Two Hurley H20 interns take a day trip to The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano.

A summer internship: making copies, taking coffee orders, sitting in a corner somewhere hoping no one asks you any questions…ya, not so much. We are Hayley and Amanda, two Hurley interns working on the H20 front for the summer. The third day of our internship looked a little more like this: picking zucchini, planting eggplants, feeding earwigs to chickens (they have a really strict diet), and kicking it with swarms of bees at The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano. Totally normal, mundane-type stuff right? We got to meet some fabulous people too. Evan Marks, who is the executive director of The Ecology Center, quickly became one of the most refreshingly passionate people we’ve ever met. And we will never forget “Juggy,” a 13-foot “monster” made of 360 five-gallon water jugs who represents the 1,800-gallon water footprint of the average Southern Californian.

Driving home in the afternoon with dirt under our fingernails, farmer’s tans, and new friendships in tow, we were stunned with appreciation for Mother Nature and empowered by what we had learned. There are things we can do on a daily basis to make a change, and as independent women (we may or may not be blasting Destiny’s Child as we write this) we love that. Exercise your power!

Here are 10 easy ways you can make a difference:

1. Grow your own fruits and vegetables, or buy produce from local farmers’ markets = 150 gallons of water saved per day.

2. Purchase a reusable water bottle = 6 gallons of water saved per day.

3. Turn off light bulbs and replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs or LEDs = 5 gallons of water saved per day.

4. Place a brick in toilet = 2 gallons of water saved per day.

5. Plant native plants or install a drip irrigation system = 150 gallons of water saved per day.

6. Wash full loads of laundry or switch to biodegradable, phosphate-free detergent = 40 gallons of water saved per load.

7. Turn off the faucet while brushing teeth = 8 gallons of water saved per day.

8. Taking care of things so that they last longer = 100’s of gallons of water per day.

9. Eat a veggie-based meal over meat once or twice a week = 2,000 gallons of water saved per week.

10. Wash your car at a commercial car wash = 50 gallons of water saved per wash.