“A coot chick enters the world as a small, dusky ball of down with a neon-red bill and a brilliant orange-yellow ruff,” writes Ilene Klein. “Within hours of breaking free of its speckled egg, it paddles alongside its attentive parents. For the first few weeks, the young chick shelters among reeds and tall grasses, where both adults gently offer it small bites of plants and aquatic prey.” Read more about how coots help keep our waterways healthy. 

Let your hat do the talking! Bluedot Living’s organic baseball cap is embroidered with one of 13 planet-positive phrases — like “energy efficient” and “regenerative” — so you can wear your values out loud. Made from 100% organic cotton with a brass slider, it’s designed for everyday comfort, durability, and better impact all around.

“If you can’t take love to the stars, then what are we doing? Why would we even go? That’s why we send humans instead of robots sometimes. That’s why we have that first-hand witness. And so they’re going to go through a whole range [of emotions], just like we have, watching them. And I think that’s the whole point — that we can share that experience.”

Amit Kshatriya, NASA associate administrator, in an interview, talking about Artemis II

May 3 is National Garden Meditation Day. Connect to all your senses and engage with nature with this garden mindfulness exercise.

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.

We launched At Home on Earth, our photo-based feature series, to share the breathtaking work of Yasmin Namini, who travels the world finding the beauty in wildlife and nature. We think the more you can be awe-struck at the world around us, the more likely you are to want to protect it. Among our favorite At Home on Earth pieces are this Return to Zimanga collection, which includes a video of giraffes necking (not as romantic as it sounds). We also love the Lemurs of Madagascar, and this Babies in the Wild gallery. 

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 Reader,

Dot agrees with Willow Defebaugh, the editor-in-chief of Atmos, who suggests that making the awe that’s so abundant in our natural world more available to people could change how we view ourselves in this world and, therefore, how far we’ll go to protect it. (Studies show that even photos of our incredible natural world can evoke feelings of awe. Case in point: these spectacular photographs of America’s “champion trees.”) Read more here. 

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.