Melissa Morris

Unfortunately I was not able to finish my challenges.  I got sick just after kick off and had a heck of time kicking it in time to do some outdoor volunteering.  From the impressive results of my team however, I did see a single impact is as important as a collective.  I read some really inspiring stories of change and transformation and watch as people battled through the tough times.  Well done all! I look forward to promoting the EcoChallenge spirit throughout the coming year.

Came down with a nasty cold and sadly missed my first neighborhood association meeting. I will have to wait until next month to attend.  Looking forward to it!

Happy first day of the EcoChallenge all! 

For those that chose a water related challenge- I thought I would pass on this interesting article a co-worker shared.  Did you know it takes about 37 gallons of water to grow the coffee beans and process them to make one cup of coffee?  Amazing!  The article is interesting in it provides facts about water usage of some of more common day to day activities so you can make trade offs. 

http://www.mnn.com/money/sustainable-business-practices/sponsorstory/11-surprising-facts-that-will-change-your-water

I have decided to use EarthShare to help me find my new volunteer opportunities.  What a great website!  Pulls together a lot of information all in one place.  http://www.earthshare.org/volunteer-opportunities.html

Before my daughter was born I was a volunteer crew leader for Metro's greenspace and parks division.  I lead crews of all sizes to sites to work on things like ivy removal, planting trees, pulling fences etc.  Some of these sites turned into public parks, like Cooper Mtn.  Others remained closed and work to connect the wildlife corridors in the Metro area.  It was hard, rewarding work and I miss it!  I want to find another organization where my volunteer hours have such tangible results that I can also get my daughter involved in.  In addition I want to get more involved in my neighborhood association to ensure I am staying connected to what is going on in neighborhood.  With so many zoning changes and demolitions in the SE area I want to be sure I have a voice and can affect policy for the long term good of the area. The EcoChallenge is great time to start!