Gabriela Miller

Boston Children's Hospital

"I'm doing my best to make a positive environmental impact at BCH and our wider community. "

POINTS TOTAL

0 TODAY
170 THIS WEEK
883 TOTAL

participant impact

UP TO

1.0

sustainability pledge

taken
UP TO

300

gallons of water

have been saved
UP TO

12

pieces of plastic cutlery

not sent to the landfill
UP TO

30

items

donated
UP TO

1,010

minutes

not spent in front of a screen
UP TO

375

minutes

spent exercising
UP TO

15

minutes spent

learning

Gabriela's actions

At Home

Shorter Showers

I will save up to 20 gallons (75 L) of water each day by taking 5-minute showers.

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

Health & Well-being

Exercise Daily

Exercise is a great stress blaster! I will exercise for 30 minute(s) each day.

COMPLETED 10
DAILY ACTIONS

One Healthcare

One Healthcare Ecochallenge Survey

Your voice matters! Help us improve the One Healthcare Ecochallenge by taking our survey, available starting April 23rd.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

At Work

Greenwashing

I will spend 15 minutes learning about greenwashing and how to avoid it.

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 Home

Needs Vs. Wants

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

COMPLETED 15
DAILY ACTIONS

In Our Communities

Donate Items

I will help others in need and prevent useful items from going to landfill by donating 10 items.

COMPLETED
ONE-TIME ACTION

Health & Well-being

Less Screen Time

I will replace 30 minute(s) of screen time per day with other activities, and limit my social media use to once per day.

COMPLETED 20
DAILY ACTIONS

At Work

Last to Leave? Lights Out, Please!

Lighting makes up approximately 10% of hospitals' energy use on average. I will save energy by turning off unnecessary lights when not in use and when I am the last one to leave a space.

COMPLETED 7
DAILY ACTIONS

At Work

Use Reusables at Work

I will keep 3 forks, spoons, and/or knives from entering the landfill by using reusable utensils when eating at work.

COMPLETED 6
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

Why is it important to consider how and to whom you donate your no-longer-needed items?
Gabriela Miller 4/21/2025 9:16 AM
- Foodie 🍱
It is important to consider how and to whom you donate your no-longer-needed items to so that you can ensure that the items are being distributed ethically to those who need them the most.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
At Home

Name some of the human activities impacting the health of water systems, both locally (your watershed) and globally (freshwater and oceans). What can you do to improve the health of water systems?
Gabriela Miller 4/02/2025 5:16 AM
- Foodie 🍱
Some human activities that impact the health of water systems are the use of pesticides near waterways, irrigating lawns during droughts, and plastic pollution. I can limit my use of water during droughts and pick up any trash I see near waterways.

Read More
- Sara Menvielle 4/02/2025 5:25 AM
  
  Adventurer 🏕
  These are great ideas! Another way humans impact the oceans and reefs is through sunscreen. Look for sunscreens that say “reef safe” on them before hopping into the water this summer! My favorite brands is Freaks of Nature designed by surfer Kelly Slater. It’s even in recycled plastic.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
At Work

How could you encourage your coworkers to develop the habit of turning lights off?
Gabriela Miller 4/02/2025 5:08 AM
- Foodie 🍱
I could encourage my coworkers to develop the habit of turning lights off by relating how I sometimes struggle with it and mention reminders that I find useful.

Read More
- Allie Stolowitz 4/02/2025 1:40 PM
  
  Energy Saver 💡
  I love sitting in the dark and often have people ask me why - a combination of enjoying the dark and saving energy!
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
At Home

How is creativity a necessary ingredient for practicing simplicity?
Gabriela Miller 4/02/2025 5:07 AM
- Foodie 🍱
Creativity is a necessary ingredient for practicing simplicity as it occupies the mind and allows for repurposing of objects. Quite a bit of my purchases are impulse purchases that result from boredom or from not thinking of ways to use already existing items.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health & Well-being

How can you incorporate other personal values (like quality time with friends or spending time in nature) into your exercise routine?
Gabriela Miller 4/01/2025 10:29 AM
- Foodie 🍱
I can incorporate my need for quality time and desire to spend time in nature by walking with friends in parks and forests.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
At Work

While one's plastic cutlery is a seemingly very small part of someone's "plastic impact", why do you think it's important for us to address this opportunity to reduce?
Gabriela Miller 4/01/2025 8:36 AM
- Foodie 🍱
I think it is important for us to address this aspect of "plastic impact" reduction as it adds up. Plastic cutlery use is negligible in the day for an individual, but over the course of years for a population, it adds up.

Read More
- Shaunia Scales (SacredHeart) 4/01/2025 8:47 AM
  It is such a hard balancing act too! I have two young kids and both my spouse and I work full-time. Sometimes having the option to use disposable dishes means the difference between a homecooked meal or getting take-out, because we just ran out of time to wash the dishes. We try to avoid landing ourselves in those situations, but sometimes it's inevitable. Plus, don't get me starting on how many kids birthday parties we attend every year!
  
  We do try to reduce the impact of the use of these by buying compostable dishes (cutlery and plates). We don't have commercial composting in my area, but at least I know that they aren't going to be microplastics in the ocean a million years from now.
  
  Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
At Work

How do you plan to make sure you meet your pledge by the end of the year? What has helped you be successful in meeting longer term goals or resolutions in the past?
Gabriela Miller 4/01/2025 4:48 AM
- Foodie 🍱
I plan on reading papers online rather than printing them out in the office, unless absolutely necessary. If I do need to print something, I will print it double-sided. What has helped me be successful in meeting resolutions in the past was reminding myself why it was important to do so.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
At Work

How do you avoid greenwashing? What are additional steps you can take?
Gabriela Miller 4/01/2025 4:45 AM
- Foodie 🍱
I currently do not avoid greenwashing as I was unfamiliar with what constitutes it. Now, I will do research to look into brands to see if they are delivering what they are promising.

Read More
REFLECTION QUESTION
Health & Well-being

What did you notice in implementing this challenge? Was it hard to choose other activities over screen time? How did you decide to spend your time?
Gabriela Miller 4/01/2025 4:25 AM
- Foodie 🍱
I noticed that it was surprisingly easy to put my phone in my bag and not reach for it. I decided to spend my time looking at nature at my bus stop and outside the bus and T windows.

Read More
- Candice Miller (NVH) 4/04/2025 6:41 AM
  Out of sight, out of mind, Gabriela. Our reliance on our phones makes it so hard to be mindful. This action serves as a great reminder and helps to hold us accountable. Plus, look at all the wonders we are missing when our heads are down.
  
  Read More