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EIN: 93-1075047

Welcome to 2019 Spring Event!

Sustainable Pittsburgh is teaming up with EcoChallenge.org to present I Am Sustainable Pittsburgh. Watch the short video below to learn the basics.

2019 Spring Event
February 27 - March 20, 2019

Maria Wheeler-Dubas

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

"When I was a kid and I borrowed a toy from a friend, my mom made sure that I gave that toy in back in the condition, if not better, than when I borrowed it. Following that same idea, this planet isn't mine - I am borrowing it from the next generation. I need to leave in better shape than I found it!"

Points Total

  • 0 Today
  • 0 This Week
  • 911 Total

Participant Impact

  • up to
    10
    minutes
    spent learning
  • up to
    7
    locally sourced meals
    consumed
  • up to
    44
    meatless or vegan meals
    consumed
  • up to
    7
    organic meals
    consumed
  • up to
    42
    more servings
    of fruits and vegetables

Maria's Actions

Create Your Own Action

Learning Natural History

My goal is to successfully complete a natural history class about my region (Western PA). I signed up for a three-month course that begins in March and will finish in June.

COMPLETED 3
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Eat Meatless Meals

I will enjoy 2 meatless meal(s) per day.

COMPLETED 22
DAILY ACTIONS

Waste

Needs vs. Wants

I will adopt a 'Needs Vs. Wants' approach and only buy things I need.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Food

Cook New Recipes

I will cook a new recipe every day that features organic and/or local ingredients.

COMPLETED 19
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

Eliminate Toxic Plastics

I will avoid buying toxic plastics, including polycarbonate, polystyrene and polyvinyl.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Health

More Fruits and Veggies

I will eat a heart healthy diet by adding 2 cups of fruits and vegetables each day to achieve at least 4 cups per day.

COMPLETED 21
DAILY ACTIONS

Nature

Explore My Area

I will explore at least one new hiking trail or nature walk in my area.

Completed
One-Time Action

Waste

Go Paperless

I will reduce the amount of paper mail that I receive by opting into paperless billing and subscriptions.

Completed
One-Time Action

Health

Sign Up for Air Quality Alerts

I will sign up to receive local Air Quality Alerts via EnviroFlash email notification

Completed
One-Time Action

Food

Try a New Way to Prep

I will try a new method of food preparation, such as canning, pickling, or baking bread.

Completed
One-Time Action

Health

Audit Toxic Cleaning Products in my Home

I will spend at least 10 minutes researching toxic chemicals found in cleaning supplies and personal care products and remove them from my home.

Completed
One-Time Action

Simplicity

Donate Unneeded Materials

I will donate unneeded materials to craft shops or places like the Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse.

Completed
One-Time Action

Community

Join my Neighborhood Association

I will join my neighborhood association or another local group.

Completed
One-Time Action

Nature

Join An Outdoor Project

I will join an outdoor restoration project in my community.

Completed
One-Time Action

Feed

  • Maria Wheeler-Dubas 3/20/2019 5:49 AM
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  • Maria Wheeler-Dubas 3/19/2019 6:12 AM
    This is going to sound like a six year old's accomplishment, but I ate SO many veggies with dinner last night to make sure I met my challenge. And it was really good--I tossed together broccoli, peas, sweet potatoes, and zucchini in soy sauce, pepper, a dash of powder, and a bit of butter. Yummy!
    Read More
  • Maria Wheeler-Dubas 3/18/2019 5:27 AM
    Just a few days left!
    rosie riveter.jpg 233.24 KB
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  • Maria Wheeler-Dubas 3/15/2019 1:14 PM
    I feel like I should get extra points for not just *watching* a presentation about food, but showing one! ;-)

    #GreedyAboutPoints
    Read More
  • Maria Wheeler-Dubas 3/14/2019 2:29 PM
    Great job to everyone who worked on One Health One Planet! Sustainability in the form of public health and planet health!
    Read More
  • Maria Wheeler-Dubas 3/13/2019 12:05 PM
    I was inspired by some outdoor stories and made it on my first outdoor run in a while last night!
    Read More
  • Maria Wheeler-Dubas 3/12/2019 12:53 PM
    Screenshot_bear cam.jpg 480.6 KB
    Need a biophilic moment? The Game Commission has a bear den camera!
    website: https://hdontap.com/index.php/video/stream/pennsylvania-bear-den-live-cam 
    Read More
  • Maria Wheeler-Dubas 3/11/2019 5:38 AM
    So this weekend I made a chili with more veggies than usual (including pumpkin and peppers!), and even though I did use meat for it, I used ground beef from a small-scale family farm that's on the PA-OH border. Trying to challenge my cooking!
    Read More
    • Meghan Scanlon 3/11/2019 6:45 AM
      Sounds like you met the "add more fruits and veg" challenge this weekend! 
      Read More
  • Maria Wheeler-Dubas 3/08/2019 8:14 AM
    As fish fry Fridays are all around, now is a good time to bring up Seafood Watch, the Monterrey Bay Aquarium's program for responsible sea food eating. Check it out!

    https://www.seafoodwatch.org/
    Read More
  • Maria Wheeler-Dubas 3/06/2019 8:40 AM
    How is everyone doing with their challenges?

    I know for me, the hardest one has been to increase my daily fruits and veggies -- well, mainly the veggies. Lingering habits of a picky-eater-childhood. Working on it though! 

    My other food-based challenge was to have two meatless meals per day, but since my hubby and I have been trying to reduce our overall meat intake, that one has been going really well. We've been going a few days in a row without meat, then a dinner with meat, than another few days in a row without it.
    Read More
    • Ashley Dean 3/07/2019 1:51 PM
      I've been struggling with my challenges to get outside and walk every day...mainly because it's so cold! Warmer weather will help, but it's also because I'm having a hard time fitting it into my daily routine. I'm not a morning person, so getting up to walk before getting ready for work just doesn't happen. I think I need to start bringing a change of clothes and trying to walk after the workday before I go home, because once I'm home I'm distracted with other things like making dinner. 20 minutes a day is not a lot, though, I just need the determination to make it happen! If anyone has tips to incorporate any activity into your daily routine when your day already feels full, I'd appreciate advice!
      Read More
    • Gary Worthington 3/07/2019 10:24 AM
      When I am feeling too lazy to prepare veggies and fruit I like to make a vegetable smoothie. Just toss some spinach, beets, and other veg in a blender with some fruit for flavor. Yummy!
      Read More
    • Jerry Crockett 3/07/2019 6:47 AM
      So you can probably tell at this point that I love to talk about cooking, food prep, baking, and anything in between. My husband is the same way with vegetables - he likes very few and he prefers them a certain way. I've been able to get him past this by making a veggie sauce that he is bonkers for. I steam one yellow onion, a few stalks of celery, some carrots, and sweet potato until they are pretty mushy. I add some uncooked leafy greens (spinach or arugula, usually), and then add black pepper, oregano, salt, and nutritional yeast to taste. I blend this together until it makes a thick sauce and he will put it on anything! He has said to him that it falls somewhere between a "nacho cheese" and "alfredo cheese sauce" taste, but it could be different for you! Lemme know if you try this - I'm curious to hear what you think. 
      Read More
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