Four out of the five weirs for Phase 1 of the Arboretum Waterway Maintenance and Enhancement Project are complete, and the last weir should be finished by the end of September. This means we are very close to being able to return water to the channel and watch the water flow over the new weirs and through the wetland plantings.

UC Davis Hummingbird GATEway Garden demonstrates how to create dedicated habitats to support hummingbirds year round, sheds light on the importance of the hummingbird population, its decline, and the work being done at UC Davis to help support them.

The first weir has been built. Now it has walls, a spillway, and wetland retaining walls on the upstream and downstream sides of the weir. This series of weirs, along with the pump and underground pipe that will move water along the length of the project, are the structures that will transform the Arboretum Waterway from a flat pond to a flowing waterway.

More updates on the Arboretum Waterway Maintenance and Enhancement Project: splash pad concrete poured, weir creation begins, new Learning by Leading Student Co-Coordinators

Did you know that the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden also maintains and operates the Putah Creek Riparian Reserve (Reserve), several hundred acres along 5.5 miles of Putah Creek on the UC Davis campus? Our campus utilizes this riparian and grassland ecosystem for teaching and research purposes, wildlife and habitat protection, and community engagement. We are extremely fortunate to have the Reserve as a campus resource because, according to the State of California Wildlife Conservation Board, humans have removed, degraded, and disturbed 95% of California’s streamside habitat since the Gold Rush.

How to create a pet-friendly garden with plants that enrich your pets' lives and your garden's aesthetic.

Recently we asked volunteers and supporters Jay and Terry Davison, longtime Friends of the Arboretum and Public Garden, to share their thoughts about why they have planned a gift to the Arboretum and Public Garden in their estate.

Updates on the Arboretum Waterway Maintenance and Enhancement Project: unexpected rainfall, new pump delivered, new path being constructed

Avid birders Randy Beaton and Sid England required a low-maintenance garden that takes care of itself much of the time.  They also wanted to create a front yard that would support native creatures and what better way than by using native California plants.

How the Putah Creek Riparian Reserve scored a new road, parking lot and native plant meadow

The Arboretum Waterway is not only the centerpiece of the Arboretum; it is an essential piece of our campus’s water infrastructure. Despite its high-profile importance, the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden has never had a staff member actively managing it, until now! Please welcome to our staff Waterway Steward Nina Suzuki!

Major updates about Phase 1 of the Arboretum Waterway Maintenance and Enhancement Project, including a temporary dam, our new waterway steward, our successful Waterway WOW! campaign, sediment removal, bank reshaping and more!

Thank you to everyone who gave to the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden’s Waterway WOW! campaign this spring! New donors plus many generous members, volunteers, community members, and alumni made gifts totaling over $68,000, exceeding our goal for the campaign.

Gardening tips for weather changes in May