Happy Friday {{first name | my friend}},

The summer solstice is this weekend — the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. If you want to mark it with something more intentional than just a late sunset, the Farmer's Almanac has a great guide on solstice traditions and the exact time it peaks in your time zone. 🌞

ECL TRIVIA: What is the name of the natural fiber that comes from flax and is known for being breathable and durable? (Answer below)

🌳 AMAZON MILESTONE: New Brazilian monitoring data shows that Amazon deforestation alerts have fallen to their lowest 12-month level since 2014. This milestone is a decade in the making for the world's most vital tropical forest.

🐀 ISLAND REVIVAL: Remove invasive rats from an island, and it could lead to renewal to both the land and the sea. A new study found that rat removal triggered dramatic restoration across entire island ecosystems, with birds returning, native plants recovering, and surrounding marine life bouncing back. Nature, given just a little room, knows how to come back.

🌱 BANKER TURNED RESTORER: Tony Parkes once worked in finance. Then he bought degraded land in Australia and spent a decade replanting a rainforest from scratch. Today, it's alive with native birds, canopy cover, and species that weren't there before. Read his story HERE.

🫐 FIVE-A-DAY ISN'T SPECIFIC ENOUGH: New research from the University of Reading suggests that your daily fruit and veg target of 5 servings may not be enough for heart protection. It's which five that matters more. People who met standard dietary guidelines were still often falling short of the flavanols specifically linked to cardiovascular benefits, compounds concentrated in berries, dark chocolate, green tea, and cocoa. Read the Food & Function findings here to see how the fruits you include stack up.

🍊 BRAIN + VITAMIN C: A study of 2,044 older adults in Japan found that those with lower vitamin C in their blood had measurably less gray matter volume and weaker connectivity in brain networks tied to memory and attention. Read the PLOS One findings and consider adding more citrus, peppers, or kiwi to your plate.

🧠 YOUR BRAIN CAN GET BETTER AT ANY AGE: A three-year study of nearly 4k adults aged 19 to 94 found that brain health can improve at any age, directly challenging the idea that mental sharpness must decline as we get older. Participants spent just a few minutes a day on targeted brain activities and showed measurable gains in thinking clarity, emotional regulation, and more.

Fifteen years is a long time to stay loyal to anything, but Annmarie Skin Care earned it. Not through fancy marketing or celebrity hype, but because I know the founders’ intent, the dedication to wildcrafted and organic ingredients, and I know how it makes my face and body feel (and smell). It's the one I introduced to my wife, and have sent my mom and sister over the years. The trial bundle they have right now is epic.

The "clean beauty" space is crowded with brands that clean up their front label and bury the rest. Annmarie goes the other direction: MADE SAFE® certified across the board, with wildcrafted herbs and cold-pressed oils doing the actual work instead of synthetic fillers padding the formula.

Their Clean Beauty Trial is marked down over 70% right now. Here's what comes with it:

Shipping is included, and there's a $10 coupon toward your next order inside. If your skin doesn't respond, there's a 30-day promise — so it’s a really solid option. All four products for under $30.

Linen. It has been used for thousands of years and tends to get softer with repeated washing.