We're back at Pacheco Marsh, this time on a tour and work day with the John Muir Land Trust and Friends of Alhambra Creek. It's our chance to learn about the invasive species which are pressuring the marsh, and about the Land Trust and its ambitious plans to restore other wetlands, and maintain this one.

We've been away due to a family health crisis, but we're back! Just in time for historic streetcars, vintage buses, and the all-time favorite: the boat tram! (Not to mention the cablecars.) It's MUNI Heritage Weekend in San Francisco. Learn about the historic streetcars, the Market Street Railway, and find out what the the Routle is. You will definitely want to check out the show notes on this one for photos and links!

Let's talk recycling from a little different angle. Meet Race to Zero Waste! I guarantee you will get answers to some of your recycling questions.

Want to incorporate native plants into your garden? Or just hear about local plants? There is a lot more to it than I thought. We talk with Beth Wurzburg of the California Native Plant Society about their nursery, Native Here, in Tilden Park.

Now renamed Pacheco Marsh, the newly restored five mile stretch at the mouth of Walnut Creek is our newest park. In January, 2023, we toured the restoration in progress. Now we get the before and after as we attend the park's grand opening on May 3, 2025. Enjoy conversations with some of the celebrants, and fascinating descriptions of how the engineers at the Contra Costa County Flood Control District made it happen.

Even P&GE wants you to replace your gas appliances! Bill Olsen from the Contra Costa chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby explains how to get started, what it might cost, and how to make a plan.

More on the refinery saga.

And a brief update on the second anniversary of the Thanksgiving toxic release.

Here's the first update to our coverage of the refinery.

Here's our first episode about the refinery and its depredations.

There's never a dull moment living near the Martinez Refinery! After being assessed a $4.5 million penalty, you would think they would clean up their act, but you would be wrong. Heidi Taylor of Healthy Martinez brings us up to date - or almost up to date. After this episode was recorded, on the refinery's very first day of restarting operations, another fire broke out and a worker was injured.

Got a broken toaster? Leggings with a torn seam? A broken necklace? The Repair Cafe is here for you.

Marsh Creek runs from the flanks of Mt Diablo to the San Joaquin River, and it is full of surprising wildlife! For the MLK Day of Service, we are picking up trash and keeping our eyes peeled.

Continuing our exploration of area creeks, we are revisiting a 2023 episode about one of the biggest waterway projects in the area, one that is slated to become a public park: the Lower Walnut Creek Restoration Project.

Happy Thanksgiving! Like everyone, we are busy busy with holiday cheer, so we are doing a minisode updating three prior episodes.

You may already be using iNaturalist as an app on your phone to identify plants and animals. If you aren't yet, you will want to get started by the end of this episode! And did you know that it got its start right here in the Bay Area? Now it's a worldwide phenomenon used by lay contributors and scientists alike. Join us as iNat board member Cat Chang explains how it works, how it got its start, and what it is used for.

So far in our creeks series, we have been looking at attempts to restore them to as close to natural as possible. But what if we look at urban creeks in a different way, as their own ecosystems, including the unhoused people who live along them? How will climate change affect these systems? In this episode, we go out in the field and talk to Dr. Costanza Rampini of San Jose State and Dr. Gregory Pasternack of UC Davis, researchers who are investigating exactly this issue in a Bay Area project...

The friends of San Ramon Creek are amazing! Tune in to hear about all they have accomplished. I guarantee you will want to join them.

After a short hiatus in August, we're back with a new series: Friends of the Creeks! Every friends group is different. Join us as we tour the Alhambra Native Plant Trail with the Friends of Alhambra Creek.

Fossil fuels are doing serious damage to the planet, yet public pension funds continue to invest in them. A lot of people and organizations think that's wrong, including our guest in this episode, Dr. Carlos Davidson, emeritus professor of environmental science at San Francisco State. We learn what's happening in the campaign for fossil fuel divestment.