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Happy Thursday

“In the end, we will conserve only what we love.”

Baba Dioum

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

• Meet the sea turtle nest sitters

• Why we feel better near the water

• Building smart money habits

• The quiet joy of a nature journal

• Should you invest in art?

Meet the Sea Turtle Nest Sitters

Every summer, something quiet and remarkable unfolds along the beaches of North Carolina’s Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Under the cover of dark, endangered sea turtles haul themselves ashore, dig deep into the sand, and lay hundreds of eggs before slipping back into the waves.

Those eggs need about 60 days to incubate, and a lot can happen in two months. To give the nests their best shot, the National Park Service trains locals to become sea turtle nest sitters, volunteers who watch over the nests through the evening hours. They keep nesting areas safe, answer questions from curious beachgoers, and call in the rangers the moment tiny hatchlings begin to stir.

It’s a lovely reminder that protecting something fragile often comes down to ordinary people simply showing up. This season alone, the seashore has already counted dozens of nests to look after, each one a small promise of the summers to come. If you ever find yourself near the Outer Banks, it might be one of the most meaningful ways to spend a warm evening.

Why We Feel Better Near the Water

There's a reason a day by the water leaves you feeling lighter. Researchers actually have a name for that calm, slightly dreamy feeling: "Blue Mind," a term coined by marine biologist Wallace Nichols in his book exploring how being near, in, or on water affects human health and well-being.

The science behind it is pretty fascinating. Being near water can increase feel-good hormones like dopamine and oxytocin in the brain, while levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop at the same time. Researchers also believe that this happens because water creates a state of "involuntary attention," where the mind is gently held by water's constant, ever-changing movement. That's part of why a walk along the shore can feel so restorative, even if you can't quite explain why.

So if summer has you craving a swim, a slow walk along the shore, or simply a moment with your feet in the sand, consider it time well spent. You don't need an ocean to get the benefit, either. The same calming effect applies near a lake, river, swimming pool, or even the sound of a fountain. Your nervous system will thank you, and so will the part of you that just wants to breathe a little deeper.

The Quiet Joy of a Nature Journal

If you’re after a hobby that asks nothing of you except a little attention, a nature journal might be the one. There’s no right way to keep it. A few words about the birds at your feeder, a pressed flower, a quick sketch of the evening sky, it all counts.

The magic is in the noticing. Once you start writing things down, you begin to see more, the way the light shifts after dinner, the first ripe tomato, the moth that visits your porch each night. Summer has a way of rushing past, and a journal gently slows it back down.

You don’t need anything fancy to begin. Any notebook and a pen will do. Keep it by the window or tuck it in your bag, and let it fill up at its own pace. By the time the season turns, you’ll have a little record of all the small, good things you might have otherwise missed.

Investors see ANOTHER return from Masterworks (!!!!)

That’s 6 sales in 7 months. 29 all time. And the performance?

16.5%, 17.6%, and 17.8%, net annualized returns on sold works held longer than one year (See all 29 at Masterworks.com)

It’s not from stocks, private equity, or real estate… it’s from contemporary and post war art. Crazy, right?

With Masterworks, you don’t need to be a BILLIONAIRE to invest in multi-million dollar art anymore.

Historically, the segment overall has had attractive appreciation and low correlation to stocks.*

Masterworks targets works featuring legends like Banksy, Basquiat, and Picasso, identifying what they believe to have significant long-term appreciation potential, not just at the artist level but at the level of individual artworks.

As one of the largest players in the art market, with $1.3 billion invested over 500 artworks, they pass critical advantages through to their 70,000+ members to add art to their portfolios strategically.

Looking to diversify your investments in 2026?

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^{*According to Masterworks data. Investing involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. See important Reg A disclosures at masterworks.com/cd.}

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