Kim Smith

PCC Ecopanthers

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
100 THIS WEEK
841 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

816

pounds of CO2

have been saved
UP TO

445

minutes

being mindful
UP TO

1.0

water footprint

calculated

Kim's actions

Water

Understand My Water Footprint

Each of us has a water footprint, directly linked to our daily activities as well as the water required in the production of things we use each day. Understanding our water use is important for a healthy planet. I will calculate my water footprint and look for a few ways I can reduce consumption or waste, then share what I learned on the feed.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Water

Mulch the Base of Trees and Plants

I will prevent water runoff and increase absorbency by mulching the base of plants and trees at my home or work.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Transportation

Choose A Carbon Offset When Flying

Flying emits a lot of CO2 into the atmosphere, which affects air quality and the health of our planet, animals, and people. If buying a plane ticket, I will also buy a carbon offset.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Nature

Keep a Nature Journal

I will journal each day about my experiences in nature.

COMPLETED 29
DAILY ACTIONS

Participant Feed

REFLECTION QUESTION
Transportation

A round-trip flight from New York City to Los Angeles emits just over 1.5 tons of CO2—per person. That’s a lot of carbon! What can you do to reduce the number of flights you take per year?
Kim Smith 10/28/2025 8:42 PM
It has been quite a year for us with air travel, as we are facing increasing health issues in our families. Alas, we do not live close enough to drive within a day (which has its own carbon footprint), so are grateful for the opportunity to fly.

Yet, we are worried about our carbon footprints. So, we do multiple actions to try to compensate, by purchasing carbon off-sets, planting trees, and maintaining our compost bins and permaculture gardens. It isn't enough, but it makes me feel a little better.

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Kim Smith 10/28/2025 8:34 PM
It has been fascinating to have a daily focused action with nature journaling and some deeper dives into one-time actions. While I am often attentive to nature, the nature journaling exercise has helped me be more present and intentional in noticing daily changes.

One thing that I noticed that seemed rather new in my yard was a vast increase in mushrooms. I love mycelia and the power of all of the interconnections that we can't see, so it is great to have the visible manifestations of growth and transformation.

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- Kim Smith 10/28/2025 8:37 PM
  I am not sure why the picture didn't upload earlier. These were all growing underneath our apple tree.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Water

What surprised you most about your water footprint, and how did it influence your perspective on water use? What changes can you make to reduce your water consumption, and how will these impact your daily routine?
Kim Smith 10/24/2025 2:06 PM
First, I was relieved that our water footprint is lower than average, because we certainly have tried to make a difference in our home and yard.

Yet, it was also clear that we still have many projects to complete. Having multiple rain barrels sitting in our yard - and, still not set up, after several years - makes me feel guilty. We also want to try to be better at capturing grey water, but I need to learn more about that.

The atmospheric river has arrived, so that certainly is making me aware of the scale of our relationship to water cycles, including the flow from Hawaii, the Pacific, across the Coast Range, and up the Willamette Valley.

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Kim Smith 10/05/2025 1:56 PM
It was so lovely to have the sun come out today and get to sit in the garden. I spent extra time listening to the wind dancing through the leaves. Recognizing that Autumn has arrived, there was a particularly temporal awareness that the leaves will fall from the trees soon and that apple season is over. I feel calmer and more present than I have in a while, so, thank you, Ecochallenge!

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- Kim Smith 10/06/2025 1:29 PM
  Thank you so much for your kind comment. It is a good reminder that so many of us can benefit from our Ecochallenge experiences. Yay, for collective impacts on multiple levels!
  
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- Mary Hanks 10/05/2025 9:53 PM
  - Pet Parent 🐾
  What a lovely photo! I'm glad you're experiencing benefits from this Ecochallenge. It's amazing how much these practices can benefit us personally as well as helping to sustain the Earth.
  
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REFLECTION QUESTION
Water

Where are your nearest natural bodies of water? How might they be affected by runoff?
Kim Smith 10/04/2025 6:26 PM
Good question. We are at the headwaters of Fanno Creek, in SW Multnomah Village. There was a big housing development near our house which lead to a family home (100% solid cedar) being demolished, along with many heritage trees. It was a really shocking experience for our neighborhood. Beyond it being loud and upsetting, NONE of the wood from the house nor trees were salvaged.

This led to a lot of protests, with the developers having to mitigate their damage by creating new water collection systems and bioswales, and planning many trees, to protect Fanno Creek. 10 years later, I am still paying close attention.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Nature

What natural gifts are you grateful for?
Kim Smith 10/02/2025 10:49 PM
There are so many directions that one could go with this question, but I simply want to start with the rain. How lovely to have the refreshing rain return and nourish our land. Our apples were already amazing, but now they are deliciously juicy1

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