This time on the Call to Action Project: Discovering the Forest and just in time for Smokey’s birthday week–Wildfire Prevention! I’ll also be taking learning actions about Autism and Stroke awareness. How many have I completed since I began? Read below to find out!

Discover the Forest

Because I don’t have a car and am fully dependent on public transportation, I thought this would be the most daunting call to action yet but was genuinely surprised at how easy it was to get out and discover the forest. The first thing I did was go to DiscoverTheForest.com to find a forest that was within walking distance of a commuter train station. I found a small town, a hamlet that also happened to have an art festival going on at the same time. I packed an overnight backpack and recruited some friends to come with me–this call to action turned out to be the most fun yet! The highlight was when my friends and I stumbled upon a freshwater creek and dove right in! I learned: • You don’t necessarily have to go far to discover the forest- just try out the Where to Go tool and you might be surprised with the amount of woods around you! • Public transportation isn’t that bad- someone takes over the driving, you don’t have to worry about parking, and it’s way cheaper than renting a car • Camping is inexpensive, and fun! You might not get the best night’s sleep but the whole point is to be uncomfortable, right? • Fresh air and night time stars are a must once in a while

Wildfire Prevention

Did I build a campfire? Well, no because it was strictly forbidden to build a fire at the campground. Maybe that rule was in place because 9 out of 10 wildfires are human-caused. In order to fulfill on this call to action, before I left on my trip I signed the pledge to “Be smart whenever I go outdoors” and astutely followed Smokey’s advice.

Autism Awareness

When I got home exhausted but refreshed from discovering the forest, what did I do? I went to AutismSpeaks.org and learned the signs of autism. Since I might want to have children one day it was important for me to educate myself on the signs. It’s startling to think that autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disorder in the United States and that today, 1 in 88 children is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, a 1000% increase in the past 40 years. Was I trying to diagnose every child I saw? No. Will I be able to pinpoint the warning signs in my own child? I think so!

Stroke Awareness

A couple members of my family have suffered from stokes, so this campaign is dear to my heart. I went to PowerToEndStroke.org where I learned to recognize the signs of a stroke and how to respond to someone having a stroke. The most vital takeaway is the fact that now doctors can administer the clot-dissolving drug tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) which can reduce long-term disability if it’s given within three hours after an ischemic (blood clot) stroke starts. In sum, I learned that recognizing the signs of a stoke is key to dealing with one!

Call to Action Wrap-up

I’m well on my way to completing all the call to actions! I have 23 completed, that means I only have 15 call to actions left to do! I urge each and every one of you to follow the links in this post and learn the things that I did- it’s really valuable information, folks!