We hope our cover optimistically expresses the feelings of the county, state and country as vaccines are administered and restaurants, shops and even yoga studios carefully reopen. Cue Ella Fitzgerald, or Willie Nelson, singing the Irving Berlin classic, “Blue Skies,” as we have abundant reasons to get outdoors and enjoy the brighter blue skies — thanks to reduced pollution — in Marin.
Coincidentally, April is also the month designated to celebrate our planet, since Earth Day is April 22. Created in 1970 by Senator Gaylord Nelson, this national celebration (why isn’t it a holiday?) that started as a single day to reflect on caring for our planetary home has become a global event and way of living for many thoughtful individuals. Shouldn’t we love and honor Earth every day? Hence in this issue, we spotlight people and organizations focused on sustainability, and celebrate the upside of the pandemic for the environment.
Our SPACES feature showcases a gorgeous historical home renovation in Calistoga. The original owners, survivors of the Donner Party, purchased the land in 1845. The current owner and design team were so focused on sourcing sustainable and local materials that they even used the same stones from the nearby creek to extend a hearth that were used one hundred years earlier!
Frequent contributor Kirsten Jones Neff shines the light on 16 humans who have dedicated their lives to protecting our planet, with many here, or near Marin. Did you realize that there really is an Amy, in the Amy’s Kitchen organic frozen and convenience food company? Her parents started the company 34 years ago, and today, she is not only carrying the torch, but lighting the food world on fire with 2,600 employees working in four kitchens across the country, and three drive-thrus serving approximately one million plant-based (90% organic) meals each day.
If you enjoy this magazine with our sustainable living focus, you will love us online for the coming months too. Please join us for two webinars focused on sustainability. For Earth Day, “Go Green in 2021” features a diverse panel of engaging experts discussing topics like sustainable architecture, green investments, conservation and more. Our Eco Warriors Summit in early May will feature Paul Nicklen and others featured in this print issue. As always, our semi-weekly Better Letter email newsletter will make it even easier for you to learn about, and support the best sustainable living practices in your hometown and in our beloved county, as well.
As always, we love hearing from you. Please send your feedback to [email protected] or @marinmagazine
Featured in this issue:
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- Take Your Next Wine Tasting Trip Through Santa Barbara’s Wine Region: Here’s What’s New in the Santa Ynez Valley
- Two Local Wines You Need to Have on Your Radar
- Make Some Room: Are Elephant Seals Making a Comeback?
- How Covid-19 Has Changed the Environment – and What We’ve Learned
- Carbs Galore: 6 Local Places to Fulfill Your Bread (and Cake) Cravings
- 12 Summer Camps to Enroll Your Kids in Now
- Public Wi-Fi is on the Way for Marin
- Straight From Wine Country: New and Fresh Natural Wines to Try
- Covid-19 Developments: When and How to Get the Vaccine in Marin
- 4 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day in the Bay Area This Year