, my community depends on our environment for agricultural business. I have always loved where I come from because of the beautiful surroundings, and I hope to preserve that beauty. I have always tried to take small actions to limit my carbon footprint -- I have given up eating meat products, limited my single-use plastic consumption, and started walking and riding my bike more. Put together, individual actions can truly help our planet and preserve the communities we love."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
132 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

25

minutes

spent exercising

GRACE's actions

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Keep Track of Wasted Food

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.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Action Track: Healing & Renewal

Explore My Area

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 60 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Support Local Food Systems

Plant-Rich Diets

I will source 30 percent of my food from local producers each day. This could include signing up for a local CSA, buying from a farmer's market, visiting a food co-op, foraging with a local group, or growing my own ingredients.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Healing & Renewal

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 25 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY 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?

REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Healing & Renewal Explore My Area

How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place -- your deep knowledge of and appreciation for your surroundings?

GRACE JOHNSON 2/08/2023 5:14 PM

Growing up in a rural town, coming to Los Angeles was a huge adjustment. I was so used to seeing green grass, rows of vineyards, and giant redwood trees when I stepped outside, not a sea of concrete. Spending more time outside has given me a greater appreciation for Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. Venturing into the small neighborhoods near UCLA has shown me how pretty this area can be. Although living in a city is much more different than what I'm used to, there is beauty here too.

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- Sartaj Bal 2/12/2023 10:58 PM
  
  Hi Grace,
  
  This is a really good point which you bring up! I am also not from here so it is certainly an adjustment getting used to the lack of green space at times. Regardless, spending time outside really helps with my mental health because I am able to take a break from continuously staring at screens all day. I think we have really taken all of these basic things out of our lifestyle unfortunately due to our hectic schedules based on competition and the greed for profit. I love seeing sights like families enjoying their time outside because it reminds me of the fun times I shared with my loved ones outdoors as well. Ultimately, it comes down to all of us to ensure that this beauty is preserved responsibly.
  
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- Madeleine-Michelle Flores 2/10/2023 11:31 PM
  
  I know this big ol' city can be very overwhelming, especially for people who love the nature surroundings. I have lived hear my whole life so I hike a lot in order to keep the small connection with nature we have here. You should check out some of the LA hikes and those in the san Fernando valley
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Keep Track of Wasted Food

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?

GRACE JOHNSON 2/08/2023 5:09 PM

I have always been very conscious about food waste. I make sure to eat my leftovers and keep track of the best by date. However, the occasional bag of spinach or avocados end up in the trash before I can eat them. I would much rather use my $1,500 a year on something nice for myself or maybe saving it to travel in the future. So much money is lost due to food waste, and every time I have to throw something away, I am reminded of the people who would be so grateful for it. It is a good reminder to never take more than you can eat and be conscious about what you buy before you buy it.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use Support Local Food Systems

Dependable fresh food, supporting local farmers and building resilient communities are just a few benefits of local food systems. Which of these (or other) advantages inspire you the most?

GRACE JOHNSON 2/08/2023 5:04 PM

For the last few weeks I have been going to the local farmer's market to buy fresh produce on Thursdays. I love knowing that my food is unprocessed and that it comes from small businesses! I grew up in a small agricultural town in Northern California where most of my produce comes from local farmers. Some of my closets friends work on farms and sell their produce at our own farmer's market. Since coming to college and being on a budget, most of my food is frozen or highly processed. I have really enjoyed knowing that the food I eat is sustainable and that I'm supporting local.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Healing & Renewal Go for a Daily Walk

What have you noticed on your daily walks? What have you enjoyed? What infrastructure changes could make your walks more enjoyable or possible?

GRACE JOHNSON 2/08/2023 5:00 PM

Walking everyday has been great for my mental health -- I've been able to clear my head, turn on my favorite podcast, and since the weather has been nice, enjoy the sun! My favorite walks are through some of the nicer neighborhoods around UCLA, I love to look at the houses and try to pick out my favorite. Walking around UCLA, I've noticed there's always crazy construction, very steep hills, and pot holes/uneven sidewalks everywhere. I definitely wish we had a better system for pedestrians, since it is not the most accessible for daily walks.

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- JIMMY TRAN 2/14/2023 1:53 AM
  
  I too want to take time to walk around the UCLA neighborhoods. I remember when I was training for my half marathon 2 years ago, I would run through beverly hills. Something about nice houses motivated me to keep running haha. Maybe because surrounding myself with expensive looking houses made me feel better. But I do want to take more walks to clear my mind and give myself a reset. UCLA has very steep hills that make me not want to walk anywhere. I don't want to sound lazy but these steep hills makes me want to avoid walking AT ALL TIMES. If the ground was more flat, I'd probably would want to walk with groceries more often.
  
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- shirleya williams 2/11/2023 2:44 PM
  
  Hi Grace,
  
  I am glad you have been able to enjoy these walks. It's funny that you mention it because there does always seem to be construction going on around UCLA. There definitely are places that can be improved for pedestrian access. I also think it is very fun to walk through the neighborhoods of UCLA. The atmosphere is just so different and the houses are really nice to look at.
  
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GRACE JOHNSON 1/16/2023 5:49 PM

My mom became vegetarian when she was about 20 years old and never looked back. She did this for her love of both animals and the environment. Growing up, I never understood her decision because the foods I loved always contained meat. As I got olde, however, I became more knowledgeable of the negatives of meat products -- I started limiting my meat consumption, and trying to incorporate more plant based meals into my diet. As of three years ago, I have been completely meat free and I love it! Coming to college and having to cook for myself, I realized not only how difficult meat is to prepare, but also how delicious plant based meals can be. I have found that since becoming vegetarian, I have more energy and I feel better about what I am putting into my body. I know that by eliminating meat from my diet I am helping preserve my planet, which is more rewarding than any burger!

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- Sergio Garcia 2/07/2023 12:54 AM
  
  My dad would tell me all the time that to grow old, I should refrain from eating red meat. I never understood why this was even a topic of discussion as it didnt make sense that eating meat could be bad for me. Come to find out, its not only the meat itself that can cause me harm, but the process of meat manufacturers and the effects preparing meat for distribution can emit greenhouse gas, permanently damaging our ecosystem. Finding alternatives to foods I eat heavily is difficult, and I still cant refrain from eating carne asada whenever I get to visit home, but being conscious about my meat consumption can be a great first step. Im big on moderation, as too much of anything cannot be good. As such, limiting my meat consumption may have visible and invisible impacts that can help me live a better life, in a healthier light in all aspects.
  
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- Amrita Bhullar 1/16/2023 9:05 PM
  
  Hey Grace! I wrote about something similar in my post. I've only recently started cutting out meat, but I'm really open to new vegetarian recipes - would love to hear some of your favorites! It definitely makes me feel better to know that I can make this change to reduce my carbon footprint and still enjoy flavorful foods.
  
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