Thanks to funding from Museums for America, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and UC Davis, the weedy field at the very east end of the Arboretum will soon be transformed to a garden featuring plants native to the lower Putah Creek watershed. The garden will feature themed plantings and interpretive signs to educate the public about regional flora and fauna, the history of the Putah Creek watershed, and how to create sustainable landscapes with native plants.

As the result of an additional grant funding request currently in progress, this area may also include three teaching patios, a demonstration rain garden, and a wayfinding kiosk to orient visitors from downtown Davis to the Arboretum.