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Welcome to Bluedot Living Martha's Vineyard, a newsletter that gathers local good news, good food, and good tips for living every day more sustainably. |
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Welcome to Bluedot Living Martha's Vineyard, a newsletter that gathers local 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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Who knows what lurks behind our walls, or beneath our ceilings and floors? When Stina and Nevin Sayre took down their old barn to build a new one, they discovered this old beam. It was mysterious — names and initials scratched across it: W.A.C., Castinetti, Jennex — “worn and somewhat illegible,” Leslie Garrett writes, “leading whomever is reading them to say them aloud, to wonder at who they belonged to.” Were they the signatures of sailors on a ship tossed onto Vineyard shores in a storm? The scrawls of teenagers hanging out generations ago in the old barn?
Read on.
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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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Sponsored
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The MV Chamber Turns 100! |
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2025 marks a century of supporting our island community. Celebrate with us as we roll out exciting new programming throughout the year. Don’t miss out—join today and be part of this milestone! |
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From Bluedot Living’s President |
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I grew up in the Pacific Palisades. As a teen I routinely went to the “show” on Saturdays to see a double bill with my best friends, and happily wander the small shops in the Village. The Palisades was a small town in a sprawling city where everyone had a sense of community and neighborhood pride, a place people loved. My old friend Bill Bruns, once a top editor/reporter for Life Magazine, ran the Palisadian Post with the same dedication he gave to his award-winning national assignments. His wife, Pam, taught journalism five days a week as a volunteer at the local high school, my high school. She inspired hundreds of kids. Their house is gone. So are the homes of dozens of my friends, too many to mention, but among the thousands lost from the Palisades to Altadena on the other side of Los Angeles.
Today I set aside my optimism to shed tears for my friends, my old town, and the planet. These raging weather events are part of a much bigger picture that we need to grapple with. Maybe it’s time to truly embrace a post-fossil fuel future and remember, we’re all in this together.
Thank you for being a Bluedot reader.
– Victoria Riskin
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This week’s howling, frigid winds are a stark reminder of how quickly our Island landscapes can change. It’s something that was top of mind back in October, when climate leaders from across the region gathered for the Martha’s Vineyard Coastal Conference. Groups discussed strategies for preparing for storm surge and heavy rains, such as ensuring new construction isn’t happening in flood zones and critical infrastructure like the hospital remains accessible, no matter what the weather throws our way. Read more about how local groups are shoring up coastal resilience — both here and on Nantucket.
Speaking of things blowing in the wind — we’re watching this potential bylaw that could appear on the Town Meeting warrant this spring that would limit people’s use of leaf blowers. A group of concerned citizens, with support from the Vineyard Conservation Society, want to enforce limits on the noise and pollution caused by gas-powered leaf blowers, and encourage quieter, non-polluting electric versions. Read more about the leaf blower regulation here.
VCS also recently announced the date for the annual Island-wide Earth Day Beach Clean-up: April 19. And they need bags! Drop them off at the Wakeman Center (57 David Ave.). Here’s info on VCS events.
Have a healthy and safe next couple weeks.
– Britt Bowker (and Leslie Garrett and Jamie Kageleiry)
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Learn more about How to Reduce Your Eco-Impact from Flying. And check out Sam Moore’s dive into What’s So Bad About Private Jets? |
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Paid Advertisement with Money |
Don’t let a broken heater break the bank |
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Home repair costs have surged in recent years due to inflation and supply chain issues, making unexpected breakdowns a financial burden for homeowners. Fortunately, a home warranty could help cover the repair and replacement of your home appliances and systems for a reasonable monthly fee. Check out Money’s list of the Best Home Warranties and start protecting your essential appliances. |
| VIEW LIST |
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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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Increased energy, better sleep, and weight loss can all be benefits of participating in Dry January, an international campaign encouraging people to cut out alcohol for a month. Last year, 25% of American adults participated. These alcohol-free, planet-friendly beverages can help support you on your Dry (or damp) January journey. |
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Boisson offers alcohol-free beverages that feel decidedly adult. Great options include nonalcoholic beers like Athletic’s IPA; terrific dupes like the Phony Negroni; and a range of intriguing adaptogenic drinks, including Three Spirit Livener, which can help boost your mood, and De Soi Purple Lune apéritif, which is formulated to help you wind down. Shop today or read our review. |
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If you’re looking to refresh your morning cuppa, give Trade Coffee a go. The company curates tasty coffees from small roasters nationwide and offers well over 100 brews that have Organic, Fair Trade, and Rainforest Alliance certifications. From there, you can choose from 13 different flavor profiles. Shop today or read our review. |
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Our marketplace editor is a big fan of the Climate Neutral, Organic, Fair Trade tea company Numi. She got herself their Organic Tea by Mood gift set, and enjoyed sampling different teas to help invigorate, focus, sleep, and more. (Her favorites are the well-balanced Moroccan Mint and grounding but energizing Emperor’s Pu-erh black.) Shop on Amazon or read our review. |
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Paid Advertisement with Tovala |
An answer to every “What’s for dinner?” question: That’s Tovala.
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Imagine coming home and not having to worry about “What’s for dinner?” Instead, you can enjoy a freshly cooked meal and never have to compromise on quality, taste, or your time. (We think you deserve all those good things.) Tovala is the revolutionary meal delivery service + smart oven that’s making breakfast, lunch, dinner—pretty much every meal—easier than ever. With Tovala, you can enjoy chef-crafted meals that arrive fresh to your door and skip your weekly—or daily—trips to the store. Plus, every meal cooks like magic with the scan of a QR code in just 25 minutes and with only one minute of prep. Get started now with your Tovala Smart Oven. |
| Shop now. |
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– Illustration by Elissa Turnbull |
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Dear Dot,
I’m looking for bed sheets that are both happy to sleep on, and aren’t bad news for our environment. What should I look for?
– Dawn
My dear Dawn,
Are you the same Dawn who wanted to deter pigeons from perching on your balcony (and pooping on your patio?), but only in a kind way? Or are all Dawns gentle souls who want happy pigeons and happy sheets? I’m going to assume that’s the case and endeavor to help you find sheets that would be delighted to envelop you in slumber while being good news (or at least not bad news) for our planet, and while pigeons coo happily on someone else’s balcony.
Lucky for Dot (and Dawn), Bluedot has its very own sheet expert — our own Marketplace editor, Elizabeth, who makes it her mission to find the happiest, most earth-friendly sheets (and other products!) and bring them to our readers. Indeed, Elizabeth has already found these sheets, these sheets, and also these sheets that meet her standards! And Bluedot’s Room for Change columnist Mollie Doyle, offers up a (ahem) cheat sheet, with an eye to only earth-friendly materials.
What is it? Read on.
See more Dot here. Got a question for her? Write her at deardot@bluedotliving.com
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Dan Martino and his brother Greg have been raising oysters (and now seaweed) in the clean, clear waters off East Chop for the last decade, growing the “best damn oysters we can in the most environmentally positive way possible.” Now you can read all about oysters in Dan’s new book, aptly named The Oyster Book.
Read our story here.
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Can you imagine anything lovelier than working in a greenhouse surrounded by plants while outside the wind howls and the hard ground yields … nothing? Then consider volunteering at the Community Greenhouse, which has year-round opportunities. Visit their site here. And for more Island eco resources, consult our Ultimate Simple, Smart, Sustainable Handbook to Martha’s Vineyard. |
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Britt Bowker has been writing and editing for newspapers and magazines across New England, spending a lot of her time on MV. |
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Leslie Garrett has been covering climate stories for 20 years. Anywhere near the water is her favorite place to be. |
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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. |
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