A Bluedot Living Newsletter

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Bluedot senior web producer (and ace photojournalist) Alison Mead recently attended a bird banding demonstration in  Pomfret, Conn. Here, Andy Rzeznikiewicz, the sanctuary Manager at the Connecticut Audubon Society Center prepares to release a male Scarlet Tanager after banding. See Ali’s photo essay and video here.

–Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods. We hope you have some time over this long weekend to take an extra-long walk through the woods (or along a shore, or all around whatever town you’re in) and listen to the birds (did you know you could identify them by their songs using Cornell Ornithology Lab’s Merlin app?). For more on the importance of walking, and paths, check out this book Julia Cooper (our Good Libations columnist) just picked up. In Praise of Paths, she says, is a philosophical/sociological exploration of how humans interact with nature on foot. “As he walks with shoes on and barefoot,” the book jacket says, “[the author] contemplates the early tracks made by ancient snails and traces the wanderings of Romantic poets, among other musings. If we understand ourselves in relation to the landscape … what will we gain from taking to paths once again?” Read more about reimagining the pavement that is so often beneath our feet.

• Bald Eagles are Back!

• Not-so-icky: Soldier Fly Oil is Good for Your Skin (and the Planet)

• An Optimist Turns a Decrepit Cabin Into a New, Green Cottage

• Weekend Salads: Asparagus/Artichoke and Thai Chicken and Pea Shoots

• What to Do with that Prom Gown

• Dot Digs Into Earth-Friendly Decking

• Good Libations: Gray Whale Gin

• Our Bluedot Dog Reviews These Toys and This Gear

DISPATCHES FROM ALL OVER

BIG IDEAS AND LOCAL CHANGEMAKERS

Bald eagles are soaring high, according to Oregon-based writer Dana Sacks, who catalogs the comeback of the once-endangered species. Thomas Clark was enamored with black soldier flies and their role in eating food waste, Catherine Zita Dias reports from Canada. So the engineer-by-day created a soldier fly oil-based skincare line. And Bea Copeland delivers another chapter in the DIY story of her home’s green evolution.

THE BLUEDOT KITCHEN

Good Libations: A Whale of a Cocktail

Dear Dot: How Can I Find Sustainable Decking?

Dear Dot,
I want to put a deck on my home to have a place to enjoy the views and wildlife. I’ve read that composite decking is environmentally friendly because it is made from recycled materials and doesn’t require chopping down trees. However, I’m skeptical of any materials containing plastics or chemicals. Are composites really as eco-friendly as they seem?
–Sam, Massachusetts

Dear Sam,
Let’s start with the obvious choice for decking: wood. And within that obvious choice is a number of other choices: pressure treated, bamboo, mahogany, cedar, black locust … the list is long. 

How do trees stack up as a sustainable building material? Trees remove carbon from the atmosphere and it remains sequestered until the tree is burned or biodegrades, at which point it is released. So although cutting down a tree renders that tree incapable of capturing more carbon, it nonetheless holds (for the most part) the carbon already captured. What’s more, you can choose reclaimed wood (which means no new trees are cut down to facilitate your wildlife viewing) or you can purchase wood that is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, a widely respected third-party certification that operates with regard to environmental principles, worker rights, and Indigenous rights.

But, Sam, you specifically mention Trex, part of a family of what are called composites. While companies such as Trex and TimberTech proudly tout their eco bona fides, it’s not quite that simple. Nonetheless, there’s room for optimism …

What decking does Dot endorse? Read the rest of Dot’s answer here.
Find plenty more Dear Dot here. 

Coming in June: daily advice from Dear Dot. Sign up here!

BUY LESS/BUY BETTER

Sunday is World Hunger Day. What are some ways you can help? Try cooking with #millet! With the goal of ending global hunger in mind, the United Nations declared 2023 the International Year of Millet. Millet is a grain that can withstand climate change, has the ability to grow without fertilizer, and can survive in storage for several years. More ways to #fightfoodwaste: try making recipes that use the entirety of ingredients, store food appropriately, #compost, use leftovers creatively, and buy "ugly" produce with a Bluedot favorite app Too Good To Go.

FOLLOW US

Bluedot's Guide to Getting Rid of Anything

Keep the crown, donate the dress. At least that’s what we here at Bluedot recommend you Prom Queens do so that another aspiring prom-goer can don your dress. Bluedot’s Guide to Getting Rid of (Almost) Anything can point you in the direction of donating your prom dress, as well as where you can rehome plenty of other items.

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 communities. 

Enjoy the long weekend, and we’ll see you in two weeks.
–Jamie Kageleiry and Leslie Garrett
Editors
Write us at editor@bluedotliving.com