Ecochallenge.org

Drawdown Ecochallenge

Mary Polhemus

Sustainable Bruins

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
207 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

11

miles

not traveled by car
UP TO

0.0

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

11

miles

traveled by carpool
UP TO

2.0

zero-waste meals

consumed
UP TO

1.0

minute

spent outdoors

Mary 's actions

Action Track: Healing & Renewal

More Fruits And Veggies

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 3 cups of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Building Resilience

Forest-Friendly Foods 2

Tropical Forest Restoration

I will replace or remove the palm oil, coffee, and cocoa products in my current diet that are known to contribute to deforestation.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Healing & Renewal

Eat Mindfully

I will eat all of my meals without distractions, e.g., phone, computer, TV, or newspaper.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Action Track: Healing & Renewal

Go for a Daily Walk

Walkable Cities

I will take a walk for 20 minutes each day and take note of the infrastructure that makes walking more or less enjoyable, accessible, and possible.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Transportation

Try Carpooling

Carpooling

I will commute by carpool 10 mile(s) per day and avoid sending up to (___) lbs of CO2 into Earth's atmosphere.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Zero-waste Cooking

Reduced Food Waste

I will cook 1 meal(s) with zero-waste each day

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Action Track: Healing & Renewal

Explore My Area

Sometimes protecting nature requires feeling connected to nature. I will invest 20 minutes in exploring and appreciating a natural area in my region, whether a forest, wetland, coastal area, or somewhere else.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Learn More about Wave and Tidal Energy

Ocean Power

I will spend at least 30 minutes learning more about the energy generation potential of wave and tidal energy.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Express My Support For Equitable Biking Infrastructure

Bicycle Infrastructure

I will find out who in my city makes decisions that impact bike routes and express my support for better biking infrastructure.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Support Local Food Systems

Plant-Rich Diets

I will source 15 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

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Learn More about Regenerative Agriculture

Conservation Agriculture, Regenerative Annual Cropping

I will spend at least 10 minutes learning about the need for more regenerative agriculture.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Use Muscle Power

Multiple Transportation Solutions

I will cut my car trip mileage by only taking necessary trips, and I will only use muscle-powered transportation for all other trips.

COMPLETED 1
DAILY ACTION

Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

Tend A Garden

I will tend to a garden, or prepare for one, each day using sustainable gardening practices.

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

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?

Mary Polhemus 3/09/2022 5:20 PM
It is astounding how much you can learn by stepping out of your comfort zone and putting your hands in the dirt of reality most literally and metaphorically. I ventured out to South East LA to Bell, CA- an industrial shipping town and passed the longest Salvation Army complex I have ever witnessed. I thought to myself that’s a lot of used clothing. At the end of the expansive lot, I arrived to a small-gated farm with a hand-painted sign that read “Grow Good” and was met by a sweet women and her dog. She explained to me that the warehouse-like buildings I passed is the Bell shelter; a salvation army-run shelter that serves the homeless community. Prior to its existence the space was a military storage site. American economy is rooted in the production of military goods and supports a massive industrial complex. “The US spends 10 times as much on the military as does any other country in the world” I was sadly not surprised that the army had owned all this territory… because what don’t they have power over? What I was impressed with is how the landscape flipped; it was given to the Salvation Army and in turn to homeless people and a Non-profit (Grow Good) for use. Five hundred men and women are now housed and cared for at this site and the small non-profit small farm now grows over 8,000 lbs. of organic vegetables for the kitchen. The turnover of the space alludes to different American values; the country values security, economic success and technological advancements but also attempts to alleviate social injustices and promotes fairness. These values often conflict. As we walked around rows of radishes kale and carrots, past beds of lettuce, tomatoes and cabbage and wove around different piles of compost, I was made aware that I, like the plants, am also organized into a certain “pile, bed row” of society. The class system both hinders and helps me and allows me in this experience to tiptoe around the farm and homeless shelter as an outsider.

