As a journalist and a member of several book clubs, I read a lot. I love to talk about what other people are reading. Not just the hot takes that I see online — I want to know what you took away from it. This week, while editing the latest Brooklyn Bird Watch, writer Joseph Palmer prompted me to reconsider a famous poem in a new way. In the article, he writes:
“The albatross is the well-known sea bird that co-stars with an old Mariner in the famous masterpiece ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,’ a poem written in 1798 by the great English Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge:
Ah! well a-day! what evil looks
Had I from old and young!
Instead of the cross, the Albatross
About my neck was hung.
“In the poem, the albatross follows the ship, and the Ancient Mariner mistakenly thinks the bird’s presence is a bad omen, so he shoots the bird with his bow and arrow. Eventually, the ship enters periods of difficult weather, and the crew blames the Mariner for killing the bird. An albatross sighting was, in fact, considered a good omen. To this day, the albatross is invoked as a symbol of a heavy burden.
“One of the main threats to the albatross’s existence is deep-sea fishing equipment, which may hook and entangle the birds, causing them to drown or be severely injured.
“The second main threat is plastic. The albatross often consumes discarded plastic that litters the oceans, which it mistakes for food. The plastic may lodge in the albatross’s gastrointestinal system, which could eventually cause its death. Researchers found that in 44% of all dead albatrosses that washed ashore with plastic in their gut, plastic was the most likely cause of death.
“The albatross, in its majesty, is a harbinger of fair breezes to bring sailors home, and a metaphor for penance.”
I’m left to think not of the Mariner but instead of myself, of all of humanity. I’m not on the ocean or looking for a steady wind, but I’m still carrying that albatross. They are such otherworldly creatures that rarely set foot on land; it’s a lightness that is hard to imagine. At the same time, that lightness is immediately brought down by industrialization, consumerism, and me as part of these systems.
But it’s a hopeful thought. Something that light may be able to fly again, may be able to continue to fly even though it makes no sense. And for that, I see not a burden, but a beacon of possibility. May we continue to aid the albatross in its flight.
– Michaela Keil, Editor, Bluedot Living Brooklyn
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Climate News, In Brief
Community-supported agriculture programs, also known as CSAs, began accepting registration across Brooklyn for the 2026 summer and fall growing seasons.
Registration is now open for the 30th edition of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s annual Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest.
The Brooklyn Academy of Music celebrates Earth Day by welcoming activist and actress Jane Fonda, who will star in the New York premiere of “Dear Everything: A Musical Uprising for the Earth” at BAM’s Howard Gilman Opera House on April 22.
After months of community criticism, the city Parks Department cut the size of the planned skate park at Mount Prospect Park by more than half, from 44,000 square feet to only 19,000 square feet of paved space.
A new policy proposal from Voters for Animal Rights and Flatbush Cats seeks to use city funds for spay and neuter surgeries and to operate low-cost veterinary clinics in every borough.
One of the (many) lawsuits against NYC’s congestion pricing program was tossed, a major win for the program.
A Boerum Hill interior designer accused of poisoning his elderly neighbor’s trees to improve the view from his Rockport, Maine, vacation home was ordered to pay a fine after investigators found bore holes and herbicide in decades-old cedar and maple trees belonging to the neighbor.
Climate change education will become part of the public school curriculum in New York after the state’s Board of Regents voted to implement it. The measure ensures that K-12 students have the opportunity to learn about the causes, impacts, and solutions to the climate crisis.
Gowanus Dredgers hosts a series of wet wool felting sessions this month using raw wool from farms in New York. Participants get a hands-on collaborative experience for all ages and skill levels at the Gowanus Dredgers Boathouse on Monday, March 30.
Eagle-eyed bird lovers discovered a rare Trumpeter Swan swimming in the East River off the North Fifth Street Pier in Williamsburg.
