visitors enjoying the Arboretum

Memories Project

Will you share your story about what
the Arboretum and Public Garden means to you?

Stories bring us together, even when we're apart.

We encourage you to share a special memory, reminisce about a favorite plant or nature sighting in our gardens, recount a fun anecdote, or simply tell us about the impact the Arboretum and Public Garden has had on your life. We love to hear about your personal connections! 

The Memories Project is one way the Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden support group is celebrating its 50th anniversary. With the partnership of all of you, and the Friends, we are “growing better together.”

We welcome photos and story submissions from volunteers, Friends members, our entire campus family and alumni, and all of our diehard community fans – everyone who loves the Arboretum and Public Garden!

The curated collection of stories will be shared on our website throughout the Friends 50th anniversary celebration.

Submit Your Own Arboretum and Public Garden Memory

A Project of the Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden

Memories from our Community!

Samuel on a tractor

Tractor Time

Name
Samuel Robert Flohr
Affiliation
Arboretum Enthusiast
Current Student
Memory

This is a picture of me driving a tractor for the first time in the Plant Propagation and Nursery Management Leading by Learning Internship. Driving a tractor was a unique and fun experience I would have never imagined I would get to experience.

Date
February 12, 2020
Lauren Glevanik

Blooming Bioswale

Name
Lauren Glevanik
Affiliation
Current Student
Memory

 I have lots of good memories in the bioswale area by Scrubs because of my fantastic Learning by Leading intern team - we planted our Pollinator Triangle and native wildflower meadow here with lots of great conversations and snacks over the last year.

Date
May 15, 2019
Grapefruit on tree

First-Rate Fruit

Name
Monica Pan
Affiliation
Member of the Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden
Current Student
Memory

The photo uploaded is a picture of the grapefruit tree on the UC Davis campus. The tree is located between Wellman and Wickson Hall. I remember my friend and I were walking by and noticed this spectacular tree. They were surprisingly huge and pretty.

Date
November 4, 2019
Squirrel on a tree looking at the camera

Fast Friends

Name
Yaxi Du
Affiliation
Current Student
Memory

Well, I barely took photos with my friends or the staff members in the Arboretum, so I chose this picture with a squirrel climbing down the tree. Squirrels are the very first friends I met when I first came to UCDavis, and they are so cute!

Date
February 7, 2020
Eldeberry flutemaking class

Cultivating Craftiness

Name
Paola Vargas
Affiliation
Current Student
Memory

I really enjoyed the eldeberry flutemaking event! It was really nice to get crafty in the middle of the quarter.

Date
February 25, 2020
A duck and a turtle sit by the water

Poolside Pals

Name
Emily Aguilar
Affiliation
Current Student
Memory

This is a picture of a duck and turtle hanging out in the arboretum. The UC Davis Arboretum has kept me connected to nature. Walking through the arboretum reminds me how important it is to protect our environment around us.

Date
March 11, 2020
Selina Sin-yee Tung poses on a bridge in Arboretum

First of Many

Name
Selina Sin-yee Tung
Affiliation
Current Student
Memory

This is a picture of me the first time I went to the Arboretum. During my fall quarter freshmen year, my roommates and I went on a bike ride and explored around of the Arboretum. Afterwards, I returned many times for morning runs and afternoon walks.

Date
October 20, 2018
Image of Anita Shahriary at the UC Davis Arboretum.

Nature's Gallery Jump!

Name
Anita Shahriary
Affiliation
Current Student
Memory

This is a photo of me visiting the Arboretum last summer. I had driven to Davis with my friend for a job interview and I realized I had never explored the Oak Grove before. We hopped on JUMP bikes and rode through the grove and ended up here!

Image of hummingbird in the hand of Lois Crowe.

A Bird in the Hand...

Name
Lois Crowe
Affiliation
Arboretum Enthusiast
Volunteer
Member of the Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden
Donor
Memory

I held a hummingbird in my hand while it recovered from being banded for research. This was in the Arboretum Teaching Nursery during a demonstration by Dr. Lisa Tell from the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine. It was an emotional experience, since we mostly see hummingbirds flashing past.

Date
September 2016
Emily Griswold in the Arboretum and Public Garden

Tree Tour Training

Name
Annika Peterson
Affiliation
Current Student
Memory

This photo was taken when Iris Garcia and I were lead on a "tree tour" through the collections West of the Arboretum Headquarters by Director of GATEways Horticulture Emily Griswold as part of our training as future co-coordinators.

Date
March 2, 2020
Abbey Hart and Will Hart in the Oak Grove

Sharing with Dad

Name
Abbey Hart
Affiliation
Current Student
Staff
Memory

Abbey Hart, Will Hart in the Oak Grove.

My dad came to visit and see the Arboretum for the first time. He's a naturalist, an admirer of ducks and over all cool-guy. I felt so proud showing him the place where I work, the beauty and habitat we create.

Date
May 30, 2019
Four students covered in Holi powder posing for a photo

Holi Festival

Name
Rini Elisabeth Jablonski
Affiliation
Current Student
Memory

(From left to right: Diane, Rini, Hannah, Vanessa)

This is from my Sophomore year when I participated in the annual Holi Festival with friends from the GATEways Outreach Program. It was such a blast smearing colors on everyone :)

Date
February 2017
Ducks in the Arboretum

A Unique Birthday

Name
Kylie Lynn Crisostomo-Rickman
Affiliation
Current Student
Memory

It was definitely a unique birthday with everything going on in the world, but I am lucky to have spent it with my best friend and housemate eating pizza in the beautiful UC Davis Arboretum (safely socially distancing!)

Date
May 18, 2020
Clouds and trees reflected in the water at the Arboretum.

A Beautiful Day

Name
Breanna Xiong
Affiliation
Arboretum Enthusiast
Member of the Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden
Current Student
Memory

I am not usually one to photograph, much less try to take nice photos. I was by myself and thought that the Arboretum looked exceptionally beautiful this day. This beautiful photo was taken without any effort, still the best I've taken of the Arb.

Date
November 1, 2016