ABALONE: The Remarkable History and Uncertain Future of California’s Iconic Shellfish
From rocky coves at Mendocino and Monterey to San Diego’s reefs, abalone have held a cherished place in California culture for millennia. Prized for iridescent shells and delectable meat, these unique shellfish inspired indigenous artisans, bohemian writers, California cuisine, and the popular sport of skin diving, but also became a highly coveted commercial commodity. Mistakenly regarded as an inexhaustible seafood, abalone ultimately became vulnerable to overfishing and early impacts of climate change. Read more
KITCHEN LITERACY: How We Lost Knowledge of Where Food Comes From and Why We Need to Get It Back
Ask children where food comes from, and they’ll probably answer, “the supermarket.” Ask most adults, and their replies may not be much different. Where our foods are raised and what happens to them between farm and supermarket shelf have become mysteries. How did we come to the modern-day situation of knowing so little about the foods that nourish us every day? Read more
DISCOVERING THE UNKNOWN LANDSCAPE:
A History of America’s Wetlands
The rapidly disappearing wetlands that once spread so abundantly across the American continent serve essential and irreplaceable ecological roles. Yet for centuries, Americans have viewed them with disdain. Beginning with the first European settlers, we have thought of them as “swamps” associated with sickness and landscapes worse than useless unless they could be drained, filled, paved or otherwise "improved." As neither dry land, which can be owned and controlled by individuals, nor bodies of water, which are considered a public resource, wetlands have in recent years been at the center of controversy over issues of environmental protection and property rights. The confusion and contention that surround wetland issues today are the products of a long and convoluted history. Read more