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Natalie Gale

Boston-based freelance lifestyle journalist.

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The Good Trade •

What Does Slow Travel Mean? (And How To Do It)

The first time I traveled on my own, I was 19 and studying abroad in the Netherlands. Every weekend was a mad dash to see a different city in 48 hours, and to experience as much of each city as possible — no museum, cathedral, park, or touristy attraction left unturned. 😵‍💫

Spring break was the maddest dash of all, encompassing four cities in nine days and about half as much sleep as I should’ve gotten. Barcelona to Rome to Florence to Venice, then back in time for an 8 a.m. class on Monday.

I
Edible Boston •

Mass Mushroom Farms: Helping strengthen local food systems, one fungus at a time —

Fourteen years ago, before Fantastic Fungi hit Netflix, before adaptogens like reishi and lion’s mane became popular, before fungi were cool— Julia Coffey started growing mushrooms in her basement.

After studying mycology at Evergreen State College in Washington and working for Fungi Perfecti, the mushroom company run by Paul Stamets (of Fantastic Fungi fame), Coffey moved back home to Massachusetts. She noticed that in an otherwise flourishing local food economy, mushrooms were underrepresente
The Good Trade •

How To Ensure Your Seafood Is Sustainable, According To The Marine Stewardship Council

The earliest known seafood dinner was a bowl of shellfish eaten on the coast of South Africa 165,000 years ago. As long as there have been humans, we’ve eaten seafood.

Seafood is an excellent source of lean protein, omega-3s, iron, and vitamins B and D, and it’s one of the most carbon-efficient foods on the planet. If you’re looking to increase your seafood intake or learn some new cooking techniques, try checking out the free digital Marine Stewardship Council’s (MSC) 2023 Ocean Cookbook, feat
The Good Trade •

The Best Xeriscape Alternatives To A Traditional Grass Lawn

In a faceoff between nature and a lawn, nature wins every time. Maintaining a lawn is an uphill battle, involving thousands of gallons of water, herbicides, and lawnmowers.

Zoom out beyond your yard to the environment beyond, and headlines are hard to keep up with. Droughts rack the United States yearly, bee populations shrink, and soil quality declines. Cue the eco-anxiety.

But zoom back in—one of the most valuable eco-solutions lurks right in your backyard. And it’s even simpler than going o
Boston.com •

Art spurs climate change discussion in museums here and across the U.S.

Earlier this year, when volunteers painted trees in downtown Salem bright blue for a new Peabody Essex Museum installation, a passerby remarked that the trees hadn’t always been there.

“He walked up and asked us what we were doing, as many did,” recalled Jane Winchell, the director of PEM’s Art & Nature Center and curator of Natural History. “And he said, ‘These trees weren’t here before, right?’ But the trees had been there for years, passed unnoticed by many, until they were painted blue for
The Good Trade •

What Is Food Sovereignty? — The Good Trade

Have you heard the term “food sovereignty?” The movement has gathered steam in recent years, with the term regularly popping up in publications like The Guardian, Forbes, and Business Insider. While first coined by La Via Campesina, an “international peasants movement” representing small, rural farmers around the world, at the 1996 World Food Summit, we’re hearing about food sovereignty a lot more frequently—and for a good reason. It turns out that food sovereignty has a lot to do with the futur
Northshore Magazine •

5 Places to Sip Sophisticated Cocktails on the North Shore

The days are getting longer and the air is warming—cocktail season is officially upon us. If you’re looking for an elevated, out-of-the-ordinary cocktail experience this spring, there’s no need to travel to Boston to find a world-class bar program. Some of the North Shore’s own serve up inventive drinks for delicate sipping or flavor profiles that pack a punch, and have a snack menu and ambiance to match. Here are a few of the top spots to grab a cocktail north of Boston this spring.

One of the
Boston.com Real Estate •

Boston to launch curbside food waste collection in August - Gardening, News

Boston will soon pick up food-only waste curbside, along with trash and recycling, for residents interested in composting their food scraps.

Food waste accounts for one-third of Boston’s waste stream, according to Boston chief of streets Jascha Franklin-Hodge, and it’s the country’s largest single landfill material according to the FDA. When food waste rots in landfills instead of being composted, it produces methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases.

But when food waste is separated fr
Bustle •

All Your Questions About Slugging, Answered — Plus, The Best Balms & Ointments To Use

Slugging isn’t just a fleeting TikTok trend — the skin care technique has roots in Korean and Black communities, and will likely continue to be practiced for decades to come. Slugging means applying a layer of an occlusive product, like petroleum jelly, to your face before bed, locking in hydration before a long, dry night and making your face look all shiny. Similar to the way a sheet mask locks in its hydrating essence, slugging creates a barrier on your skin to help prevent transepidermal wat
Boston.com •

Watching 'Julia' on HBO? Check out some of her favorite Boston spots

HBO Max recently released “Julia,” an eight-episode dramedy about the life and work of pioneering chef Julia Child.

While she was born in California and studied culinary arts in France, she and her husband Paul moved to Cambridge in 1961 where they lived for 40 years.

The impact Child brought to Cambridge’s community and its culinary scene is still felt today, if only you know where to look.

It was in their home at 103 Irving St. that Child filmed three of her television series—”In Julia’s Ki