Maybe I am thinking too symbolically but something about being a city girl in nature brings me to another state of mind. I spent the rest of my time there thinning carrots and pulling weeds. The mundane work is pleasing and has a meditative calming quality. It connected me to humanities most basic needs food, the bottom rung of Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. At this ground level knees in the dirt and gripping roots and wind against my face, I realized how immensely privileged I am to have my basic needs met and much more. How I am precariously balanced in between a heavily polarized class structure and intense power relations. I rest on the backs of those who continually harvest land and someone else rests on my back to keep their luxurious lives afloat. My picking carrots and helping out on this farm doesn’t really mend social injustices or unravel the complex class structure, but does help me become morally conscious of my being and I think that is impactful place to begin.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Healing & Renewal

How can spending more time outdoors enhance your sense of place -- your deep knowledge of and appreciation for your surroundings?
Mary Polhemus 3/09/2022 5:15 PM
This past month I have done more exploring by foot and have come across one of my favorite local hikes. Up in the hills of Bel Air (across from the ghetty) East of the 405 there is this nice 2 mile hike that overlooks the mountains and the ocean. It's nice to be able to escape the building of Westwood and find a natural site that walking distance away. I used this hike and walk there as a way to decompress from my midterms. I have grow up in LA and have never been on this hike. There is a this oak tree on the path that I always make my way of the trail to look and sit next to. This hike connects me to where I am in space sometimes I feel lost in textbooks on campus stuck in my own head in my own little world. This Getty hike that has views as far as Palos Verdes really makes me in touch with my relation to place and space. It also has made me question why we constructed one of the busiest freeways through such a beautiful terrain. In a region where there is supposed to be a river there is a freeway (the evil twin of the river). From above it is wild to see how many cars pass down below slowly destroying this little bit of natural land we have left. I really appreciate that there is still secret niches is LA that allow us to escape the gridlocked roads, congested intersections and chaotic schedules.

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- Shivangi Goswami 3/10/2022 8:08 PM
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- Shivangi Goswami 3/10/2022 8:07 PM
  Hi Mary!
  I really resonate with all of this because I recently went on (I think) this same hike around Bel Air too!! Sometimes being in Westwood without a car when most of my friends do can feel disheartening, because I see all the cool hikes they go on near Topanga or Malibu and wish I could easily drive out to these destinations as well. Sometimes it can feel like you're stuck in the "Westwood bubble." But I've realized recently that there is so much to be discovered and explored even in our little pocket of LA! Two weeks ago, my friend wanted to go on a walk through the neighborhoods behind UCLA. I was pretty reluctant at first because I had a ton of work waiting for me at home which I was stressed out about. But I agreed to go, and we ended up walking and talking for hours. We found ourselves in the hills of Bel Air and eventually reached the top to a beautiful lookout where we were able to watch the sunset. I felt so at ease again being away from all the hustle and bustle, and just taking time to myself and to connect with my friend. I didn't realize a refreshing getaway could exist so close, but now whenever I feel all foggy-brained I remind myself I can easily take a trip up there. Nature is such a regenerative place, and unfortunately as busy students with our heads in books and stuck in the library all day I think we can forget that sometimes. And, as I recently discovered, we don't need to look far to benefit from the regenerative and place-keeping powers of nature :)
  
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- Annie Hau 3/10/2022 12:27 AM
  It's amazing how regenerative nature can be. Especially during times of anxiety, unease, or fear, there's always such a calming and grounding presence of the outdoors that brings me peace. I find that I notice little details that I never would before, like the shape of a leaf of a tree or what the sky looks like today. With a hectic schedule and a fast-paced lifestyle, spending time outdoors has given me time to slow down and appreciate the moment. I especially enjoy running outside down Veteran and along the UCLA campus because it has such great scenery of the campus and the fresh air feels great when running.
  
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Mary Polhemus 3/09/2022 4:27 PM
I expressed my support for equitable public transit through dance!
This past weekend I had a performance for a student run dance show (Wacsmash). The theme of the show was social justice and I was one of the choreographers and dancers in the show. I choose to do my piece about the Bus in order to motivate and inspire audience to use a greener forms of transit as well as to illuminates some of the socioeconomic struggles that are revealed on this form of transit. I used public transportation, specifically the bus, as a vessel to explore the varying social, economic, and cultural inequalities seen in cities across the U.S. My piece "Next Stop" seeks to improve representation for mislabeled communities and uplift the voices, stories, and histories that are often muted and obscured. My piece intended to get audience to research and advocate for public transportation systems that are safe, affordable, reliable, and accessible to all. I got a lot of positive feedback on the work and happy that the theme translated so well (I had a lot of people question my theme before it was brought to stage but once it was all put together people kept commenting on how much they like the storytelling and theme and how creative the work was). In the program for the performance there was attached links and scannable codes to get viewers to research and get involved with local organizations that promote social well being, and aid in the upliftment of their communities through advocating for affordable and sustainable forms of transportation.
Education can really change people perspectives and cause people to create individualized changes to their lifestyles. The arts which are sometimes neglected also prove to me a powerful force of inspiration to motivate the masses. Dance tugs at emotions and pulls on the heart of people. There is a depth and valuable embodied information that only can be translated through movement and live performances. It was exciting to see this process at work and see the ways in which dance told the story of public transportation specifically riding the bus and brought hope for a more inclusive and environmentally friendly bus riding future!

