Last week, during National Volunteer Appreciation Week, we were thrilled to once again welcome community volunteers back to the landscapes and nursery. This comes after our Arboretum and Public Garden volunteer program was put on hiatus over a year ago due to pandemic-related campus health and safety restrictions.

UC Davis Transportation Services has a new way for visitors to pay for parking with the ParkMobile app, available for download on both Apple and Android operating systems.

Parking remains free on the weekends. For weekday parking, campus visitors now have the option to pay hourly parking rates ($1.50 per hour) or the $10 daily permit fee. (Previously, on weekdays, visitors only had the option of purchasing the $10 daily permit.)

The Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden—our community support group celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2021—has been a tremendous partner in fostering the excellence of our gardens, programs, staff and students. Would you or someone you know be interested in doing more for the Friends?  

On the south side of Lake Spafford, nestled among heritage trees and a sprawling California buckeye, sits a unique, multi-tiered deck constructed from redwood to honor the grove nearby. The open-air location, enjoyed by thousands every year, retains a history with an extended local family – the Unger-Yackzan family.

The project to replace the over 50-year-old Wyatt Deck begins this spring with demolition of the two lower wooden decks set for early spring and the rebuilt deck slated to re-open by winter 2022. During this time, visitors will be directed to take detours. (See images of Wyatt Deck's current condition.)

The UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden is partnering with the Aggie Public Health Ambassador (APHA) program to further promote safety, community, and well-being through education on and encouragement of COVID-safe health behaviors in the Arboretum such as face cover wearing, hand sanitation, and physical distancing.

To perfectly complement the relaxing and beautiful nature of the Arboretum, UC Davis has made an "Arbo Anthems" music playlist on Spotify. In early November, the UC Davis official Instagram account asked the community to submit songs that they would like to see on the playlist via Instagram stories. The inspiration for the playlist?