Aybe Umana

Students of Sheridan's Sustainability Class

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
271 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

135

minutes

spent outdoors

Aybe's actions

Electricity

Calculate the carbon footprint of my household

I will calculate the carbon emissions associated with my household and consider how different lifestyle choices could reduce our carbon footprint and our impact on the environment.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Choose LED Bulbs

LED Lighting

I will replace 8 incandescent lightbulb(s) with Energy Star-certified LED bulbs, saving up to $14 per fixture per year.

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Electricity

Watch a Video about Methane Digesters

Methane Digesters

I will watch a video about methane digesters (also commonly known as anaerobic digesters).

UNCOMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Action Track: Healing & Renewal

Tend A Garden

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

COMPLETED 5
DAILY ACTIONS

Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Smart Seafood Choices

Ocean Farming

I will visit seafoodwatch.org or download the app and commit to making better seafood choices for a healthier ocean.

UNCOMPLETED
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?

Aybe Umana 4/02/2023 12:40 PM
Good afternoon,

I have been working on caring for my plants, the basil that I harvested and left a little bald is now sprouting new leaves and getting taller. I love growing basil because is so forgiving and is easy to maintain. The seedlings that I planted a few weeks ago are now one to close to two inches tall, I will wait for them to get bigger to plan them outside but it will be in a raise bed as I want the soil to be rich, i live in the Rockaways and the soil can at times be sandy and not great for planting a garden. This would be my first garden after a pause of a few years so I want a small garden nothing to big that when I go on my yearly vacation in the summer time it would required extra care. Having a garden is a commitment and a big responsibility but once you plant that first seed you want to take care of it because you want to enjoy the "fruits" of all the work put in. It is also a great activity to do with kids and show them something different by caring for the environment and having them learn new things like composting and how simple things like egg shells and banana peels can be mixed into the soil of the garden and it will provide nutrients. Also being careful as to what can be done to avoid having animals or insects eat the plants and teaching kids about the right kind of fertilization. There are many environmental lessons involved in gardening and it is such a fun things to do with kids that can carry on into their adult lives like it did me.

Thank You
Aybe Umana

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Aybe Umana 3/26/2023 6:59 PM
Good afternoon,

The seeds I planted have now germinated, the basil I trimmed last week has new leaves and it is growing beautifully. I have early spring flowers too plus green mint. I will wait for the seedlings to grow taller and after the last frost I will plant them outside on the garden bed.

Thank You
Aybe Umana

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity

Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! What's next for you?
Aybe Umana 3/17/2023 9:43 PM
The next step for me is to keep track of how much water we used at home. For example turning off the water when I brush my teeth in between and not leaving the water on in the kitchen sink when I wash dishes between washing dishes and soaping them up. I could also do additional research to find out more information on what changes can be done to have a more efficient home.

Thank You
Aybe Umana

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity

What does your vision of a sustainable community look like? What would need to be changed in order for such vision to become reality?
Aybe Umana 3/17/2023 9:32 PM
A sustainable community for me would have many community gardens that everyone can learn how to grow their own vegetables and even bring them to farmers market to sell. In my town, there are two small gardens that children from the local middle school and high school grow and sell on Saturdays during the spring and summer and early fall. Also have small gardens at home and promote healthier meals. I think all schools should work on teaching kids about sustainability and teach it as part of the curriculum but also have hands on activities to instill that desire to help and actually "do" and make the theories learned happen.

Thank You
Aybe Umana

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Aybe Umana 3/17/2023 9:25 PM
Hello,
This week I harvested basil and mint leaves, I added them to my salad and it was satisfying to eat herbs that I cared for. I also started new seedlings with a Hydroponics system for the first time instead of buying the baby plants at Home depot or Walmart nurseries. I "planted" thai basil, lavender, oregano and sage herbs. Most of the seeds will sprout between 7 and 14 days.

Thank You
Aybe Umana

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Aybe Umana 3/07/2023 7:22 PM
I have added basil and peppermint to my indoor garden, these will be utilized for cooking and it would help on not spending money on buying the two herbs but use the leaves from the garden. Additionally the aroma from the plants is pleasant and promote a "good mood".

Thank you

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Electricity

After you determined your carbon footprint, did you see what different choices you can make in order to reduce it?
Aybe Umana 3/07/2023 7:20 PM
The carbon footprint calculated for my house is 3.82 tons and the average household produces 4.00 tons. Two things I can do to reduce the carbon footprint is to eat less meat and to take public transportation often. Another change is instead of driving to the closest grocery store I could walk.

Thank You
Aybe Umana

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Coastal, Ocean, and Engineered Sinks

Many states and countries have advisories on eating fish. Find out what is advised for your region. Do you think your diet choices fall within these guidelines? What steps do you need to take to make sure that they do?
Aybe Umana 2/25/2023 4:51 PM
As the New York DOH states on Mercury <1pp then four meals per month is okay to consume whereas if its more than 2ppm then nothing can be consumed. I personally love seafood and do my best to purchase wild caught none farmed fish, as is supposed to be healthier. I love eating Salmon and probably have it once a week, I buy it at Costco or Trader Joe's and purchase what to me "seems" the best according to the packaged information. I think my seafood intake fall within the whats recommended and I also take supplements to compensate for whatever nutrients I am missing.

Thank You

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Action Track: Healing & Renewal

Have you ever had a significant experience in nature that altered your perspective or focus? If so, please describe it.
Aybe Umana 2/22/2023 6:26 PM
Good afternoon,

I grew up in the country, full of trees and flowers and animals sort of like a small farm. I remember that at the elementary school every year we would plant a garden, every class would tend to it. One year we planted tree seeds, I don't specifically remember which ones but once the trees were "big" enough to be planted on the ground we did. A field had been chosen due to the fact that trees had been cut down for construction purposes and the field was bare. I remember going back years later and seeing the trees had grown to a small/medium size and having this feeling of accomplishment. This practice of planting trees in areas that had been cut down is something that many schools had, even in the most remote areas. I think is why in many countries like Honduras, there are fields and jungles full of green due to people actually caring and taking the time to teach children the importance of nature. To this day I plant and garden and want to have the biggest yard full of trees.

Thank You

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Aybe Umana 2/22/2023 6:17 PM
Hello,
Tending my small garden certainly provides a relaxation feeling and i love the smell of the flowers. I have this plants inside my house due to weather but as soon as the pants are able to withstand the "outside" then they will be going out. I utilized egg shells on one of the plants to help keep it green and growing, this is something I learned from past experience that helps the plants.

Thank You
Aybe Umana

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