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Mary Polhemus 3/09/2022 10:51 AM
In addition to composting I also have been trying to reduce my waste through other means. I am trying to move to more of a zero waste lifestyle. Grocery shopping is a way in which I build up a lot of waste because of the singular use plastic rapping that most produce and products come in. I’ve been trying to shop more at the local farmers market which not only is good for environment because of the regenerative farming practices many of the farmers partake in but also because they do not use plastic (they will give you plastic only if your ask). So now when doing my produce shopping I bring my own cloth bags and do not use a single piece of plastic. It’s super continent and easy and reduces my waste by a substantial amount. I bring these two cloth bags that are pretty large and just put everything in there (apples kale spinach tomatoes celery) all stacked in my one reusable bag. I also sometimes bring plastics bags if I want to further separate the different foods that I buy. These bags are ones that I have saved and try to reuse instead of just sending to the landfill. Most people think that switching over to a sustainable lifestyle means buying new eco-products, reusable bags, metal straws and cloth totes but in reality the production of these items adds to our carbon footprint so in reality we should just reuse what we have until we cannot use it anymore. For example instead of buying Tupperware use the containers and jars that other food has come in that you already own. I like to bring my lunch in yogurt containers and in jars that once contained coconut oil.
Trader Joe’s is another place i usually buy groceries but most of the food and even vegetables that don’t need to be wrapped like cucumbers celery kale are rapped in plastic. It makes it impossible for shoppers to reduce waste because there is not an option to bring your own produce bags. I am inspired to get these big corporations to make shifts in their packaging to use biodegradable alternatives. I know part of the reason Trader Joes is so succesfull is because of the flashy packaging and cute containers. There needs to be a shift from that into bulk shopping. This past summer I visited my sister who just moved to Atlanta and we visited this World Market which is a grocery store similar to costco where you can buy everything in bulk. Most produce and grains are not packaged individually. I enjoyed the setup of the store and think the beauty of the array of raw products was just as enticing for a consumer. I think we need to put pressure on our favorite stores to make these shifts in their packaging. There has been some small shifts due to complaints (Tj's started wrapping cucumber in compostable wrap...degrades in 12 months) but these cucumbers and other produce don't need to be wrapped at all. As consumers it is important to vote with our dollar and demonstrate that we will buy produce that is not wrapped in plastic in fact we prefer it.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food, Agriculture, and Land Use

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?
Mary Polhemus 3/07/2022 2:01 PM
I made it a point this quarter to get most of my produce from the farmers market. I started to go to the Westwood farmers market every week to get the majority of my fruits and vegetables. I feel so much better about my purchases because this weekly change of routine is so impactful and healthy on an environmental and individual level. This change of habit has a trickling impact. It allows me to support local farmers and reduce carbon emissions (food doesn't have to travel as far/need to be transported such long distances, allows me to support organic farming practices (eliminates soil erosion, sequesters carbon from environment, eliminates use of pesticides that harm ecosystems), allows me to compost (now I have a actual physical place where I can drop of my compost), allows me to eat a more nutrient and plant based meals (the produce is often riper fresher, I have more options and alternatives for cooking because of the variety the farmers market contains, allow for me to feel part of a larger community (I get to talk with other students, vendors and farmers... I've been going to this one stand every week and now we know each other by name).
I would say that in the past two months I have probably gotten 80 percent of my produce from the farmers market which makes up for a little over half my diet (I really like my crunchy veggies)!

I think what inspires me most is the community aspect of the farmers market. It excites me to walk there and get to be outdoors and just wander through the array of vendors with vibrant juicy fresh apples kale and other colorful foods. It is really meditative and relaxes all of my senses, getting to hear the chitter chatter of shoppers and vendors, spelling the aroma of the papusa stand and seeing all fresh foods.
I could spend half the day meandering, stopping for juicy orange samples and exploring every items at each stand.

What I also find inspiring is that every dollar spent is a vote cast for the type of food system we will see in the future. By buying here I am supporting local farmers who usually participate in environmentally friendly practices such as organic and regenerative farming, sell more variety and diversity of produce, use less pesticides and chemicals and focus more about the process (weather food is healthy free or contaminants and harming surrounding environment) rather than churning out high quantities of food focusing more on profit than environmental and health repercussion like large corporation competitors.

