Rhetta Fisher

Aquarium of the Pacific

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
0 THIS WEEK
1,286 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

180

plastic straws

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

1.0

community event

hosted or attended
UP TO

12

hours

volunteered
UP TO

750

pieces of litter

picked up
UP TO

60

plastic containers

not sent to the landfill

Rhetta's actions

Community

Volunteer in my Community

I will volunteer 12 hour(s) in my community.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Takeout Pro

I will use my own containers when ordering takeout.

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Join a Cleanup Effort

I will host or participate in a beach, highway, river, or other cleanup effort in my community.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Skip the Straw

I will keep 6 plastic straw(s) out of the landfill per day by refusing straws or using my own glass/metal straw.

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Community

Keep My Community Clean

I will pick up 25 piece(s) of litter each day.

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

Personal Care

Lather Up

I will replace my soaps, shampoos, and conditions with either a bar or refillable option.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Food

Use Reusable Containers

I will only use reusable containers instead of single-use plastic storage items (such as plastic wrap, single-use sandwich bags).

COMPLETED 30
DAILY ACTIONS

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?

Rhetta Fisher 7/31/2019 8:53 PM
For the last Eco-challenge of july I made flyers to give to the residents concerning, throwing unused medications down the toilet, garbage disposal and drains. This was well received by all of our seniors here. They had no idea that all drains lead to the ocean. I informed them when a medication is no longer needed, weather it is a prescription from their doctor or an over the counter medication it needs to be disposed of in the safest way possible in order to save our ecosystem. I told them that could take any left over perscription medication or over the counter medication to their doctor or pharmacy on their next visit and that they will dispose of it properly. I also stated that the plastic pill containers were a great reusable item. They hold the right amount of bobby pins, straight pins, small hair clips, and paperclips etc and if they put a little rice or macaroni or dried beans in them it makes a great rattle for their grandchildren and great grandchildren. Of course they need to seal the lid to the bottle with some glue if they are making a rattle. Kids will play with anything, and empty pill containers provide little ones hours and hours of fun and they don't cost a thing. 👶👦👧👪.
So, no matter how old or how young it's never to late to start saving our ecosystem.

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Rhetta Fisher 7/31/2019 8:05 PM
My grandchildren are on their way to making a BIG change in their lives. One that affects the rest of their lives forever. They wanted me to thank you all for your support while they take this new knowledge to school with them in the fall. They also wanted me to tell you that they are making Christmas presents out of the 10 packages of new straws they bought. It seems they are using their allowance to buy all the packages of plastic straws from the 99 cent store. That way no one else will have plastic straws. Kids, you gotta love em. 😍

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Rhetta Fisher 7/31/2019 7:35 PM
Great !!!! How AWSOME is it that we made the choice to save our ecosystem. This was a great challenge that is not over till the whole world is onboard. The Aquarium of the Pacific has opened my eyes to the world around me, and how much we all still must do to continue the work we have started. Educating my family and friends is only the starting point. With this knowledge we now can make an informed decision to be the best that we can be. That in each one of us we can make a change, today, tomorrow and beyond. Lets be the change, starting right now.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Personal Care

What are the economic and personal benefits of switching to bar soap/shampoo/conditioner or refillable bottle options?
Rhetta Fisher 7/30/2019 11:11 PM
I remember a long long time ago, when I was young, my great grandmother and grandmother taught me how to make our own soap from the slivers of soap that we had left. It took a lot of slivers of soap to make a new bar but it was very gratifying to know how much we had saved in money. I was also taught how to reuse woren sheets and clothing. We ripped up many sheets in 3 inch x 3 ft strips to make bandages for our soldiers. P.J.'s and other clothes were passed down from child to child as we grew out of them. Nothing in my little world was wasted. In this day and age where everything is disposable, from t.v.'s to diapers our land fills are full.
We need to go back to a time and age where nothing was wasted.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

How could you mitigate issues that may arise if the restaurant does not want to let you use your own containers at first?
Rhetta Fisher 7/30/2019 10:54 PM
First I would tell them I will never return to their establishment. Then I would tell them that I will tell 10 people about their position on not letting us use our own containers, then those 10 people will tell 10 more people and so on and so on. And while I am at it my voice will be just loud enough that all the patrons will hear what I have to say. Of course they will ask why I feel this way and that will be my opening to start telling them all about our ecosystem and what a mess we have made of it and what needs to changed NOW. I can be a champion for change even if I am a grandmother. Especially when my grandchildren are involved.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Food

Have you noticed a shift in your community as more messaging about reusable straws becomes mainstream? Cite some examples.
Rhetta Fisher 7/30/2019 10:37 PM
Yes, quite a bit. More and more fast food joints are not providing plastic straws. And when they do we have the choice to decline. A lot of fast food places will let you bring your own reusable cup to get your drink in. And more and more people are forgoing the paper bag and just taking their meal in its own wrapper. We all forget to take our containers to the take out places and don't remember to reuse our plastic bags, but having patience with ourselves and knowing in time, we will always figure out what the right thing to do is.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

How does volunteering enhance your community and/or change your relationship with it?
Rhetta Fisher 7/30/2019 10:21 PM
Volunteering at the Aquarium of the Pacific has really opened my eyes. I have seen our beaches in Long Beach and up the coast go through a very drastic change. When surfing up and down our coasts in th early 70's, the beaches were pristine. Now, I can barely walk down to the beach and I have to dodge needles, feces and other disgusting things. By showing my grandchildren now how to take care of our beaches and oceans we are creating a chain reaction. If they tell one person and that person tells another person and so on and so on, in time my grandchildren will be able to surf in the once pristine that I once did.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

How does the act of picking up litter connect you more to your community?
Rhetta Fisher 7/30/2019 5:42 PM
All natural resources that humans depend on, has its source from the ecosystems. The function of a healthy ecosystem ensures that there is balance and regulation in the climate, regulation in fresh water, soils, rocks and atmosphere.

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REFLECTION QUESTION
Community

How does working with others to clean up your community make you feel?
Rhetta Fisher 7/30/2019 5:33 PM
I like to believe that many of us, when equipped with the right information will do the right thing.
In our daily lives, in everything we do, if we pay attention to our planet we can and we will make a differance.

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Rhetta Fisher 7/30/2019 5:24 PM
I am very happy at the progress we are making on our Ecochallenge.
Here'an update on my last post. Our pot luck this afternoon was yummy. The residents here thought the idea of the wooden spork was a good idea. But, and there is always a but, most of the seniors did not like the texture of the wooden spork. They said that it reminded them of their early years. But something good came out of this, they all wanted to take their sporks home with them to show their grandchildren and great grandchildren. So, it's a win win once again. Seniors being proactive and involving the next generations.

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