Memories Listings

I come to the Gazebo to relax in the shade or study. I like the open area and the view of the waterway and plants around me. It is my favorite place to go whenever I am feeling stressed.

I got married in the Arboretum in September 1986. Happy ever after!

I came to UC Davis for the plant sale. I took a long walk along the Arboretum creek, a ‘Zen’ walk. I found a new plant there: Leucophyllum frustescens. BEAUTIFUL! I came back to the sale and made my second purchase of the day. 

I am a naturalist for the UC Davis Arboretum and participated in the “Storytime Through the Seasons” series of family events. For this particular Native American-themed event, I was in the music section. I asked both the parents and children to participate and proceeded to teach a couple of Native American songs to the group, having them sing and dance, using Native American instruments like clappers.

I remember a University employee cultivating around the young redwood trees with a black Percheron draft horse in the early 1940’s. The arboretum certainly looked a lot hotter and drier that it does now!  

During the end of March or early April 1941, I saw the arboretum area brim-to-brim with brown flood water.

The Arboretum has always been a magical place for our family, filled with fond memories starting back in our beginning days of dating and courtship as students here at UC Davis in the mid 70’s. The love of my life and I would often picnic by “the duck ponds” near Mrak Hall. We even contemplated a simple outdoor wedding at the Wyatt Deck, as it is now called. However, in those early days, it was not so quaintly named!

When we moved into our new home, the land around the house was completely bare. During the last 23 years I have rarely missed an Arboretum plant sale and I have never left empty-handed. More often than not, my truck returned home loaded to the gills with native California plants, Mediterranean, South African, and Australian specimens. So that by now much of my garden resembles the Arboretum on campus.

Our family and friends dedicated a bench in memory of my father and brother, Robert and Michael Kelleher. The bench looks lovely and I can’t wait to rest on it as I watch the joggers, bikers and walkers pass by. I too worked for UC Davis and my father, brother, and I spent many days walking the Arboretum together. Of course, that was back in the days when the geese and ducks pooped all over the Mrak Hall lawn area and begged contributions from bag lunches, before the eggheads. I do confess to feeding the ducks and geese bread.

"One evening on an adventure to tour the Storer Garden to get plant ideas, we saw next to the garden a camel being led! We did a double take—the camel being eight feet tall—and it really was a camel. Only in Davis would you see a camel in the Arboretum," said Nancy Foster, Arboretum Volunteer.

My first encounter with the Arboretum was April 2009. I had won a free flight to Davis and I was determined to go and visit this famous arboretum. I visited and fell in love with it. It’s because of the Arboretum that I decided to attend this university. So the Arboretum basically shaped my future!  I LOVE the Arboretum.

My interest in acacias really started about 1960 when I was studying the formation and metabolism of cyanogenic compounds—compounds that release hydrogen cyanide when a plant’s cellular structure is disrupted, e.g. when eaten by animals. When I learned that acacias are cyanogenic, I approached Roman Gankin, the Arboretum superintendent, and asked him to consider increasing the acacia collection. Roman was very accommodating.

I have observed Donna Billick's community work for many years and wished I could participate so that I could see how she coordinates many people to produce such marvelous cooperative pieces. Being invited to participate in the Art/Science Fusion project as an Arboretum volunteer was a perfect opportunity.

My husband and I got married at Putah Creek Lodge in the Arboretum on August 8, 1987. The morning ceremony took place on a gorgeous summer day, under the trees at the west end of the lawn; everything was serenely perfect. Even the ducks waddling around in front of the wedding party were charming.

I graduated in 1961.  When I started in 1957, UC Davis had about 2,200 students, fewer than my current high school had at it's prime.  I believe I entered the second year that the College of Letters and Science was in existence.  Prior to that, Davis was all agriculture engineering and home ec.  When I graduated in 1961, Davis had grown to about 5,000.

In June of 2009, we were married at the Putah Creek Lodge in the Arboretum. We had the ceremony under the large oak tree in the meadow behind the Lodge and the reception on the patio of the Lodge. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day and place. The grass was green, the trees were full, and all the flowers were blooming. It was beautiful. We both grew up here and have spent much time in the Arboretum and getting married there seemed like the perfect way to celebrate the Arboretum and our love. Thank you for letting us enjoy it!