SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES

We don’t know about you, but when we see a boardwalk like this, or a trail through the woods, we immediately feel beckoned. Come walk, we hear. Come travel on foot. Our friend Miles Howard, who runs Boston City Walking Trails and has written lots of stories for us about human-powered travel (we actually refer to him as “Miles to Go”), wrote to us recently to tell us that the new Boston Boundless Trail will launch on June 6, National Trails Day. Miles described the urban trail through the city’s myriad green parks that he mapped out (with his feet) during Covid in a story he wrote for us a few years ago. Since then, he’s been working on the trail, which now encompasses 90.9 miles over 12 sections. If you’re in New England, or visiting, this is a super way to see “The Hub of the Universe,” even if you do just a segment or two. Here’s more info, and here’s a point-by-point Google map. If you’re not in New England, but just itching for some car-free travel, happy trails wherever you are!

The kitchen is where some of our biggest waste adds up — but it’s also where small changes go a long way. Our plastic-free kitchen collection features everyday essentials made from durable, low-impact materials like stainless steel, glass, and natural fibers — easy swaps for things you already use. From food storage to cleaning tools, these are simple upgrades designed to reduce waste without sacrificing function.

“The world reveals itself to those who travel by foot.”

– Werner Herzog

• Geothermal Energy: Tapping Into the Earth for Heating and Cooling

• Can This Paint Keep Your Home Cool?

• Want to Plant a Tree? Here’s How

• An Urban Walking Trail in Boston

• Podcast: What You Can Do About Water Scarcity

• Recipe: Yogurt Soup With Chickpeas and Sumac

• Tips for Keeping Your Home Cool This Summer

• Cooling Downtown Toronto With Lake Ontario

• Dear Dot: How Can I Save Money on Groceries? 

• How to Be Water Wise in the Garden

FEATURED STORIES

BIG IDEAS AND LOCAL CHANGEMAKERS

Here are more tips to help you conserve water in your garden.

Bluedot Kitchen

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Jennie Slossberg runs a landscape design company called Garden Angels in West Tisbury, Massachusetts. She doesn’t create eco-friendly sanctuaries only for clients, though: Her home is a refuge, especially this outdoor shower, with green canopies overhead, jasmine and yellow trumpet vine climbing nearby, and plumbing that emerges straight from a stone wall. “During the day, there are hummingbirds overhead,” Jennie says. “And I keep it cut back a little because I like to look at the stars at night.” 

For just $5/month, you can become a Bluedot Living member — investing in a healthier planet while unlocking real, everyday benefits for yourself. You'll enjoy 10% off every purchase from Bluedot Living Collection, our editor-curated marketplace of planet-friendly brands and products and you'll receive additional member-only store discounts each month. Many members recoup the cost of membership in just a handful of purchases from our store. From there, the savings continue — making sustainable living more accessible, affordable, and impactful.

Dear Dot: How Can I Save Money on Groceries?

Illustration by Elissa Turnbull

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 (due to a global oil shock, tariffs, wildfires, and migrant workers not showing up for fear of deportation), let’s remember that living lighter on the Earth is often lighter on the wallet, too. So let’s dig into what specifically you can do, Janice. I present to you: Dot’s Guide to Saving Money on Groceries (and Making Friends).

Wait a minute … making friends? Yep. Keep reading!

BUY LESS/BUY BETTER:
Canning Season and Beyond

In this issue, we’re sharing ways to cut back on plastic in the kitchen, refresh your cookware with more sustainable choices, and reconnect with your food through seed libraries and spring gardening. You’ll also find recipes that celebrate the season — think arugula and asparagus folded into pastas and quiches — plus tips for making tofu not just good, but genuinely crave-worthy.

Subscribe now to read the latest issue of Bluedot Living Kitchen and get a full year of low-waste recipes, sustainable kitchen tips, and mindful cooking inspiration for every season. 

The Keep-This Handbook

Whether you have AC or not, there are simple strategies to minimize both your discomfort and your energy use: Open windows and add more indoor plants, to name a few. Get more tips for keeping your home cool here.

The Best Beachgoers

I’m lucky enough to live near a beachfront pathway, and I walk my dog on it almost every day. In the winter months, we often have it to ourselves, with only the pelicans and plovers for company. Now that it’s warming up, though, we have to share; the beach typically fills up by noon with sunbathing couples, moms and toddlers, and groups of teenagers playing smashball, football, and soccer. They all tote in chairs, umbrellas, and bags filled with snacks and drinks and toys. To the uninitiated, it might look like a trash disaster in the making: all those people, and all that stuff. They can’t possibly all clean up after themselves, can they?

I’m happy to report that they do, every day. I frequently head out to the beach to pick up trash on my own, and I can confirm that the garbage on the beach washes up with the waves. (This is a different, and serious, problem that I’m pleased to say my city is working hard to solve.) Beachgoers put their litter in the trash cans, and those overflowing blue bins are often the only indication that anyone was there at all.

It’s a mood-lifting reminder that a lot of us care about the world around us and do what we can to make things better. If you’re heading to the beach soon, be like the visitors to my favorite seashore and clean up after yourself. While you’re at it, consider some of our recommendations for eco-friendly gear and swimwear. And have fun! (Don’t forget your sunscreen.)

Enjoy the weekend, and we’ll see you next week.

– Robin Jones (and Emily Cain, Leslie Garrett, and Jamie Kageleiry)

Editors

Write us at editor@bluedotliving.com

Leslie Garrett has been covering climate stories for close to two decades.  She makes her home in Canada, west of Toronto. She’s still figuring out her favorite spot but it’s definitely near the water.

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.

Robin Jones is a Southern California native who served as an editor at Westways magazine for more than a decade. She lives in Long Beach and teaches journalism at Cal State Long Beach.

Emily Cain is a recent graduate of Cal State Long Beach, where she wrote and edited for the university’s award-winning magazine, DIG.

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