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October 14 - October 28, 2016
Jana Opperman's avatar

Jana Opperman

NJDEP EcoLogicals

POINTS TOTAL

  • 0 TODAY
  • 0 THIS WEEK
  • 130 TOTAL

participant impact

  • UP TO
    12
    outdoor meals
    consumed

Jana's actions

Nature

Do Nature Activities

I will engage in nature-based activities with my kid(s) for 30 minute(s) each day. (This can be anything from going on a walk or hike, to noticing the leaves changing color, to reading a book with nature themes.)

COMPLETED 0
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Eat Meals Outside

I will eat 1 meal(s) outside each day.

COMPLETED 12
DAILY ACTIONS

Create Your Own Action

Sails for Shade

I am working on my church's Preschool Board of Ed. The need for shade in the Playground is very important for the children since they play in the middle of the day and there are no trees inside the play area. I have collected 3 27 foot used sails and have asked an architect to donate his time to help design a safe structure to help hold the sails up over the playground for the children. This project will continue into the Spring of 2017 to actually build.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

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  • Jana Opperman's avatar
    Jana Opperman 10/25/2016 8:38 AM
    unusually warm outside

    • Andy Opperman's avatar
      Andy Opperman 10/28/2016 8:52 PM
      Hey Jana, good job on the EcoChallenge.  Great being your partner; let's get more outdoor time together!  Love you!

  • Jana Opperman's avatar
    Jana Opperman 10/25/2016 8:37 AM
    began emailing the architect to get together this weekend to make plans for the Sails for Shade project at church

  • Jana Opperman's avatar
    Jana Opperman 10/25/2016 8:36 AM
    At the Board Meeting tonight we discussed the Plans for the Sails for Shade project. And met with the Boy Scout Troop associated with the church. It looks like there will be an Eagle Scout ready to take over the final building of the Project this spring and final fund raising if needed.

  • Jana Opperman's avatar
    Jana Opperman 10/25/2016 8:31 AM
    Today we took the measurements of the sails and the playground and the orientation of the playground and discovered possible problems for digging the base of the structure for planning the support for the shades.

  • Jana Opperman's avatar
    Jana Opperman 10/25/2016 8:27 AM
    Went to the shore (in NJ you go to the shore, then you walk to the beach...) and helped our friends with whom we visited with their grand son while their daughter worked. The preschooler enjoyed playing in the sand and discovering red sponges washed up after the wind and rain the day before.

  • Jana Opperman's avatar
    Jana Opperman 10/20/2016 6:19 AM
    Today- while preparing for the Preschool Board Meeting I learned the new curriculum the teachers started using this school yearhas a STEM orientation to it and the Spring studies include Reduce/Reuse and Recycle theme. Guess what the kids will focus on when they see the new Sails for Shade go up over their Playground?! I also think this board member (me!) will go visit on her Fridays off and use her old teaching skills (I used to teach High School science) ("Reuse" and also "Recycle!") with the students  and pull out her old environmental ed fun stuff...The Sails represent Reuse, hopefully the Standard we decide in the design is also a reuse of wood or metal (maybe recycled)- the architect is looking into that for us so the lessons can be continued for the students and their families let alone our church family...

  • Jana Opperman's avatar
    Jana Opperman 10/19/2016 7:56 AM
    Today I had breakfast outside it was so nice-record warmth in the east! AND had a meeting with the Fund Raiser Committee to help plan some details with the Sails for Shade project for the playground

  • Jana Opperman's avatar
    Jana Opperman 10/18/2016 8:19 AM
    Matt, the Architect on the Sails for Shade project, is very excited in helping the church Preschool. I felt it was important to get a person who could get the sails to be put up properly to be able to withstand breezes let alone thunderstorm gusts that will occur in the spring and summer.  He can help provide proper drawings for us to run by the Township offices so the church won't get into any trouble when any digging starts. He is kind enough to do this Pro bono and we of course will provide a wonderful letter for his resume. Of course we took him out for lunch on Saturday after taking down initial measurements! Can't wait for the first sets of plans...

  • Jana Opperman's avatar
    Jana Opperman 10/17/2016 10:09 AM
    I met with the Architect on Saturday morning and we took measurements of the play area to determine where we will put the structure for the sails and orient the shade over the playground. The sails will cover nearly a third of the playground! We also discussed possible problems (underground pipes/etc. and filing plans with local authorities) with digging to support the poles and what kind of structure we would use such as metals or wood and planned on putting the support outside of the fence so the children would not run into the supports while playing inside the fenced in area.