John Krenz (Allina)

Allina Health

"Don't let perfection get in the way of participation."

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
75 THIS WEEK
573 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

sustainability pledge

taken
UP TO

240

minutes

spent outdoors
UP TO

30

minutes spent

learning

John's actions

At Work

Review Allina Health's Climate Action Plan

Allina Health's sustainability program is one important way we support the people we serve by minimizing the impact of our physical footprint. Check out our Climate Action Plan on the AKN which will fulfill our pledge to: reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, become more resilient to the impacts of climate change, and engage with staff and our community to promote climate education and encourage action.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Work

Review Allina Health's Climate Action Plan

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Work

Allina Health Environmental Sustainability AKN Page Review

Check out the Allina Health Environmental Sustainability AKN page to find case studies and resources.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Work

Allina Health Environmental Sustainability AKN Page Review

Check out the Allina Health Environmental Sustainability AKN page to find case studies and resources.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Home

Learn about Planting for Pollinators

Read up on pollinators and pollinator habitat. Get tips and access to resources on how to transform your home environment into a pollinator haven.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Home

Indoor Air Quality

I will spend 15 minutes learning about how indoor air quality impacts health and commit to taking one action to improve indoor air quality in my living space.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Work

2025 Pledge at Work

I pledge to take one action that improves the sustainability of my organization in 2025. It can be an action from this challenge or another action that improves resource stewardship.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Work

Prevent Recycling Contamination

Contamination prevents what is recyclable from being recycled. I will spend 15 minutes learning about which items are recyclable both at my workplace and at home since they may be different, and recycle only those items.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Home

Dishwasher Efficiency

Hand washing dishes can use more energy and hot water than running a full dishwasher. To save water, I will scrape instead of rinsing dishes before loading them into the dishwasher, and only run it when it is full.

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

In Our Communities

Support Local Wildlife

I will take one action to support local wildlife, such as adding a food or water source, creating shelter/habitat, preventing light pollution, eliminating bird strikes, or another action.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health & Well-being

Do Nature Activities

I will engage in nature-based activities alone, or with my friends or family, 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 5
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?

REFLECTION QUESTION
In Our Communities

What is your favorite local plant or animal species? Why is it important to support wildlife, even if it is in small ways, in the areas in which we live?
John Krenz (Allina) 4/14/2025 5:57 AM
My favorite local wild species are bees! A local group of environmentalist, which I am a part of, recently started a Pollinator Coaching service. We will be visiting with other residents this spring to coach them on feeding and offering habitat to pollinators. Bees are responsible for about 1/3 of what's at the end of our fork.
The days of the perfectly manicured, mono-culture lawn are numbered.

Read More
- John Krenz (Allina) 4/14/2025 9:13 AM
  Everybody can support pollinators by learning and advocating. Even a small planter box with native flowering plants and a shallow water dish on a patio or balcony can serve pollinators.
  
  No balcony? Get involved with a community garden, engage with neighbors to insist the land/building owner provide space for a habitat.
  
  What we eat can have a huge impact on pollinators. Organic farms are less likely to have a negative impact on pollinators. Eat local, organic, and mostly plants. Supporting and plant industries and consuming plants helps keep pollinators in business.
  
  Read More
- Arielle Hoisington 4/14/2025 6:09 AM
  
  DIY Enthusiast 🔨
  That is so neat that you started a pollinator coaching service. Is there anything we can do within our homes to help bees?
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
At Home

What other ways do you save energy and water at home? What has helped you make these changes part of your routine?
John Krenz (Allina) 4/09/2025 6:10 AM
Rinsing and washing by hand habits are hard to break. If I feel a dish may benefit from a rinse or soak before going into the dishwasher, I'll leave it in the sink. Over the course of the day through hand washing the dish will eventually catch enough water to be soaked.
If it has to go through 2 cycles in the dishwasher, that's ok too.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
At Home

What was the most interesting fact you learned about indoor air quality? Why is maintaining good indoor air quality so important?
John Krenz (Allina) 4/07/2025 6:27 AM
Humans spend a huge amount of time indoors. Depending on what's happening inside and what the conditions of your walls and ceilings (roof) are in, the air can possibly be cleaner outside than inside. Evaluation of your individual environment and possibly supplementing your existing ventilation or filtration scheme may be required to achieve healthier indoor air.

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- Joyce Fitzgerald 4/07/2025 1:06 PM
  This makes me think about the intersection of housing issues and environmental issues. Policy that addresses the shortage of affordable housing, our aging housing stock, the high price of renovations, and barriers to building housing could potentially have a good environmental impact.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
At Home

Do you have a pollinator habitat in your yard or near where you live?
John Krenz (Allina) 4/03/2025 7:01 AM
We have 2 larger plots with native and prairie-style pollinator plantings in the yard. We are also transitioning the turf to be a low-growing pollinator food plot with clover, creeping thyme, and self-heal.
There is a local Friends of the Environment group that maintains a couple pollinator plots around the city.

Read More