I will say that what untimely what made me shift to buying the majority of produce from the farmers marker was that I just got Calfresh/EBT. The farmers market is pretty pricey you get 2 apples for a dollar vs a pound of apples for a dollar at Ralphs. I find it unfortunate that people who may want to buy healthier local foods can't because they are unaffordable. I would have switched to buying at the farmers market a long time ago if I had the financial means to do so. What I find hopefully is that farmers market takes cal fresh (many people don't know about that). I would like to be apart of a movement to get more students who qualify for financial aid and Cal fresh to know that they can use this government aid at the farmers market. I feel that many students don't know of these resources and if they did they would be more likely to switch to supporting local and organic food systems. It was also interesting to learn that some markets offer Market Match, a federally-funded nutrition incentive program that doubles the value of CalFresh purchases at certain farmers’ markets. For every dollar of CalFresh scrip that a customer purchases, they are given an extra Market Match dollar, which can be spent only on fruits and vegetables. The maximum match level varies by market. At many markets, this means that for every $10 of CalFresh benefits spent, the customer gets $20 worth of healthy food! It is exciting that there are programs available that are making healthy, local, organic, in season, pesticides free and environmentally consciously produced foods accessible to more! Lets make these food systems accessible to all by spreading the word and supporting such farmers markets!

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Mary Polhemus 3/04/2022 5:09 PM
Iv'e been wanting to start composting at my apartment in Westwood but a couple things were holding me back for a long time. First, I didn't know where to store the food scraps. At my dads house we throw them in the back yard where bug, worms and other insects feast on the pile. In my little apartment in Westwood I was nervous about starting a compost bin because my roommates already yell at me for being a mess and I know they would go absolutely nuts if I had rotten orange peels with fruit flies swarming around....So I had to get creative. I found this painting pale on the side walk that I know put my compost in. I cover it with a cloth towel so that fruit flies don't all swarm our patio. In the kitchen I made a mini compost (a Tupperware with a closed top) so that I don't have to go outside overtime I am cooking I just shovel it into the container. I told my neighbor about my new system because she also was looking for a way to compost but the service she signed up for never actually came. She started to add her food scraps to the bin as well and it became a apartment wide movement. I am slowly trying to convince everyone to bring their compost to my bin (even my neat freak roommates who cringe at the site of it)...little do they know I cringe at the site of our trash being full of plastic.
The Westwood farmers market had a compost drop off so i lug the scraps once every two weeks down the village. I am still trying to think of a good way to transport the scraps so if anyone has any good ideas let me know. I currently have tried to bring down pale (but it is kind of bulky), a paper bag (but it leaked all over me) and a plastic bag (but I hate to use single use plastic bags). One time I threw it in to this abandoned lot which is probably illegal but I couldn't carry it any more and my bag was leaking (haha i felt like an environmental warrior. Any way if y'all have any compost transportation or general compost suggestion let me know I would love to see the wider Westwood participate in more composting but I think there has to be a more convenient system so that everyone feels encouraged to participate.
I have noticed that we have to take out our trash less because a lot of the waste I produce is from fruits, vegetables and egg shells and I have cut that out of landfill designated trash because of my new compost system.
I have also learned quite bit more about compost. I was unaware that the airless landfill environment causes decaying food waste to produce high concentrations of methane gas. Composting also minimizes overall landfill volume and also replenished nutrients in the soil. It foster the growth or microorganisms and minimizes eater and soil erosion by tapping and maintain moisture levels in soil. So food scraps live two very alternative lives if sent to landfills they don't have air to decompose properly and release methane that is 84 more times potent than C02 but when composted they enrich the soil with nutrients and help retain moisture encoring plant growth which actually pulls C02 rom the environment. We have a powerful decision to make with a our food scraps let's
do it right and let your food rot properly or our planet will be the one to rot !!!

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- JACQUELINE DUONG 3/07/2022 1:57 PM
  This was very insightful! Just like you, back at my home, my family would just throw our scraps in the backyard. Now that I am living in an apartment, I have been trying to find ways to compost in a smaller form. At work, I was discussing my problem with my supervisor and he shared with me the way that he composts. He says that he has two trash cans, where one (1) is put on top of the other (2). In the first trash can (1), he layers dirt (layer 1), newspaper (layer 2), worms (layer 3), food scraps (layer 4), and then repeats the dirt, newspaper, and food scraps. The point of doing this is to have the worms work their way up the trash can, the food scraps make the worms move up for food which leaves behind soil that has been fertilized by the worms. My supervisor said that the newspaper is for the comfort of the worms because they probably wouldn't want to be lying so close to their feces. The trash can on top (2) is so that the repeated layers can keep continuing upwards without stopping. As a result, this trash can will have small holes at the bottom so that the worms can travel through the holes and move into the other trash can (2) smoothly. Once the worms have moved onto the next trash can (2), you can use all of the fertilized soil from the other trash can (1) to grow any fruits, vegetables, and/or plants you have. I am in the middle of using this method and have been liking it so far, but I now have an overpopulation of worms because I didn't realize how fast worms multiple. But, this has also proven to be a pro because I ended up donating some of my worms to friends so that they could also start composting!
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Healing & Renewal

