Recognize this handsome critter? If so, you might have studied Matt Pelikan’s Field Note about how to identify Island butterflies from our last Green Guide. This American Copper is about the size of a penny when its wings are folded; you can find them starting in mid-April (they’ll be around until early November — which is an extraordinarily long flight season). Read the story to find more, and you can see recent observations on the butterfly page at BiodiversityWorks' MV Atlas of Life.

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We’re Ready for Spring

As the Island begins to shed its winter chill and the sun starts to peek through, locals are getting ready to embrace those extra hours of daylight. Bluedot staffers have their favorite ways to leap into spring. “When I first walk out the front porch and can finally feel the sun start warming my face, I hop on my motorcycle and cruise to State Beach,” says associate editor Lucas Thors. For art director Whitney Multari and project manager Alison Mead, strolling the winding Sheriff’s Meadow trails are a celebration of the new season, while editor Jamie Kageleiry is out on the pond in her kayak, watching the birds return. MV director of sales Josh Katz hits the skatepark, “when my body is feeling up for it!” And editor Leslie Garrett enjoys riding her bike to Tashmoo where, depending on wind direction, “I’ll either wander around the lagoon side or find a huge rock and sit facing the ocean. There are so few people, it feels like a secret.” Editor Britt Bowker goes for runs along Beach Road, followed by a dip in the ocean at State Beach. Former Vineyarder (and now Santa Barbara editor) Jim Miller recalls his first bike rides home in the daylight: “I rolled into the crushed-shell drive and saw my reflection in the car window, and noticed odd marks on my cheeks. Grease? I looked closer and they were just creases because I was smiling.” Vicki Riskin, Bluedot's founder and president, watches the osprey nest outside her window, wondering when and if the pair will return: “Nothing to do but wait.” (Matt Pelikan swears they return each year on St. Patrick’s Day.) Plus, she shares another hallmark of the spring season — pinkletinks! 

Here are some more ideas for outdoor things to do as we ease into the warmer months. And mark your calendars for the total lunar eclipse on March 14! 

See you on the other side of the spring equinox! 

– Britt Bowker, Leslie Garrett, and Jamie Kageleiry

Curious what else you can repurpose or recycle? Read Bluedot’s Guide to Getting Rid of (Almost) Anything.

🏆 Grand Prize Winner: Ann Q. from Michigan 🎁 $2,500+ in sustainable goodies!

🎖️ Secondary Prize Winners: Gregory C. from Brooklyn & Ann M. from Toronto 🎁 $1,000+ in prizes!

Thank you to everyone who entered! Stay tuned — we have more amazing giveaways coming soon! 💚

While you wait for our next sustainable living giveaway, sign up for our free BuyBetter Marketplace newsletter, which provides a curated list of sustainable, eco-conscious products and shopping solutions to your inbox every two weeks.

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We have a green theme going on in this issue, as we look forward to spring. Whiskey can be green, too, it turns out. Check out this story from the Good Libations archive about Jameson’s efforts to make Irish Whiskey more planet-friendly. Plus, there’s a recipe for a Tipperary … 

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DEAR DOT: Are Hotel Linen Reuse Programs Really Green?

– Illustration by Elissa Turnbull

Dear Dot,

I always see in hotels that they’re making a “green” choice by not changing sheets and towels every day unless requested. I know this was not always their policy, so has it actually made a “green” impact?

– Julia

My dear Julia,

Roughly twenty years ago, a woman I knew started toodling around town in a Smart car. It was adorable. Orange and tiny and electric. Julia, Dot was envious. Dot whined to Mr. Dot, pointing out this woman’s hypocrisy. Smart car lady parked her electric car in the garage of a gigantic house. Her other car was a beast of an SUV. I was certain she bought this adorable car — which surely I deserved — because it was cool and trendy, not because it was better for the planet.

Mr. Dot, endlessly patient and often wise, listened to me grouse, and then he released a mighty sigh. “People doing the right thing for the wrong reason are still doing the right thing,” he said. 

Julia, hotels are people, too.

How much of an impact do these reuse programs have? Dot’s got the deets on hotel sheets. Read on.

See more Dot here. Got a question for her? Write her at deardot@bluedotliving.com

Skillet Irish Soda Bread

Two reasons we like this recipe from Mollie Doyle: It describes why cast iron skillets are a good cooking choice. And it involves warm bread for a cold March morning. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Microgreens: Tiny in Size, Big in Taste.

Eager to get started on a garden? Start inside with microgreens. Here’s everything you need to do to start, plus some great recipes (Pea Shoot Spring Rolls With Peanut Sauce!)

Fresh off the (digital) press:

Bluedot Living Kitchen’s latest issue is here!

The Keep-This Handbook

With the ground not quite ready for your green thumb, you can nonetheless dig in the dirt at Martha’s Vineyard Community Greenhouse, which is looking for volunteers. Visit their site, and consult our Ultimate Simple, Smart, Sustainable Handbook to Martha’s Vineyard for more Island eco-resources.

Britt Bowker has been writing and editing for newspapers and magazines across New England, spending a lot of her time on MV.

Leslie Garrett has been covering climate stories for 20 years. Anywhere near the water is her favorite place to be.

Jamie Kageleiry is a longtime magazine and newspaper editor from Oak Bluffs. Her favorite spot on earth is being in a kayak, anywhere on MV.

SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES

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