Blog & News Articles

Blog & News Articles

Big Day of Giving 2015 THANK YOU!

Thank you to everyone who gave to the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden during our region’s 24-hour Big Day of Giving on May 5th! Thanks to the generosity of current and new donors, members, volunteers, and our own staff, we raised $11,400 from 161 donors.

Festival to celebrate new garden and community connections

In celebration of the effort of multiple groups and individuals coming together to create this new outdoor, educational space and much needed connection point between the city and campus, the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden is inviting the public to a community festival and official dedication of their newest garden this Sunday from 1-3 p.m. (Dedication ceremony from 1:30-1:45 p.m.)

Campus turf reduction planning

Last year, thanks to a variety of water conservation efforts implemented by our Arboretum and Public Garden team, our campus was able to reduce our landscape water inputs by 31% — 6% more than Governor Brown’s 25% water reduction mandate — but we are still planning to do more.

Picnic Day float wins award

This year at our campus’s 101st annual Picnic Day celebration the Arboretum and Public Garden was awarded “Best Department Float” in the parade! It’s no wonder really…with a theme like “The Heart of our Community” we had a lot to work with!

Student-built bike racks constructed near Arboretum Gazebo

It's hard to believe that no bike parking existed here before, but now — thanks to a partnership with the UC Davis College of Engineering — the area around the Arboretum Gazebo, Nature’s Gallery Court, and the Ruth Risdon Storer Garden now are complete with spaces to lock up your two-wheeled vehicles!

We’re doubling the fundraising goal for our 2015 Big Day of Giving!

Leading up to and on May 5 our loyal fans, followers, and subscribers will be receiving more messages from us than usual from the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden because — like last year — we, along with 500+ non-profit organizations in our region, will be participating in our area’s Big Day of Giving and raising $5 million online almost solely from the support of our local audiences. The UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden’s goal is a bit more mo

Help prepare for the Governor’s statewide water reduction mandate

If you didn’t feel the threat of this record-breaking drought affecting your life, that all changed on Wednesday with Governor Brown’s first ever issuance of a state of emergency drought declaration mandating statewide water reductions and calling for the replacement of 50 million square feet of lawns throughout California with drought-tolerant landscaping.

Do you love the Arboretum? Join us TODAY!

May 5 is our region’s BIG Day of Giving, a 24-hour online giving challenge for the entire community. The UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden, along with 500+ other local non-profits, will be asking you to support what you value and love. Last year, support from generous donors during Big Day of Giving helped us expand our FREE public programs in the Arboretum. This year we want to do even more and have set a goal to raise $12,000 in one day!

Guess the weight of the Arboretum and Public Garden staff?

“Guess the weight” photos have become a tradition at the UC Davis Thank Goodness for Staff (TGFS) picnic each May. This year the photo features quite a few UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden staff in addition to our iconic Shovel Gateway Sculpture, part of the Arboretum GATEway Garden that links our campus to downtown Davis.

Former curator to help conserve 63,000 acres of Bay Area watershed land

After nearly a decade, Mia Ingolia, the Curator and GIS Manager at the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden, has accepted a new position as a biologist/botanist at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. The SFPUC manages 63,000 acres of watershed lands and 210-miles of rights-of-way in three Bay Area counties. These diverse landscapes are home to many federally- and state-listed rare plants and animals.

UC Davis landscape operations featured in Facility Executive magazine

In April, Cary Avery, associate director, will be featured in the print and online edition of Facility Executive, a trade magazine for corporate facility executives. The article, a Q & A with Cary about his team’s operations, includes information about the accreditation and how they conserve resources while improving campus safety and aesthetics.