It’s easy to work to protect popular fish and pretty birds. But when creatures are stinky (skunks), or slithery (snakes), or downright scary (Jaws!)? BiodiversityWorks director Luanne Johnson writes about how hard it is to be neighborly to these “unloveable” species, but how every native species has a role in the ecosystem it inhabits: “Bats have also suffered terribly from bad publicity. From Dracula to stories about bats wanting to nest in your hair, these little mammals have been maligned, misunderstood, and terrorized by tennis rackets. While people mistakenly think that bats are rodents that chew their way into homes and have lots of babies, that isn’t true. … They are excellent neighbors, because a bat can consume 3,000 – 4,000 insects in a single night.”
And thanks, Kevin McGrath, for the lovely image …

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Quick Links

Skip scrolling! Here's what you'll find in this edition of the Bluedot Newsletter:

• Take Our Earth Day Quiz!

• On the 50th Anniversary of Jaws

• Nice and Springy: Green Garlic Soup

• Dear Dot: What Are Some Earth-Friendly Gifts? 

• Saving Cold-Stunned Sea Turtles on the Cape and Islands

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The Creatures We Love

With the impending 50th anniversary of the release of Jaws, we decided to celebrate the critters we love, and the ones we love … less (or are terrified of). 

Find the issue at Cronig’s, and most Island retailers (please let us know if you’d like to stock them at your store or place of business! Email jamie@bluedotliving.com). 

For our Jaws story, we focused not on how terrifying sharks are, but on how … misunderstood. Lucas Thors talked to shark researcher Greg Skomal, who said he watched Jaws in theaters as a teen, and decided right then to be a scientist, like Matt Hooper. He’s spent his life finding ways to study sharks, and told us that these days, it’s easier — there are simply far more of them near our shores than there used to be. Lucas also talked with Wendy Benchley who said that after her husband Peter’s book came out (in 1974), and especially after the film was released, there was a huge increase in sport fishermen wanting to catch and kill great white sharks. Steven Spielberg would even say he regretted turning the shark into such a monster. The Benchleys became ardent conservationists, using the Jaws platform to educate people about the importance of protecting sharks. 

I just said to a coworker the other day that the cover of this issue is one of my all-time favorites. When I thought about how we wanted this issue (dedicated to animals) to look, I knew I wanted a cover image that expressed joy. I couldn't find the right image, even among all the gorgeous ones we had in our files. One morning I woke up and thought, Cindy Kane. So we have this lovely painting (she calls it The Conference of Birds) that says everything we hoped to express about how animals can lift our hearts (even those that are scary, stinky, slithery, or just plain annoying.). Thank you, Cindy! (By the way, here’s a story Kelsey Perrett did about Cindy’s art a couple years ago.) Catch her at the Granary this summer. 

With Earth Day upon us, we want to thank all our generous artists, writers, and readers who help us keep telling stories about changemakers and everyday citizens wanting to make our Island a better place. And we are grateful to those who have provided financial support as well. You can find out about contributing here. 

Happy Earth Day, and we’ll see you in two weeks. 

–Jamie Kageleiry (and Britt Bowker and Leslie Garrett)

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Eight cold-stunned sea turtles washed up on Vineyard shores this past season — possibly a record for the Island, according to Adam Kennedy of the New England Aquarium Sea Turtle Hospital. The rescue, rehabilitation, and release of these threatened animals reflect the powerful collaboration between local, regional, and national conservation groups. In this story from our spring magazine, we hear from Mass Audubon, Wampanoag Environmental Laboratory, and other groups about the turtles’ journey back to sea. Read more here.

If you purchase anything via one of our links, including from Amazon, we may earn a small commission.

Making sustainable choices can be surprisingly easy. Next time you’re almost out of one of these essentials, consider replacing it with a waste-reducing swap. Here are just a few of our favorites. Try trading in:

• Bottled haircare products for effective shampoo and conditioner bars.

• Wasteful razors and blades for plastic-free shaving solutions.

• Plastic bottles and tubs for these elegant, waterless body lotion “stones.”

• Drugstore deodorant for these plastic-free deodorants.* 

• T.P. made from old-growth trees for bamboo or recycled toilet paper.

• Disposables for fast-charging, long-lasting, rechargeable batteries.

• Paper towels made from trees for these reusable cotton paper towels.*

• Sponges for Swedish dish cloths and dish brushes.*

• Disposable baggies for silicone zip-top bags.

• Plastic wrap and foil for Bee’s Wrap. (on Amazon)  

• Single-use paper for silicone baking mats. (on Amazon)

• Endless cans for your own personal source of fizzy water.

• Big jugs of pods or liquids for this super-concentrated laundry detergent.*

• Dryer sheets for adorable wool dryer balls.*

*Save with code BLUEDOT 

DEAR DOT: What are Some Earth-Friendly Gifts?

– Illustration by Elissa Turnbull

Dear Dot,

Each year I send my daughters a gift for Earth Day. I've given them reusable grocery bags, reusable produce bags, biodegradable dog poop bags, tree-free toilet paper, dish soap bars, etc. I'm always looking for new ideas as well as changes I can make in my household. I would appreciate any suggestions, including product recommendations you can make.

– Shari

Dear Shari,

Thank you for inviting Dot to share in your delightful Earth Day practice! I am reminded of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s The Serviceberry, which, as Bluedot contributor Chris Lysik wrote in his review, “calls us to reject the scarcity model that underlies our economy, in favor of a ‘Serviceberry Economy’ — one that promotes reciprocity, gratitude, and abundance, based on the natural lessons of the plant world.” Shari, I see that sentiment in your celebration of Earth Day by sharing a gift that speaks to your own care for the planet. So in the spirit of Kimmerer’s celebration of nature’s gift economy — that inspires “mutual flourishing,” let’s brainstorm some Earth-friendly ideas. 

Dot and friends delivered some great ideas. Keep reading.

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

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Green Garlic Soup

“I make this soup a lot when I’m sick,” says North Tabor farm manager, Ruby Dix, “because it’s really good for you.” Green garlic, a relatively new addition to North Tabor’s farmstand offerings, is very young garlic harvested when it’s the height of a scallion, and used in its entirety. Incorporating tofu, chicken, rice, and a variety of fresh vegetables and herbs, this soup is a meal unto itself.

Get the recipe.

Start Planting Your Spring Garden

From July through late October, Bluedot copyeditor Laura Roosevelt steers clear of the supermarket’s produce section, instead planning her meals around whatever’s ripe and ready just outside her back door. In this Garden to Table column from our archives, Laura shares what she plants between now and midsummer — including sugar snap peas, string beans, and more. Read the full story here. 

Quiz: Salt Marshes and the Environment

Photo by Alison Shaw

Why are salt marshes important? (Choose all that apply.)

1. They provide feeding grounds for birds and other pollinators.

2. They are sponges and naturally help absorb flood waters and rising seas.

3. They give you a peek into the origins of life on the planet. 

4. They can be fun to walk in barefoot.

See the full quiz here.

The Keep-This Handbook

Looking good shouldn’t cost the Earth, which is why Bluedot created our Guide to Clean Beauty. And for more Island eco-resources, consult our Ultimate Simple, Smart, Sustainable Handbook to Martha’s Vineyard. 

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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