Kathleen Socolofsky, assistant vice chancellor and director of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden, received the first leadership award granted by the Excelerate Foundation, an organization that supports nonprofits that motivate positive social change. The award honors her work creating an innovative and transformative model for university and public gardens worldwide.

On Saturday, October 18, 2014 the UC Davis Arboretum Ambassadors, Bohart Museum of Entomology interns, UC Davis Entomology Club students, students from UC Davis Wild Campus, and Department of Entomology Professor Robbin Thorpe joined forces to facilitate our first annual Nature Discovery Day–an outstanding public program for all ages!

Construction has begun on the first part of a multi-year plan to improve access and create campus- and visitor-friendly features at the west end of the Arboretum. The area is part of an exciting initiative zone that contains several large, campus-funded projects.

This path will be closed intermittently again in mid-January in order to complete construction on the bridge. The creation of a small bridge will close a portion of the north side of the Arboretum loop—in the Mediterranean Collection—starting October 20, 2014 through mid-November.

We’ve developed a terrific community partnership with Whole Foods Market Davis! Here are examples of how their team has collaborated with the Arboretum and Public Garden in support of community education and sustainable horticulture:

THIS SATURDAY, October 18, 2014 from 6-9 p.m., Whole Foods Davis will be hosting their first annual Oktoberfest event at the UC Davis Arboretum’s Terrace Garden and Lois Crowe Patio.

Nursery Manager Taylor Lewis was featured in the Sac Bee on Saturday, October 11 in the Home and Garden section. The article highlights his focus on native plants as well as the Friends of the Arboretum and Public Garden fall plant sales.

Sunday, October 5, 2014, our own Ellen Zagory, director of public horticulture and Taylor Lewis, nursery manager, were featured on Farmer Fred’s radio show “Get Growing with Farmer Fred” on KSTE 650 AM from 10-11:30 a.m.

Looking for attractive, low-water, regionally appropriate plants for your front yard landscape? Consider incorporating some of the of 40 plants selected by our Director of Public Horticulture Ellen Zagory. The list is what she calls the "New Front Yard" plant list.

DOWNLOAD THE LIST

On August 14, Ellen Zagory, Director of Public Horticulture, together with Loren Oki, UC Cooperative Extension Specialist in Landscape Horticulture with the Department of Plant Sciences, spoke at a press conference on the steps of the Sacramento capitol in support of Assembly Bill 2104 (authored by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez). This bill prevents homeowner’s associations from levying fines against residents for installing drought-tolerant landscapes. On Thursday, September 18, 2014, the bill was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown.

The Putah Creek bike path that connects south Davis to the Arboretum will be closed to both bike and pedestrian traffic for three weeks starting Monday, September 22 through Sunday, October 12. During the closure bicyclists and pedestrians will be detoured to the Richards Boulevard undercrossing.

Over the next couple of days  (Friday, September 26, 2014 through early the following week of  September 28, 2014) a portion of Garrod Drive just off La Rue Road leading to the Arboretum Teaching Nursery, will be closed with a detour in place.

Our own GATEways Horticulturist Stacey Parker received an award from our campus safety services unit for making a contribution to improve the culture of safety at UC Davis!

NEED A LAWN REPLACEMENT?

This deep-rooted, low-water use, low-maintenance groundcover is an excellent lawn replacement or groundcover in sun or partial shade. It grows tightly to the ground, suppressing weeds once established, and is bred to be sterile so it will not reseed in places where you don’t want it.

At the request of the Governor's office, Taylor Lewis, horticulturist and nursery manager, together with Haven Kiers, special projects manager and lecturer for the campus’s landscape architecture program, will represent the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden at the Water Preparedness event to provide attendees with resources to “waterwise” their landscapes.