Bluedot Living: Time to retreat from the shore? Take some polls, Feta, and a new Bluedot website.

You’re thinking: Great photo! Where on Martha’s Vineyard is she?! She’s in California, and we brought her here to tell you about our new Bluedot "Hub" website that will feature Field Notes, Dispatches, recipes, and eco-conscious items from all over the country (and soon, the world!) written by correspondents in those communities. Nicki Miller, who used to run Martha’s Vineyard Magazine, but now lives in San Diego, brought us this sweet piece about Laura McLean, the “Hot Mess” gardener (and therapist). Look for new dispatches each week.

Celebrating Mothers, and Mother Earth!

As any mother can attest, life is busy. As we move into Mother’s Day weekend, that holds true for all of us at Bluedot Living.

For a start, we recently returned from Boston and the NENPA Awards, where Bluedot Living won two first place awards (one for Dear Dot — so please send your questions to our newly award-winning columnist); two second prizes, including best overall website; and three thirds, including for best niche publication. Judges offered these heady accolades: “Though this publication is still in its infancy, it’s already extraordinary,” the judges wrote. “Beautiful, clean design, and full of much-needed information. Congratulations!” (Thanks!)

But no time to rest on our laurels — we’re busy getting ready for our Climate Week events so put these on your calendar: On Monday, May 9, learn how to decarbonize your home (whatever its size and wherever you are on your eco journey) at the West Tisbury Library. That evening, join a panel of experts talking about retreating from the shore – why, when, and how. Unfortunately, an eco-cooking class with Cathy Walthers on Friday, May 13 is already sold out so hold your own by following any of her fabulous recipes.

And please also check out our new, just-launched Hub site, where Bluedot is expanding our content to share stories of imagination, innovation, and good ol’ how-tos from around the country and the world. But no worries — Vineyard-specific content is still available right here.

Finally, come meet us at the Grange on May 14 for the Climate Week finale event and tell us your stories, your ideas, your recommendations for local heroes! We’re all ears. —Leslie Garrett

Take Action and Join Us May 8th–14th as we inspire, motivate, and educate the island through climate-related workshops, talks, tours, food, arts & entertainment! Climate Action Week is the community engagement portion of the Vineyard Climate Action Plan being developed by close to a hundred community members through the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. The Climate Action Plan’s goals and objectives will be on display at the Climate Action Week Finale Event at the Grange on Saturday May 14th from 10am–2pm along with info booths, giveaways, art & crafts, food, student presentations, a film screening by the MVFF, and more.

“The word nuclear elicits an emotional response from people because a lot of people still mainly associate the word nuclear with nuclear explosions, nuclear weapons, massive obliteration of cities, and so on. We’re not talking about that. It would be a completely different conversation if Putin decided to use nuclear weapons. That’s nothing to do with reactors. I think indeed, there is a lot of misunderstanding, a lot of exaggeration, bad information, really bad information, particularly about Chernobyl. I’m concerned like everybody else about what's happening.” Read our followup interview with Jacopo Buongiorno, a nuclear scientist at MIT.

Dear Dot,

I recently read an article exposing some of the organic cotton market as fraudulent. I want to do the right thing but I don’t want to support the bad guys. What should I look for to guarantee I’m buying organic?

–Kelly, Vineyard Haven

My dear concerned Kelly,
Much of what we have been told about organic cotton is being debunked or, at the least, challenged. For instance, we have long been told that organic cotton uses 91% less water than conventional, relying on rain rather than irrigation. But a summary reported in the industry magazine Apparel Insider noted that climate — where the cotton was grown, not how — impacted water use.
But let’s drill down to your basic question: what t-shirt should you buy, Kelly?

Think Global, Act Local

“I arrived home to find, in my refrigerator, what I had spent months awaiting: a box of chestnuts,” writes Adam Moore, Executive Director of Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation in our latest “Field Notes.”

“These were American chestnuts, Castanaea dentata, sent to me by the American Chestnut Foundation. Once the most important timber tree of eastern North America, the American chestnut now rarely grows taller than a shrub.”

But some American chestnuts appear to display a natural resistance to the blight. Knowing that Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation’s Quansoo property had the acidic soil and open sun that chestnuts need,” Moore says, “I signed us up.”