Education and Research

The Arboretum's public education programs include guided tours, family nature programs, talks by artists, scholars, and scientists, and classes and workshops. We offer environmental education programs supporting the California state standards for 2nd-4th grade classes in the spring and fall.

The site and plant collections are used for teaching in dozens of classes at UC Davis and local schools and colleges, and for research in a wide range of fields. We maintain detailed maps and records on each of the plants in the Arboretum's collection, including taxonomic information, collection data for wild-collected plants, and propagation and planting records for use in scientific research and teaching. Arboretum staff work with instructors to develop field exercises and create signs to inform visitors about ongoing research.

We offer internships for UC Davis students in sustainable gardening, California native plants, plant propagation and nursery operations, environmental education, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). We also work with students who wish to propose individual internships.

If you are an educator or researcher using the Arboretum in your work, we want to hear from you. We need to document research and teaching in the Arboretum to support our requests for funding.

For information about conducting research in the Arboretum, contact curator Mia Ingolia at (530) 754-8219 or meingolia@ucdavis.edu.

For information about university teaching in the Arboretum, contact Elaine Fingerett at (530) 754-5686 or efingerett@ucdavis.edu.