The California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is a resilient and widespread species. At present, systematists may recognize 18 taxa within the genus, with ranges that extend into Utah, New Mexico, and northern Mexico. These taxa exhibit a rich nomenclatural history that can help explain how and why plants get their names, and how the early descriptions influence—and at times muddle—our current taxonomic outlook.
Look up! Is it a bird? A plane? It’s our community’s urban forest canopy – and it is providing public health, environmental and economic benefits to all Davis community members every day!
By utilizing the Friends’ personal archives, memories, and newsletters, we were able to create a dynamic Story Map detailing the history of trees throughout the historic, 100-acre Arboretum. This map specifically highlights our largest tree collections, the Peter J. Shields Oak Grove and the T. Elliot Weier Redwood Grove, as well as other notable trees throughout the collections.
The Arboretum and Public Garden team maintains all of the campus landscape. As part of our "Campus Recommissioning" effort to prepare for the return of students, faculty and staff to in-person instruction this fall, we are recruiting summer student employees to work throughout campus on landscape maintenance and improvements.
A 50-year-anniversary milestone, while significant in any circumstance, is especially momentous as the world begins to emerge from a pandemic that shined a spotlight on the importance of nearby nature and outdoor recreation as one of the only allowed respites from in-home isolation.
The Pinkerton Prize for Outstanding Student Contributions to the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden was created in the early 1990s by Bret Hewitt and his late wife Deborah Pinkerton, the first environmental education employee at the Arboretum and Public Garden. The prize honors exceptional Learning by Leading™ students participating in our environmental education programs. The 2021 award winners were Aliciá Ayala, Anita Shahriary and Laura Gomez.
A number of turtles in the Arboretum Waterway that compete for the best places to bask above water, so students in our Learning by Leading™ Waterway Stewardship program are incorporating some of the deck's planks into their latest floating island project.
On behalf of the entire Arboretum and Public Garden team — and everyone who loves Wyatt Deck — we extend warm appreciation to community donors who supported our “All Welcome on Wyatt Deck” campaign!
Last week, during National Volunteer Appreciation Week, we were thrilled to once again welcome community volunteers back to the landscapes and nursery. This comes after our Arboretum and Public Garden volunteer program was put on hiatus over a year ago due to pandemic-related campus health and safety restrictions.
UC Davis Transportation Services has a new way for visitors to pay for parking with the ParkMobile app, available for download on both Apple and Android operating systems.
The Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden—our community support group celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2021—has been a tremendous partner in fostering the excellence of our gardens, programs, staff and students. Would you or someone you know be interested in doing more for the Friends?
On the south side of Lake Spafford, nestled among heritage trees and a sprawling California buckeye, sits a unique, multi-tiered deck constructed from redwood to honor the grove nearby. The open-air location, enjoyed by thousands every year, retains a history with an extended local family – the Unger-Yackzans.
We are hiring two Student Horticulturists for spring quarter, with potential to extend into summer and beyond. Students will help with horticultural garden work, focusing on plant collection health and safety. Use your gardening skills to enhance visitor experience and gain experience working outdoors.
The Putah Creek Natural Reserve Technicians will work with Arboretum staff within the Putah Creek Riparian Reserve and the Campus Naturalized Lands to execute a wide variety of natural resource stewardship tasks associated with the ongoing management and maintenance of the these diverse public spaces.