Welcome to #ADayWithoutPlants, where students try to survive 24 hours using as few plant derived products as possible.

Inspired by the viral “ice bucket challenge,” Kelly Moore and I introduced A Day Without Plants in Fall 2019 in my General Botany 2310 course. It tasks undergraduate students with spending 24 hours completely without plant-derived products—forcing them to experience firsthand how critical plants are in almost every aspect of daily life.

Challenge Guidelines

  • Duration: 24 hours
  • Rules: Avoid all products or items that contain plant ingredients—ranging from food to household items, paper to plastics.
  • Identification: Participants wear a challenge pin (provided by the instructor) throughout the day.
  • Documentation: Students record each instance of dependence on a plant product and describe how they addressed or substituted it, using a simple tracking form.


How to Participate

  1. Accept the challenge during class or via the lab session.
  2. Wear the pin visibly during the 24‑hour period.
  3. Log your experience whenever a plant‑based item or substitute is needed.
  4. Share your journey on social media using #adaywithoutplants. This can include photos, reflections, and surprising discoveries.

Educational Objectives

  • Highlight the foundational role of plants: From cotton in clothing to cellulose in paper, plastics, and even fuel, the activity drives home how indispensable plants are.
  • Broaden ecological awareness: It creates a personal, detailed realization of how much our daily lives rely on plant-based resources.
  • Engage and inspire: The challenge creates a memorable and student‑driven learning experience with a social and reflective component, empowering learners to connect plant biology with everyday decision-making.

Real‑World Impact

In the pilot run, students reported difficulty avoiding basic items such as paper, food, hygiene products, and clothing—all plant‑derived. The challenge proved effective in helping students develop a richer understanding of plant importance and sparked vibrant conversation about sustainability and resource dependency .

Join the Conversation

Whether you’re a student, educator, or curious observer, you can follow the challenge through:

  • Twitter & Instagram: #adaywithoutplants