Tuesday

In today’s issue, we’ll take a look at:

• Baby elephant Joy finds comfort in hugs

• How is cat litter made?

• Sunset of the day in Cocoa Beach

• How foldable totes make reusing easy

Did You Know

Touching ___ may help regulate your mood.

Scroll to the bottom for the answer.

Baby Elephant Joy Finds Comfort in Hugs

At Elephant Havens, a baby elephant named Joy is learning to feel safe again, one hug at a time. Her favorite thing? Crawling into her caretaker AK’s lap for what he calls a “bear hug.”

Joy was rescued as an orphan and brought to the sanctuary in Botswana, where elephants who’ve lost their herds are raised with care and companionship. She’s now thriving in an environment filled with milk, mud, and affection.

While she still carries memories of her early loss, AK says cuddles and playtime help her forget her sorrows. She spends her days snuggling, exploring, and staying close to the humans helping her heal.

Elephant Havens not only protects young elephants, but also shows how emotional care is part of conservation too.

5 Billion Pounds of Cat Litter Ends Up in Landfills Each Year

Most traditional cat litters are made from strip-mined clay or silica. Both end up in landfills when thrown away and are not biodegradable.

A new natural cat litter called Tailfeather is changing this with their eco-friendly, plant-based, clumping cat litter made from coconut and cassava.

Why coconut? The husk of the coconut absorbs liquid up to 9 times its weight! This makes for a soft, luxurious litter that cats love and is 70% lighter than traditional litter, but also doesn't track and bounce out of the box.

It's fully biodegradable and 100% plastic-free, including the packaging. Tailfeather is delivered conveniently to your door, and each package lasts for 8 weeks, double the amount of other litters.

For the next 24 hours, Canopy readers get a $15 credit on your first order with code Canopy15.

Try Tailfeather for your cat and the environment today.

Thank you to Tailfeather for sponsoring The Canopy.

Sunset of the Day on Cocoa Beach

Anita shared this moment from Cocoa Beach, where the light met the waves just right. You can almost hear the hush of the tide coming in.

There’s something grounding about watching the sun melt into the ocean. Thanks for sending this in, Anita. If you have a sunset that made you pause, we’d love to see it too!

How Foldable Totes Make Reusing Easy

Plastic bags are easy to grab and just as easy to forget. But one simple habit can help break the cycle: carrying a foldable tote.

Foldable tote bags are lightweight reusable bags that collapse into a small shape, usually the size of a wallet or even an avocado. They can clip onto your keychain, bag, or belt loop, so you always have one within reach. Unlike larger reusable bags, they’re easy to remember and hard to lose.

Plastic bags often get tossed after a few minutes, but they can take hundreds of years to break down. Foldable bags are an easy fix, one that lasts for years and helps you skip single-use plastic without extra planning.

Some people even decorate or gift them to others as a way to spread the habit. Whether it lives in your pocket or hangs from your backpack, a small foldable tote can make a big difference.

Final Thoughts:

From impactful communities to urban green living, check out this week’s top eco-friendly finds:

• 🚰 Meet YouTubers helping supply clean water to millions

• 🏞️ Explore Chattanooga’s national park city

• 🌱 Start a garden in your apartment

Reflections:

🌎 Did You Know: Touching soil may help regulate your mood. This is because a microbe in soil, Mycobacterium vaccae, has been linked to increased serotonin production.

🌅 Sunset Of The Day: The sun can provide the most beautiful photography. That's why we're eager to see your favorite sunrise or sunset photos. Reply to this email with your best sun-based pictures for a chance to be featured!