Image of Learning by Leading students teaching elementary school students in the UC Davis Arboretum Environmental GATEway.

Learn & Participate

Learn & Participate

The UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden's education programs include guided tours, family nature programs, talks by artists, scholars and scientists, and classes and workshops.

The landscapes and plant collections are used for teaching in dozens of classes at UC Davis and local schools and colleges, and for research in a wide range of fields. We maintain detailed maps and records on each of the plants in the Arboretum's collection, including taxonomic information, collection data for wild-collected plants, and propagation and planting records for use in scientific research and teaching. Arboretum staff work with instructors to develop field exercises and create signs to inform visitors about ongoing research.

Due to budget limitations, we are not currently running our regular school tour program. We do have engaging weekend family programs throughout the year. We invite you to bring your family to learn about plant and animal adaptations and life cycles in an informal and fun atmosphere.

We offer multiple internships for UC Davis students in a variety of environmental restoration and environmental education specialty areas. We also work with students who wish to propose individual internships. Please visit our Learning by Leading web pages for more information and application due dates.

If you are an educator or researcher using the Arboretum in your work, we want to hear from you. We need to document research and teaching in the Arboretum to support our requests for funding.

Contacts

For information about teaching or conducting research in the Arboretum, please email arboretumresearch@ucdavis.edu.

For information about our Learning by Leading program, contact Melissa Cruz Hernandez at (530) 754-8293 or melcruz@ucdavis.edu.