It’s snowing outside. It was 70º two weeks ago and 50º at Christmas, and it’s snowing outside. Time to bust out the scarves and the soups one last time. Time to settle in for some good, cozy reading, ideally inside a castle…
Thing #1: …and that’s exactly what Jeremy Irons was thinking. The star of Die Hard 3 rescued, restored, and lives in a 15th-century Irish castle. Because of course he does. He’s Jeremy Irons. He’s living all our best lives.
Thing #2: It may not be a castle, but a 125-acre site at the border of California’s Redwood National Park will soon be transferred to the Yurok tribe, with a new park entrance in the works. It’s big news: This marks the first time in U.S. history that a national park property is co-managed and Indigenous-owned.
Thing #3: Oregon is now home to the world’s largest dark sky sanctuary. With plans to eventually cover the entire southeastern portion of the state (11 million acres!), Oregon Outback International Dark Sky Sanctuary packs in a walloping 3,900 square miles of darkitude. We love to (not) see it.
Thing #4: Species have been named after Kermit the Frog, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Keanu Reeves, and even Hogwarts. (I stand corrected: Jeremy Irons has a lot, but he does not have it all.)
Thing #5: 158 of D.C.’s cherry blossom trees are getting cut down to build a seawall. Locals were advocating to save the above tree, the beloved “Stumpy,” even leaving him little gifts. He’s seen so much! He tries so hard! While Stumpy is one of the 158 to get removed, plant pros are taking his superhero genes and propagating him for the next generation of D.C. cherry trees. Stumpy’s grandchildren will carry on. Long live Stumpy!
Persevere, y’all. Even when the world is drowning you in salt.
Jacqueline
PS—In 2020, I wrote this explainer for Thrillist on ghost forests (so good), and it includes the sentence: “It’s worth noting that the Mid-Atlantic is sinking faster than most anywhere else—say your goodbyes to the National Mall while you can….” This is both a shameless self-plug for my prophecies and a call for you to learn more about ghosts forests and the plight of trees like Stumpy. So fascinating. (As I’ve said at least once: Fear the standing dead.)