Give to our Trees for Tomorrow campaign April 19-May 2!

Your donation will help us establish a more climate-resilient tree canopy across the UC Davis campus and provide support for the student environmental leaders central to the work. Learn more and give today!

Learning by Leading

Learning by Leading

We believe that students learn best by leading. In this innovative environmental restoration and education program, leadership skills and real-world experience combine to help our students address the earth’s most important environmental issues. The Learning by Leading™ internship program offers quarter-long and school year-long internships in which students work in a team to solve real-world problems in the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden. 

Image of Sustainable Horticulture students installing a landscape on Putah Creeek Drive.

NOW HIRING 20+ Student Landscape Assistants for the Summer

 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.

Image of Zoom meeting with the 2021 Pinkerton Prize awardees and Bret Hewitt, the founder of the prize.

2021 Pinkerton Prize Winners Announced

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.
urban tree stewardship interns planting a tree on campus

Urban Tree Stewardship

 Spring Fundraising Campaign 
(Apr. 19 - May 2)

This year, we are focusing on raising $70,000+ in community donations to help us establish a more climate-resilient tree canopy across UC Davis.

By nurturing the campus tree canopy and the students who care for it, donors catalyze our work to engage, empower, and educate people of our community to create resilient, climate-ready landscapes, enrich our beautiful campus, and foster a healthier environment for everyone.

Image from the video reading of Bests are the Best.

Children's Pollinator Books Read Aloud

Students participating in our Learning by Leading Habitat Horticulture program read children's books about pollinators. These videos were created during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way for kids (and adults!) to learn more about the importance of pollinators as we all sheltered in place. 

Image of a hand drawing an oak tree with a rainbow above it.

Oak Gall's History and Life Cycle

Join our Learning by Leading™ GATEways Outreach team as they explain what oak galls (aka oak apples) are, how they are created by wasps in addition to creative ways they are used by humans to create ink in this charming and educational explainer video!

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