Every other week, Bluedot Living Martha's Vineyard will share stories about local changemakers, Islanders’ sustainable homes and yards, planet-healthy recipes and tips, along with advice from Dear Dot. Did
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SIMPLE / SMART / SUSTAINABLE / STORIES
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Right on cue, a swarm of moths arrived with December. It’s something we delight in each year — they flutter and shimmer outside our door in the early morning. This creature is not a “December moth,” but the also-hardy, wonderfully named (at least to this editor’s ears) “Question Mark” or “Eastern Comma” butterfly (photo taken by BiodiversityWorks’ Matt Pelikan). It’s one of the more than 3,000 different species that Islanders have cataloged via iNaturalist.org in less than two years, thanks to the MV Atlas of Life project. Read more here, and learn how to support projects like this with a year-end gift.
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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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To Live (and Give) Local
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Time for us all to make merry. We at Bluedot are making our lists and they include shopping at any of the many local shops we have featuring just-right gifts. You’ll see some of our favorites in this newsletter and even more on our website. Over on the Bluedot Hub website, we’ve got a marketplace full of eco-friendly gifts.
Our winter issue is on the stands and we’re pretty proud of it; it features stories on Wampanoag ecological wisdom, the bounty of our waters (and recipes); plus a profile of two sisters, who both built/renovated with the Earth in mind, and much more.
Choosing to shop (or donate) locally is a simple step in living more lightly on the planet; we like to think of Bluedot Living as a guide to our artisans and farmers, our volunteers and our shopkeepers. We hope you’ll pick up a copy of the issue or read the digital issue here.
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Important! As of January 1, Bluedot will send you this email directly from our own platform, rather than from the MVTimes’. That means you’ll need to confirm your email address here in order to keep getting this email. You don’t want to miss our bi-weekly offering of Bluedot recipes, Buy Better treasures, Dear Dot eco-advice, and, of course, the stories featuring the incredible projects underway to protect and preserve this place we’re lucky enough to call home.
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As always, we love to hear from you, please send any story ideas, questions or concerns to us at editor@bluedotliving.com. Thank you!
–Leslie Garrett and Jamie Kageleiry
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A FISH FOR ALL SEASONS
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The relatively unknown tautog is just one of eleven tasty fish species, along with nine types of shellfish, that local fishermen haul in from the waters surrounding Martha’s Vineyard. Eating locally and in-season is a way to ensure that our oceans continue to provide for us and for those whose livelihood depends on fishing the waters. And steer away from fish species that are threatened or dwindling in numbers. Learn about MV’s plentiful fish species — along with recipes for putting them on your plate. That’s Denny Jason, by the way, hauling in fish from his boat, “The Little Lady,” earlier this fall.
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CLIMATE QUICK TIP
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Flying first-class generates two to four times the carbon emissions of economy — fewer people + more space = greater emissions/person.
(Fortunately, along with giving up legroom, there are some simple ways to reduce our emissions from flying.)
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Arbor Made Candles
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We’re happy to share this cool “Buy Better” product from our Hub website. Arbor Made Candles — made from 100% soy wax — come in refillable pots (with five refills). No more wasted candle containers you don’t know what to do with. And each scent (they’re all
non-toxic; we love Spiced Timber) is directly aligned with a charity that supports the planet.
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Dear Dot: Where can I find eco-conscious gift wrapping?
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Dear Dot,
My 10-year-old daughter is very eco-conscious and doesn’t want her gifts wrapped in anything that isn’t “compostable, recycled, or reusable.” I love the look of brightly wrapped gifts beneath the tree — preferably in coordinating patterns, thanks to being indoctrinated by Martha Stewart over the years. Ideas?
–Evelyn
Dear Evelyn,
I laud your daughter’s desire to wrap mindfully.
While some wrapping paper is recyclable (if you can tear it or it stays scrunched up when you crumple it, it’s likely recyclable), plenty isn’t, including anything that’s foil, glittery, metallic, or contains rope or ribbons (such as gift bags).
Lucky for your daughter — and you with your Martha Stewart ethos — wrapping options can be not only sustainable but stylish …
Read the rest of Dot’s response.
Got a question for Dot? Write her at deardot@bluedotliving.com.
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