Robert Hanna finally made the connection in middle school that he was a descendant of naturalist John Muir. Robert has spent his life since then learning about John Muir's work and developing a deep appreciation for what Muir stood for and what he was able to accomplish as a protector and advocate for our country's national parks and wild & scenic spaces. Robert is carrying on his famous ancestor's legacy through his own campaign to restore the Hetch Hetchy Valley near Yosemite National Park to its original scenic beauty. (www.hannaplus.com/restorehetchhetchy)

This conversation was recorded at the John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez, CA.

Joe Del Bosque is the familiar 'farmer in the white cowboy hat,' and the namsake of Del Bosque Farms, in Firebaugh, on the western side of the San Joaquin Valley. Joe has been immersed in the world of farming all of his life, and he shares his story about his family's farming legacy, the ever-changing dynamics of planting and harvest in California's Central Valley...and about a 2014 visit to his farm from the President of the United States!

Mike Wolcott has been a journalist for nearly 50 years; he grew up on the family farm in Tehama County, and wrote his first news story as a professional journalist when he was 16. What followed was a career as a sports reporter/columnist for distinguished newspapers all over Northern California, spending the last 7 years as the editor of one of the few remaining newspapers in the north part of the state that publishes a print edition 7 days a week. Mike shares his stories about running a newspaper in a 'purple' part of California, being the world's eyes and ears while covering the disastrous 2018 fire in Paradise, CA, and always championing a reporter's obligation to get the facts right and always be fair.

On our DEBUT podcast episode, Rabbi Mona Alfi, Senior Rabbi at Congregation B'nai Israel in Sacramento, talks about her personal faith and spiritual journey, the challenge of keeping faith during difficult times, and our human desire to find a deeper 'moral vocabulary.'