Nature's Archive #119: Are Worms the Solution to Toxic Algal Blooms? Sam Baker from WriggleBrew.
Today's episode is one of the more encouraging and hopeful conversations I've had the pleasure of recording. My guest is Sam Baker, co-founder of WriggleBrew, a company on a mission to combat one of the most insidious environmental issues we face today: toxic algal blooms.
These blooms occur globally, devastating everything from our local inland lakes to the vast expanse of the Gulf of Mexico, and even here in the San Francisco Bay, right in my own backyard. They create vast "dead zones" that choke out life, and their leading cause is something you might not expect: synthetic fertilizers.
In this episode, Sam and I get into the details of why synthetic fertilizers leave a trail of destruction, and why they've become so deeply ingrained in large-scale farming. We'll explore how Wriggle Brew has developed a game-changing solution by figuring out how to scale up worm casting production into a stable liquid form—a critical breakthrough for sustainable agriculture.
And we don't stop there. Did you know that some insect larvae can break down plastics? Sam shares how he and his team are working to replicate that process in bioreactors. It's an inspiring look at how nature and innovation can come together to solve some of our biggest problems.
This is a truly fascinating and hopeful discussion, and I can't wait for you to hear it.
You can find WriggleBrew and learn more about their work at wrigglebrew.com, and at wrigglebrew on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
FULL SHOW NOTES (with photos!)
Related Episodes
Gabe Brown: https://naturesarchive.com/2023/06/19/regenerative/
Elaine Ingham: https://naturesarchive.com/2022/02/07/soil/
LINKS
The Soil Triangle (texture)
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Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com
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Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!