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At Home On Earth |
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Welcome to The Hub, a Bluedot Living newsletter that gathers good news, good food, and good tips for living every day more sustainably. |
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Welcome to The Hub, a Bluedot Living newsletter that gathers good news, good food, and good tips for living every day more sustainably. |
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If you purchase anything via one of our links, including from Amazon, we may earn a small commission. |
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SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES |
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“In 1970, the original mansion and barns were wrecks, crumbling from years of decay,” Sarah Glazer writes about Vermont’s Shelburne Farms Inn.“That year, Derrick Webb gathered his six children on the south porch of the mansion and asked them what they wanted to do with the property.” Fifty-five years later, the Inn is a non-profit that hosts guests, and teaches kids of all ages about sustainable agriculture. The farm produces about 40,000 pounds of cheese a year and many, many gallons of maple syrup. Read more, check out some recipes, and take advantage of a discount on cheese and maple syrup. |
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DISPATCHES FROM ALL OVER
SUSTAINABLE LIVING ADVICE
ECO-FRIENDLY RECIPES |
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DISPATCHES FROM ALL OVER · SUSTAINABLE LIVING ADVICE · ECO-FRIENDLY RECIPES |
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“We need to replenish ourselves, and it matters, because for those of us who care about biodiversity and diversity and the environment and equality, we need to be connected to the thing that we are fighting for.”
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– Author Ed Yong, speaking about the importance of being “out in the world” in a New York Times interview. Yong, the author of An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us (available on Amazon) describes when he first started birding: “I started paying attention to the birds around me. They were omnipresent in a way they weren’t before. On my first day in my new house, there was an Anna’s hummingbird in the garden. I would go for walks and hear birdsong: the melodious sound of a Pacific wren in a nearby redwood forest. … And the thing that I felt palpably at that place on that day, that I still do every time I go birding, is this incredible sense of being present.” |
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QUICK LINKS |
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Skip scrolling! Here's what you'll find in this edition of the Bluedot newsletter: |
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FEATURED STORIES |
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BIG IDEAS AND LOCAL CHANGEMAKERS |
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One of this week’s featured stories is from a new series we’ve launched called The Shift, where we profile those who’ve switched careers to help the environment. Today, meet a forester turned forest protector. (Know someone who’s made the shift? Tell us about them: editor@bluedotliving.com) You’ll also meet some Japanese fishermen who used social media to galvanize support for coastal conservation. And Santa Barbara pushes back against Sable, a company that wants to restart oil drilling off the coast. |
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It’s almost March, and this Irish Soda Bread made in a skillet looks like just the thing to celebrate St. Patrick’s (or any) Day with. Mollie Doyle also clues us in as to why cast iron skillets are such a practical, Earth-friendly tool.
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Sophie continues to test-shop secondhand sites in pursuit of a sustainable wardrobe. Seeking a genuine leather jacket, she tried out Depop, which, she tells us, is a sort of mixed bag of pros and cons. (She also considers the good/bad/ugly of genuine and fake leather.) But she’s nonetheless thrilled with her new jacket.
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– Illustration by Elissa Turnbull |
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Dear Dot,
How can I save money on groceries?
– Janice
Dear Janice,
Dot has long believed that most environmentalists act a lot like someone who lived through the Depression. You know, that whole “use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without” ethos. And while grocery prices remain high (with threats of higher prices still, due to migrant workers not showing up for fear of deportation, the California wildfires, tariffs, and avian flu), let’s remember that living lighter on the Earth is often lighter on the wallet, too. But let’s dig into what specifically you can do, Janice. I present to you …
Click to read Dot’s Guide to Saving Money on Groceries (and Making Friends), which includes advice befriending a local farmer, to embracing whole foods, to navigating a grocery store, and much more. |
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If you make a purchase through our links, including from Amazon, we may earn a small commission. |
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It’s a funny time of year. Spring is on the horizon, yet the weather even here in sunny Santa Barbara hardly encourages spending evenings (and sometimes, days) outside. At this point in the winter, you may feel like you’ve exhausted your indoor amusements. If you could use a boost, consider one of these great items. |
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What’s a cozy day at home without a good book? You can find almost any volume at a great price on ThriftBooks. The site lists books by condition, with many in perfect shape, and offers a number of rare books and first editions that can be fun to browse.
Shop today or read our review. |
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Puzzlers be warned: British-made Wentworth puzzles may become your next obsession. Fortunately, your family will be able to enjoy these puzzles for generations. There’s just nothing else like the feel of putting together the laser-cut wooden pieces, including the themed “whimsy” pieces that really add to the fun. Shop today or read our review. |
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Oregon-based Mountain Rose Herbs prioritizes sustainability and ethical sourcing in the selection of its wonderful teas and tea blends. The brand offers loose-leaf and bagged teas as well as quality tea-making tools, including steeping implements and a handy tea bag squeezer (no more burned fingertips or ripped tea bags!). Shop today or read our review. |
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Inside each issue of Bluedot Living Kitchen, you’ll find fresh cooking inspiration for seasonal, planet-friendly eating, tools and tips for creating a more sustainable kitchen, and inspiring stories of the people behind your food. Don’t miss the groundbreaking education and regenerative farming work of Vermont’s Shelburne Farms, our tribute to maple syrup, low-impact recipes to celebrate Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day, and more!
Claim a free sample of this issue now! No payment information required. |
| Get Your FREE Sample |
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The Keep-This Handbook |
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Maybe Grandmother’s mink coat was a showstopper in 1956 but now it’s collecting dust in your attic. Breathe new life into it by donating it where it will be put to good use keeping an unhoused person warm or providing comfort to a shelter pet. And for more information on rehoming your old stuff, check out Bluedot’s Guide to Getting Rid of (Almost) Anything. (And please share our guide with the declutterers in your life!)
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Parting Thoughts About Change |
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We’ll find out tomorrow whether March arrives like a lamb or a lion but it will undoubtedly usher in longer days and melting snow for we readers further north.
Canadian-born editor Leslie Garrett is hoping that spring brings a thaw in U.S./Canada relations, which have been … frosty … the past few weeks. For those of you who watched (or couldn’t bear to) the 4 Nations hockey series with its high-stakes Canada/U.S. games, dive into former goalie-turned-author/politician Ken Dryden’s fascinating article in The Atlantic at not just this recent game but others that were played against a backdrop of political tension. (Remember 1980’s U.S./Russia game? Of course, you do!)
Sometimes change comes when you spend time with something you’re … absolutely terrified of. In the case of New Yorker writer Kathryn Schulz, that something was spiders, the “repulsive micro-fauna” about which she wrote a terrific piece in a recent issue. “They’re venomous cannibals, hiding in our homes. With something like fifteen quadrillion spiders around, we can’t escape them. Can we learn to love them?” Editor Jamie Kageleiry, no fan of spiders herself, loved Schultz’s idea that we can learn to appreciate, respect, and even love (or at least decide to help protect) unloveable creatures that are ugly, smelly, or the stuff of nightmares.
Enjoy the weekend, and we’ll see you in two weeks.
–Jamie Kageleiry and Leslie Garrett
Editors
Write us at editor@bluedotliving.com |
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Jamie Kageleiry, a longtime magazine and newspaper editor from Martha’s Vineyard, says her favorite spot on earth is out on a kayak there, looking at birds.
Leslie Garrett has been covering climate stories for close to two decades. She divides her time between London, Ontario, and Massachusetts. She’s still figuring out her favorite spot but it’s definitely near the water. |
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