The power of art to aid in healing grief is one theme of a new documentary about Petaluma's David Best, and the temples he creates for Burning Man.

French filmmaker, Laurent Le Gall , focused his work on Petaluma artist David Best,who is known worldwide for the temples he has designed and built at Burning Man. Voyage to Utopia tracks the creation and response to Best's Temple of Honor at the 2003 Burning Man. See two different views of the Temple below.

 

 

 

 

 To see more of David Best's creations, click here.

 

For more information about filmmaker Laurent Le Gall, click here .

 Burning Man: Voyage In Utopia premieres in Sebastopol on September 18^th. To purchase tickets, click here .

 

What does the future hold for the swath of vacant land that was once meant to hold an extension of Highway 12 through Santa Rosa's east side?

 Julie Combs of the Neighborhood Association of Bennett Valley describes the present state of the Highway 12 right-of-way lands:

 

           

After CalTrans was unable to build a planned extension of Highway 12 through Bennett Valley and over Spring Lake (above)  because of community resistance, the future of the land that was acquired for that project (see overhead view and map below) has remained in limbo.

 

On September 16^th, the Neighborhood Association of Bennett Valley will  to discuss transportation issues as they pertain to the land that was meant to be a continuation of Hwy 12, at their regular monthly meeting.

 

To visit their website and read more about their upcoming meeting, click here.

 

 

 

 

Rattlesnakes may be poisonous, but they don't want to bite anything bigger than they can swallow.

 

This year, higher number of rattlesnakes means higher chance of finding one on your property. Leaping Lizard Rescue is a non profit organization that rescues animals using humane tactics. Hear Barbie Hoffman describe her approach below:

 

 

Listen below to hear Barbie Hoffman describe the largest rattlesnake she's had to deal with.

 

 

 

To visit the Leaping Lizard Rescue website, and see  a list of Do's and Don'ts on handling Rattlesnakes, click here.

The California Department of Fish and Game also has some advice pertaining to rattlesnakes here .

Leaping Lizard Rescue Center will also be part of the Tolay Fall Festival at the new county park above Lakeville Highway, where they will host the Creepy Crawly Critter Room. Find event details here .

 

 

 

The most critical natural resource on the planet is at risk, but its not one we’re accustomed to thinking of as endangered.

 

Dr. Vandana Shiva is the founder of Navdanya International , an India-based science and policy research center. Its mission: "To protect nature and people's rights to knowledge, biodiversity, water and food."

 

Dr. Shiva notes that pesticide use contributes to the "desertification" of soils, a process that is accelerated when the soil is poor to begin with.

One little-known consequence of the widespread adoption of genetically modified cotton seed by farmers in India has been a surge in suicides by debt-ridden farmers whose crops do not earn enough to pay their seed bills. Dr. Shiva says that a generation ago, suicide was rare in India, but the numbers now suggest there is a new death approximately every 20 mintes.

On August 27^th, the Jackson Theater at Sonoma Country Day School in Santa Rosa will host an evening with Dr. Shiva, advocate and author as well as winner of the alternative Nobel Peace Prize. For more information about the speaking event, click here . KRCB will also record her presentation for later broadcast next month.