New Habitat Corridor to Take Root at West Village
Help this landscape take root!
Be part of our next 90 years! Sign up to hear about and participate in this planting opportunity and help the Arboretum and Public Garden continue to thrive.
A six-acre stretch along the western edge of West Village, between Russell Blvd. and Hutchison Dr. (See map below.), is becoming something new: a native habitat corridor designed to support wildlife, climate resilience and the surrounding community.
The West Village Habitat Corridor will transform what was a previously undeveloped open space into a landscape of California natives including meadows, locally sourced oaks and a hedgerow of shrubs. The plantings will help buffer neighboring agricultural land, reduce dust and erosion, provide wildlife habitat and create a climate-resilient landscape designed to eventually thrive with little supplemental water.
In addition, the project also preserves something West Village residents already appreciate about this part of campus: expansive views toward the Coast Range. Mounding and plant placement have been designed to add habitat and landscape interest without obscuring those views. A meandering gravel maintenance route provides access through the site for the teams responsible for its long-term care.
The approach reflects a philosophy the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden has developed over its 90-year history: look at what a landscape needs to accomplish, then find ways for it to do even more. That same thinking has helped generate efforts such as Arboretum All-Stars and the Living Landscape Adaptation Plan, turning decades of horticultural and naturalized lands experience into models for more resilient landscapes.
Growing a landscape together
Planting is expected to begin after the first substantial rains this fall. Oaks will be planted as acorns, and locally collected seed from Putah Creek and the surrounding watershed will help establish a landscape rooted quite literally in the region.
Naturalized Lands Technician Victoria Fletcher is leading planting and implementation, supported by Environmental Steward Miles DaPrato. Also helping support the site will be two of the Arboretum and Public Garden’s California Climate Action Corps fellows and the Learning by Leading™ Ecological Land Management team of UCD undergraduate students. The team will provide long-term stewardship of the site and engage community volunteers in helping the new landscape take root.
The transformation will take time and the new plants will need some help from their neighbors. Temporary fencing will remain in place for about a year while native grasses, wildflowers, oaks and other vegetation become established. Staff ask that our community and students respect the fencing and stay out of the planted areas. Many of the new plants will begin as seeds, acorns and small seedlings that can be easily damaged by foot or bicycle traffic. Giving them time and space to put down roots will help this new habitat thrive for years to come.
New plantings will receive supplemental irrigation during their first three years before being gradually weaned from it. Future additions could bring more pollinator plants and habitat diversity to the site.
As the Arboretum and Public Garden celebrates 90 years, the West Village Habitat Corridor offers a glimpse of where that legacy is growing next: applying decades of experience with plants, people and place to create campus landscapes that meet today's needs while preparing for its future.
FAQ
- Why is the West Village Habitat Corridor closed?
- New landscapes are especially vulnerable while they become established. After planting begins following the first substantial fall rains, the area will remain closed for about a year to give newly seeded grasses, shrubs and young oaks time to develop without being damaged by foot or bicycle traffic.
- Why is it so important to stay off the plantings?
- Much of what is being planted will start very small—including native grasses grown from seed and oaks planted as acorns. During the first year, seedlings can be difficult to see and easily damaged or compacted by people or bicycles passing through the site. Staying outside the fencing gives these plants the best chance to establish strong roots and grow into a healthy, resilient landscape.
- When will the area reopen?
- The current expectation is that fencing will remain in place for about a year after planting begins. The Arboretum and Public Garden's naturalized lands team will monitor the landscape and determine when it is established enough for the fencing to be removed.
- How can I help?
- The best thing you can do right now is give the new landscape room to grow by respecting the fencing and staying off the plantings. There will also be opportunities for community volunteers to help Arboretum and Public Garden staff and Climate Action Corps fellows establish the landscape. Sign up for Arboretum and Public Garden volunteer opportunities to learn how you can get involved.