Alex Frieswyk

What I Learned most from my challenge is how easy it is to fall into everyday routine and not take time to sit and reflect and truly appreciate nature's surroundings. Throughout my Echochallenge I was encouraged to go out into nature and practice gratitude. I also was challenged by remembering the 7 principles of leave no trace ethics, which can sometimes be controversial when going camping or hiking with friends. The hardest challenge for me by far was remembering to sit and reflect each day on my experiences. I've decided to carry around a small journal with me wherever ago, to write any observations, thoughts, or ideas I may have throughout the day. I think this will better help me improve on reflecting on my adventures and experiences. I did enjoy this Ecochallenge, and I feel as though I will take these principles I've learned with me everywhere.

For the part week I have found that the most difficult part about the Ecochallenge has been to remember to blog about my progress. I have successfully remembered to complete my challenge each day but have failed to write about it. I last posted on October 14th. On October 15th I spent an hour hiking along the trails near Wetmore Pond, and collected some wintergreen to make tea. For my Leave No trace challenge, I decided to stay on the trail to avoid disturbing other plant life. On October 16th and 17th I walked to and from campus, as well as to and from work. I figured by avoiding mobile transportation, I was lessening my impact on the environment. On October 18th I went for a sunset hike on Songbird trail, I picked up some litter along the way and enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the beach. On October 19th I was in class all day, but some of which took place outside. During my soils class that day we went up to mount Marquette and saw beautiful fall colors overlooking Marquette. By being considerate of the other visitors in that area we were practicing a few principles of Leave No Trace. On October 20th I walked to and from work on a gorgeous 70 degree day. On the 21st I walked down to lower harbor to enjoy the park for a bit and later walked our dog at Tourist park. I explained to my roommate during the walk about the importance of staying on durable surfaces along the trail to make less of an impact on the soils so more people can enjoy the recreational area. On October 22nd I caught the tail end of the sunset at sunset point on Presque Isle, me and my roommate sat in silence to really appreciate the beautiful scenery around us. Today I went on a short hike around Hidden Beach and found a few small fire pits that were not properly used, I tried my best to destroy the pits so people wouldn't further use them in a fire prohibited area. For these last few days of the challenge I will try my hardest to be better about blogging my actions. 

I spent the night camping beneath the Northern Lights. We made sure to camp in established camp spots and packed out everything we packed in as well as picking up any other litter along the way.

Today I spent 20 minutes outside on my rooftop examining the trees surrounding me in my backyard. It was a good way for me to clear my head from my daily stressors and take in what nature has to offer me.

Throughout this week I have encouraged some of my friends and family to join our ecochallenge as well. Though I haven't taken any big actions other than verbally explaining my challenge to others, I hope to progress each day in practicing leave no trace ethics.