The Explorit Science Center in Davis, which suspended operations this year after the death of a major donor, has begun to form plans for how it might return. It has a $50,000 pledge from one of its founding families — the nonprofit started in 1982 —  and, says Explorit board President Ken Kaplan, a rough-draft idea for the center to evolve into an “education hub” focusing on science, nature and technology.

A project to raise matching funds and more should go public later this year or in early 2026, Kaplan says on today’s Davisville, adding that community support will make or break the revival. Our topics include Explorit’s hands-on approach to learning, a tough year for nonprofits in general, the public shift toward digital and away from in-person events, strengthening connections between UC Davis and Davis (Kaplan is a UC Davis professor of cell and molecular biology), and other aspects of Explorit’s efforts this year to find its way back.

The music this week is a mix of a little bit of everything—each selection chosen with the help of my guest, Chris Tracy. The image shows half of his name because he was only on the show for half the time… which means he’ll be back! Chris lives here in Davis with his family and is deeply involved in the local music scene. He’s an accomplished drummer and plays in a couple of bands, so stay tuned as we spin some of his favorite picks.

Today's topics: planting milkweed, Pacific irises, those yellow flowering trees, sowbugs, and more