Kiran Singh

I thought it would be a nice idea to explore the nature around campus further. I went to the botanical gardens, which can feel like a whole different environment if you are standing in the middle of them. It was definitely a peaceful experience walking around, checking out the variety of plants (I had no idea that there was so much plant diversity there), and watching the fish in the stream. Spending this time outdoors helped me feel more in tune with nature, which I find pretty difficult to do in a place like LA. The lack of nature and open spaces (without any infrastructure) often makes me feel homesick because I am from a rural area of California. I was able to appreciate the nature that is here and the experience helped me feel less homesick. I am definitely going to go back to the botanical gardens and maybe study or eat a meal there. I have also heard of a place by the hill that biology classes often visit on field trips called Sage Hill, so I think I will explore that area next!

I grew up learning about the 3 R's in elementary school: reduce, reuse, and recycle. I like how there are now 5 R's, as refuse and repurpose have been added. The addition of these words are quite applicable to my everyday practices. For example, I refuse plastic bags at the grocery store because I always come prepared to carry my groceries in my reusable bags. In addition, I enjoy repurposing random things like using ribbon from gifts as part of my arts and crafts projects. I have reduced my food waste to almost zero (as mentioned in an earlier post), I reuse things like my grocery bags, and I recycle any cardboard/plastic/paper material that I use. I could probably use the R word reuse more because I have found that I use quite a few paper towels while cooking and cleaning. I should probably get more dish clothes and such to help promote reusing and reducing waste. I think I will get more dish clothes when I go into Westwood next! In addition, I sometimes feel like I waste water when I am washing my dishes. I must be extremely mindful of turning off the water when unnecessary and keeping the flow lower. Hopefully these small changes will help make a significant difference in my waste reduction!

When I have classes, I usually end up walking around 2 hours a day as I like to go back and forth between my classes and my apartment. In addition, I walk to the gym on a daily basis. On weekends or days that I do not have class, I still enjoy going on walks in order to reflect, become immersed in the surrounding nature, and for some extra physical activity. On my daily walks, I try to focus the small nature elements even though the environment is quite city-like. I like to observe the birds, butterflies, squirrels, plants, mountains, ocean, sky along with any clouds/jet streams/planes/helicopters/moon, and how the wind flows through the trees. I will often climb up to my rooftop in order to see the mountains, ocean, and sky more clearly. These elements remind me of my rural hometown and I feel at peace when I am immersed in them. Walking on and around campus is pretty enjoyable because the area is quite pedestrian-friendly. It is especially nice on weekends as there are fewer people on campus, and I often think about the architectural beauty of campus buildings. However, there is constant construction going on around my apartment and I must walk by it multiple times a day. This is definitely a distraction to my peaceful, nature-oriented walks, but I try to embrace it by observing what all the construction workers are doing and the progress that is occurring (although the high rises that they are building seem pretty unnecessary and not very environment-friendly). Overall, I am glad that the UCLA campus is so walking-friendly because it allows for me to truly enjoy my daily walks (unless someone on an electric scooter cuts me off haha).

I think that going paperless is the future. We can already see it with the increased use of computers and iPads in the classroom. There are kindles and tablets for reading books. Companies are providing individuals with electronic copies (via email) of items that used to be mailed (ie. bank statements, bills, etc.). Obviously, this switch is highly ecological because less paper means less trees must be cut down and ecosystems can stay intact (with trees helping sequester carbon emissions). In addition, there is less transportation of physical material which helps dampen the carbon emissions involved. There are other benefits as well. For example, every document is in one place, so they are easily accessible, in a physically condensed form, and difficult to lose. This helps keep things clean and organized. I will say, however, that there is still something about the feeling of writing with pencil and paper or cracking open a physical book. Maybe the future generations won't know about this feeling though and digital will be the normal.
Thinking about the reflection question, I am a huge advocate for spending quality time with people. Instead of thinking about material stuff, I strive to make memories with my friends and family. These experiences do not need to be extravagant with lots of material stuff involved as long as they are meaningful. In addition, it is nice to prioritize mindfulness and nature. For example, I enjoy going on walks outdoors to observe the nature around me (trees, birds, squirrels, sky, ocean, etc.) and really think deeply about anything on my mind.

Now that I live in an apartment and have access to a kitchen, I am able to cook my own meals. I help prevent food waste by using every edible part of my groceries to make meals. When I am cooking, I make sure to properly measure out all of my ingredients so that I use them all up. These practices allow me to utilize all of the food I buy, which is both economical and eco-friendly. However, I have not tried to incorporate entire vegetables during my meal prep (ie. skins and seed of avocado, banana peels). I may try to do this too, but I am not quite sure how to go about it. Does anyone have recommendations or would composting be the best route?