Bay Curious

Bay Curious is a podcast for people who like to discover new things about the places they live. The host of the show is Olivia Allen-Price. She's a journalist and senior editor at KQED, the San Francisco Bay Area public radio station. Allen-Price has also written a book, Bay Curious. Like the podcast, it's a guide to the quirkier aspects of the Bay Area.

Episodes of Bay Curious all start with a question. Sometimes a listener submits it, and sometimes Allen-Price and her team come up with it. The question can be about anything. There is only one criterion-it has to be pertinent to the Bay Area. Why do people fish off Highway 101? Why do the redwoods look sick? Has the increase in electric vehicles had an impact on the air quality of the region? Why are there so many crows?

Once they've received the question, Allen-Price and her team of journalists investigate. The result is a 15-minute Bay Curious podcast episode. In it, listeners learn about the bottleneck under 101 that makes it a prime spot for catching striped bass and halibut. They discover how urbanization and climate change might make it difficult for redwood trees to thrive. They also learn how more electric cars could mean better air quality. They hear how a recent increase in crow populations might be due to their adapting to an urban environment.

Every question receives the care one can expect from a public radio station. The journalists provide plenty of background information before answering the question. They interview experts in the field. There's something to learn in every episode.

Listeners of Bay Curious will also enjoy the "lightning round" episodes. In those, Allen-Price answers several listener questions in quick succession.

Bay Curious is a great choice for listeners who love to browse Wikipedia. Curious Bay Area kids and adults may also enjoy listening to the podcast. The questions make excellent conversation starters. It's both a fun and educational listen.