Kevin Lunny founded West Marin Compost after realizing the local need to recycle organic materials from the area into nutrient-rich and biologically active soil amendments which could be placed right back into the land in Marin County. Lunny's creation of the composting facility filled a void in the...

Jack Chambers co-founded the Sonoma Valley Worm Farm a quarter of a century ago after a surprising discovery in his home garden's compost bin. The composting worms he had bought from a local bait worm farm had processed his compost pile into a refined and nutrient-dense soil––vermicompost. Ever sinc...

In the tidal marshes at San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge, research ecologist Karen Thorne, PhD and biologist Chase Freeman, from the USGS Western Ecological Research Center, study how quickly sediment accumulates in the marshland over time. They use a surface elevation table (SET), a device th...

In this edition of Bay Area Bountiful, we dig below Earth’s surface to get the dirt on what it takes to make healthy soils. We learn about the impacts of soil salinity, why composting and carbon sequestering are vital, how soils can retain more water and recharge subterranean aquifers, and what the...

Taiko, or Japanese drum performance, is thrilling contemporary entertainment rooted in deep cultural traditions. Founded in San Jose's Japantown in 1973, San Jose Taiko has grown to become one of the premiere taiko ensembles in the world. Artistic Director Franco Imperial describes what it is like t...

Naheed Hasnat Senzai is a successful Bay Area author of Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction. She specializes in writing stories that feature diverse characters with lives rooted in rich cultural heritages. Many confront challenges that newcomers to the U.S. often face. She believes, "You introduce...