Green-House at Green-Wood back in August 2025. Photo: Green-Wood Cemetery
Green-House at Green-Wood to hold grand opening in April
After years of construction, the Green-Wood Cemetery’s greenhouse and Education Center will hold its grand opening on April 18.
Along with a restored historic greenhouse space, the area will feature a visitor welcome and orientation area, a classroom for 3K-12th-grade school programs, community meetings, and two exhibition galleries to engage with Green-Wood’s history.
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It’s 2 pm… and once again, you can barely keep your eyes open. You’re slamming coffee, splashing water on your face, eating candy, and just doing whatever you can to stay awake. When really, all you want to do is climb under your desk and take a nap.
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No matter how lousy the news is, it’s hard to feel too pessimistic when you know that today the sun will shine a little longer than it did yesterday, and when every walk reveals a daffodil or crocus defiantly popping its head up. We’re celebrating spring by sharing some items that will help you bring the joy of the season indoors.
Feeling good starts first thing in the morning. Slip into something cheerful, and the day tends to follow. Thunderpants USA, based in Portland, Ore., has earned a loyal following for its soft, wedgie-proof underwear made with organic Fair Trade cotton. Exuberant prints sit alongside rich solids in vibrant brights and easy neutrals. Each piece is sewn in a woman-owned factory in Oregon. (From $26.) Up your undies game.
Opening your top drawer to reveal Solmate’s purposely mismatched, Easter egg–bright socks makes you feel like you’ll be setting off for an adventure. The woman-founded, family-owned B Corp makes all its socks in North Carolina from recycled yarns and donates to environmental nonprofits. (From $14.95.) Put a pep in your step.
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88% resolved. 22% loyal. Your stack has a problem.
Those numbers aren't a CX issue — they're a design issue. Gladly's 2026 Customer Expectations Report breaks down exactly where AI-powered service loses customers, and what the architecture of loyalty-driven CX actually looks like.
Dear Dot: Does Recycled Toilet Paper Really Make a Difference?
Dear Dot,
My husband is harping about the toilet paper I purchase, the super-soft kind that’s easy on my delicate nether region. He says I’m a tree killer and that it’s bad for our septic. But doesn’t toilet paper pretty much dissolve in water? How much difference can one product make?
– Tender Tush
Dear Tender Tush,
You, my tender-tushed friend, have hit upon one of Dot’s bugbears — people’s insistence upon multi-ply, silky soft toilet paper. If there is one exceedingly simple but impactful change people can make in their day-to-day purchasing, toilet paper is it.
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Today’s sponsor is Wildgrain, and honestly, I think you’ll love them. They deliver slow-fermented sourdough breads, artisanal pastries, slow-churned butter, and fresh pastas, and straight to your door. All if it bakes straight from frozen in about 25 minutes or less. Gluten-free? Vegan? They’ve got boxes for you too.
The best part? As a Bluedot Living reader, you get $30 off your first box and free croissants for life. They make it super easy to skip or cancel any time too - so just try it, I promise you won’t regret it.
BLUEDOT LIVING KITCHEN
What’s-in-Your-Fridge Citrus Cake
Photo by Caroline Saunders
This is one of the easiest cakes out there (dump, stir, pour, bake) and oh-so-very flexible. Any combination here works: from lemon-yogurt to orange-ricotta to grapefruit-crème fraîche. Whether you need to use up citrus, clear out some dairy products, or just bake a beautifully simple cake, this is the one for you.
BROOKLYN BIRD WATCH
Evolution in Action: The Albatross
Learning about and being aware of how birds have evolved leads one to reflect on human evolution. Could there be a purpose beyond survival and co-existence? Perhaps it’s our responsibility to sustain the planet and ensure the survival of others, including our cherished wildlife.
An albatross lands on the ocean just off Stewart Island, New Zealand. Photo by Colin Watts/Unsplash
The Bluedot Brooklyn newsletter is edited by Michaela Keil. If you have any questions, suggestions, ideas, or want to tell us what you’re doing, email [email protected].