What have you noticed on your daily walks? What have you enjoyed? What infrastructure changes could make your walks more enjoyable or possible?
Mary Polhemus 2/02/2022 3:45 PM
I really enjoy being near campus because I get to walk everywhere, to class to the store to the gym, out to eat. You can do it all by foot which is so nice because everything is at my convenience and it is safe to get around. I guess that's why they call colleges bubbles because they have all the necessities in a limited geographical range. Being on zoom for the first few weeks of class made me realize how much I missed the walk to campus. I felt agitated, restless and cranky when I don't get outside. I'm a pretty active person so not having anywhere to go was frustrating. I still tried to makeup places to go so I would get all the angst out, would walk to campus to take class on the hill, go to the grocery store even if I didn't need anything, go walk to the stadium and do some laps. I appreciate the ability to walk places. So, now with classes back in person I love that I get a chance to walk more it helps me not only digest my food but also digest the moment before and see new people.
I noticed that westwood has friendly walking infrastructure, there's stores, not overly busy streets and lots of students around. The campus also make ideal space for walkers because it restricts cars acmes and has beautiful architecture and greenery. However, when I am home in Inglewood over break I find it hard to walk places because of the huge streets with so many cars that kick dust up in your face (La Brea blvd.), the safety of the neighborhood (lot of cat calls), and the limited destination to reach (not many stores or parks around). The only place I will walk to when home is Ralphs even though I would love to walk everywhere if it was safe and pleasant to do so. I realized part of the reason I love college is because I love that you can get to everywhere by foot and see so many things/students on the way. I like to people watch and chat and walking provides the perfect opportunity to socialize with someone passing by. I wish all cities were like Manhattan where you can just walk home if you don't want to wait for the Subway and you would probably pass some cool stores and sites on the way. In LA if you walk home you'd probably be walking on a thin sidewalk under a highway intersection. It is not that pleasant to walk unless you live in wealthy areas such as by the coast or the hills of Bel air (UCLA) where there is nature and infrastructure that makes walking safe and peaceful.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation

List some of the places you frequent often (work, grocery store, natural areas). Could you choose one or two days a week to schedule driving with a friend, neighbor or co-worker to these places?
Mary Polhemus 2/01/2022 10:24 PM
I really feel lucky to be able to live in Westwood even though my parents live in LA because it means I don't have to drive to get to class. There are some activities that are not on campus (like this Friday night Hip-Hop class) that I try to go to weekly because of the community and great energy of the place. I always feel a little guilty about driving places. But, not owning a car usually make me find other options like carpooling or taking the bus (if its not to dark and late/which it usually is). I can't get to these places on my own so I usually try to catch rides with friends/acquaintance. We really pack the car to get to this class sometimes there's more people than seats which is a little dangerous but at least its environmentally friendlier than each of us driving there by ourselves.
I used to think not having or owning a car was a limitation as I felt like I was always having to lean on other people to get around, but I realized that carpooling not only makes me happier because I am leaving less of a carbon footprint but also because I usually get closer to people I wouldn't maybe interact much with because we spend the time chatting and traveling together. Making the effort to reach out to ask for a ride makes those distant acquaintances become friends. I will say that it can be frustrating to depend on someone else to get to somewhere you want to go but for the most part it has worked out. It was slightly more challenging when classes were online because I felt like I had to travel farther out of the UCLA bubble to get the same type of stimulation as in person experiences (for example instead of going to dance classes at school I would have to venture out into the city to get my same dancing fix. With things in person however I feel like the school and Westwood almost entirely sustain me and I am able to have wide variety of experiences and get everywhere by foot with the occasional jammed pack fiat car ride to North Hollywood dance class.
Attached is picture of my friend just being funny and playing with her crystals in the back seat of the car !

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Mary Polhemus 1/10/2022 4:42 PM
Hi all! Got a little stir crazy with all the zoom classes and news that so many things I'm looking forward to are being moved to online... so my cousin and I took a little break and planted some onions in my front yard. Helped me to connect with the earth and get excited about things to come (haha I use onion in all my food). Tending the earth and getting your hands dirty really does have the ability to reduce stress and plants seeds of hope.

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