A Bluedot Living Newsletter

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In honor of St. Patrick, who drove snakes out of Ireland (well, see below), we bring you this very cute (we think), very lethal Blue Viper (Australian Geographic says these aggressive predators have a ‘tendency toward fight over flight’). They do not live in Ireland, but on Indonesia’s Komodo Island. See our story about San Diego nature photographer Rick Barr for more beautiful (and less lethal) creatures, and some photo tips.

–Harrison Ford, speaking to a reporter about a scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom where he’s surrounded by snakes. You can likely picture the iconic scene — Indiana Jones and Marion Ravenwood trapped in the Well of Souls and surrounded by, quite literally, thousands of snakes. But while Ford considers himself a serpent fan, many of us feel a greater kinship with St. Patrick for his role driving snakes out of Ireland (ignoring for the moment that this is myth not history and that snakes likely didn’t exist there.) Snakes are … [shudder]. But perhaps Ford knows something we overlook: Snakes play an important role in our ecosystem. Both predator and prey, they are key to balancing biodiversity. And their role in controlling mice (and therefore often ticks) goes a long way to battling zoonotic diseases. Like snakes or hate them, let’s value and protect them.

• Watch This Heron Eat! California Nature Photography

• Whitefish Chowder for a Last Winter Weekend

• Saving Cheewaht: Saving a Stream for the Salmon

• Preserving Coastal Historic Houses When Sea Levels Rise

• Are Finches in Trouble? Dot Investigates

DISPATCHES FROM ALL OVER

BIG IDEAS AND LOCAL CHANGEMAKERS

We’re excited about our new Bluedot Living San Diego website, launched the other day. San Diego editor Nicki Miller brings you this story about nature photographer Rick Barr (who has tips on how best to capture creatures on your own camera). Sign up for the Bluedot Living San Diego newsletter here. Andrea McHugh reports from her home in Rhode Island where policy makers are grappling with keeping an architecturally significant neighborhood above water. And British Columbia-based writer Diane Selkirk shares a story about a stream, deep in a remote Indigenous community, that has become home again to salmon, thanks to a unique partnership.

Make it happen: Ten Gardening Tips to Conserve Water 
from Bluedot Living San Diego!

Read more about the importance of engaging with nature. (Photo by Rick Barr)

THE BLUEDOT KITCHEN

Good Libations: IRISH WHISKEY GOES GREEN

Dear Dot: Have Finches Made a Comeback?

BUY LESS/BUY BETTER

Living in a city has its challenges but #livinggreen doesn't have to be one of them. Chicago celebrates St. Patrick's Day EXTRA green; Brooklyn builds a community compost program; and, in Los Angeles, celebrities ride public transit to the Oscars to be more #environmentallyfriendly.

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Bluedot's Guide to Getting Rid of Anything

Readers in Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts can get their like-new baseball equipment into the hands of young ball players via Jordan’s Furniture’s Double Play Program (in partnership with the Red Sox Foundation). And for rehoming plenty more of your stuff, consult Bluedot’s Guide to Getting Rid of (Almost) Anything.

What’s Behind the Name “Bluedot”?

“There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world,” astronomer Carl Sagan wrote in 1994’s Pale Blue Dot. “To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.” Sagan’s humbling words inspire us to deliver stories to you that reflect his and so many others’ work to cherish this blue dot. Please consider forwarding this newsletter to your friends and family to share and inspire real-world eco-actions we can take at home and in our Martha’s Vineyard community. 

Thanks for being part of our Bluedot community!

–Jamie Kageleiry and Leslie Garrett

Editors, Bluedot Martha’s Vineyard 

Jamie Kageleiry, a longtime magazine and newspaper editor from Oak Bluffs, says her favorite spot on earth is on the trails around Farm Pond, and out in a kayak there, looking at birds.

Leslie Garrett has been covering climate stories for close to two decades. A newcomer part-time to the Vineyard, she’s still figuring out her favorite spot but it’s definitely near the water.

Write us at editor@bluedotliving.com with comments or ideas.