Once Upon A Bay cover art

Once Upon A Bay

Once Upon A Bay

By: Michael Herz & Kate Josephs
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About this listen

Former Baykeeper Michael Herz loves San Francisco Bay and spent decades defending it from polluters. Kate Josephs learned to love it from 3,000 miles away, as Mike told her story after story during a long sojourn in Maine. When the Bay pulled them back, they moved onto a trawler in Pablo Bay. Now they're collecting and sharing stories that celebrate what they call one of most extraordinary bodies of water on earth.

From shipwrecks and whale migrations to hippies, fish stories, courtroom battles, and secret CIA vessels, ONCE UPON A BAY invites listeners to dive into the natural and human history of San Francisco Bay, taking special note of its fragility, its resilience, and all the people who love it.

Kate Josephs
Episodes
  • The Baykeeper & Me

    The Baykeeper & Me
    Feb 20 2026

    A New York newspaper story leads to marriage, a life on the water, and a mission to help the world fall in love with San Francisco Bay.

    In 1989, a bored venture capital analyst in a New York skyscraper read a story about a man patrolling San Francisco Bay in search of polluters. She had no idea she would marry him, move onto a boat, and start a podcast with him 30 years later,

    In this debut episode of ONCE UPON A BAY, hosts Kate Josephs and Michael Herz share the improbable story of how their lives — and their love — became entwined with San Francisco Bay.

    Mike, founder of San Francisco Baykeeper, spent decades defending its waters from polluters and fighting for the wildlife and communities that depend on it. Kate, a lifelong New Englander, had to learn to love the Bay one story at a time. Now, floating together in their aging trawler, they invite listeners to share those stories. From the founding of Baykeeper to whale watching off the Golden Gate, oil spill battles, and a psychedelic pivot that changed everything, this episode sets the stage for a series about history, science, activism, and a deep devotion to place.

    🌊 Learn More

    If you’d like to help protect and celebrate San Francisco Bay, visit onceuponabay.org and click “Be a Keeper.”

    🎵 Music Credits

    Theme music by Zac Bentz.

    I have used background music which is owned by FesliyanStudios via https://www.FesliyanStudios.com. Please DO NOT add this audio content to the Youtube Content ID System.

    “Did you know? (Curiouser and curiouser)” by Fabian Measures is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International License.

    ▣ Cover Art

    Cover art by Level Five Graphics, Inc.
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    21 mins
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