It all started with a box of bones hidden under a bed. 

The La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles have preserved the bones of animals trapped there centuries before. 

Poet Cathy Gilbert says that learning about a personal connection with the Tar Pits inspired her work.

Gilbert discusses volunteering to clean artifacts at the La Brea Tar Pits and excavating her own family's history.

View the transcript here.