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Innovators

Local Hero: John Abrams

John Abrams, the storied founder of South Mountain Company, retired last year. But retirement for John Abrams looks nothing like the ads on television, just as the company he founded with a friend in 1975 came to bear little resemblance to one with a standard corporate structure. Rather, South...

Right at Home

The Bones of Green Design

As most of my friends know, I frequently practice “R to R,” a term my daughter Emma and I invented, which means looking at real estate magazines to relax. Our top picks are Architectural Digest, Dwell, ID, Elle Decor, and English Home. But one story I’ve always found missing in these publications is a full-length feature on the high...

Dear Dot: Eco-friendly Tick Treatments?

Dear Dot, Is there something I can put on my lawn that doesn’t harm wildlife, including my pets or grandchildren, but that deters ticks? —Rose, Vineyard...

What's So Bad About … Coffee?

If you crave caffeine, and you can’t get enough of it from a bar of chocolate (10 milligrams), a jar of kombucha (15 milligrams),...

Buy Better: Martha's Vineyard Glassworks

Since 1992, a team of professional glassblowers has been creating artisanal work at MV Glassworks on State Road in West Tisbury. The studio/shop offers...

Edible Backyards: How to Plant a Fruit Tree Guild

Spring signals a return to gardening — and also to the time for planting fruit trees. Garden educator Roxanne Kapitan outlines a better way...

Local Stories

Field Notes: Prescribed Burns on Martha’s Vineyard

To: Bluedot Living From: Mike Whittemore, The Nature Conservancy Stewardship Manager, Cape Cod and the Islands Subject: Prescribed Burns on Martha’s Vineyard The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and...

Field Notes: Sustainable Staff Housing

To: Bluedot Living From: Polly Hill Arboretum Subject: Sustainable staff housing  The Arboretum has embarked on a staff housing initiative using sustainable building design, including solar, and...

Recent Stories


Climate Change by The Numbers

Celebrating Earth Day

“But on April 22, 1970, after years of mounting concern and hard work, the first-ever Earth Day took place,...

Local Heroes

Local Hero: John Abrams

John Abrams, the storied founder of South Mountain Company, retired last year. But retirement for John Abrams looks nothing...


More Local Stories

Is the Future of Ferries on Martha’s Vineyard Electric?

The alternative energy field is pressing forward every day — car manufacturers are offering electric and hybrid versions of their most popular models, solar energy companies are thinking of creative and innovative ways to maximize power output, and climate...

Clearing Vineyard Coasts: Time for Beach Cleanups

What’s the first thing a person from the Vineyard might highlight when talking to someone who’s never experienced the place? You’d be hard-pressed to find a more quintessential feature than the Island’s pristine beaches. Because beaches are such a central element...

Secrets of the Salt Marshes

Salt marshes don’t always inspire affection, but when they do, it can be intense. In 1902, the Massachusetts naturalist Dallas Lore Sharp dedicated an essay to salt marshes in The Atlantic, calling them “one of the most satisfying drinks of color...

Repair and Reuse: The Case for Fix It Clinics

In this era of convenience and instant gratification, it seems too easy to justify throwing something away. Maybe there’s an old sweatshirt with a tear in the sleeve, or a coffee maker that’s on the fritz. You attempt to dampen your...

Weather Report: Why Do the Seas Rise?

A certain amount of sea level rise is locked in. So what are we going to do about it?  The phrases “climate change” and “sea level rise” nearly go hand in hand, particularly when discussed in coastal communities like Martha’s Vineyard. Many of the cliché images of global warming often...

Room for Change

Room for Change: Toilets

In our Room for Change series, we look for relatively inexpensive ways to make sustainable, climate-mitigating improvements to our homes that have a big...

Cruising with Currier

Judy Belushi Pisano and her Chevy Volt

I originally met Judy Belushi Pisano, widow of the late John Belushi, when I was working on a project for the Rhythm & Blues...

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