This Sunday, show your love for the environment and that special friend or relative, with an eco-friendly gift perfect for a green Valentine’s Day! Join UC Davis Arboretum Ambassadors, in partnership with the Aggie Reuse Store, to design do-it-yourself gifts from one-time waste.

People of all ages are invited  to “Get Down with Upcycling,” a free, open-to-the-public event this Sunday, January 22 from 1-3 p.m. at Wyatt Deck in the Arboretum or, in the event of rain, in nearby studio classroom 146 Environmental Horticulture.

On Monday, January 9, 2017, students in the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden’s Learning by Leading Edible Landscaping Internship picked fruits and vegetables grown in the UC Davis Good Life Garden, but this was not just any run-of-the-mill harvest. It was the first time produce grown here could be donated to The Pantry – a student-run organization that works to ensure no student ever has to miss a meal or go without necessities for financial reasons.

The courtyard of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, home to the UC Davis Good Life Garden since 2008, quickly became a popular venue for weddings and high-profile university events thanks to the gorgeous, well-maintained, ever-changing edible landscape. Recently however, a nearby construction project necessitated the removal of many of the edible demonstration planting beds. As a result, we are taking this time to re-imagine the garden, how it can more fully integrate student education, academic partnerships and community engagement.

by Lauren Riebs
Communications Intern
Finance Operations and Administration

The UC Davis campus is always growing – literally! New gardens are sprouting up all over campus, thanks to the Learning by Leading Sustainable Horticulture program. Students are helping transform landscapes in the Arboretum and Public Garden into attractive and sustainable gardens that will thrive in the Davis climate.

Members of the Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden, in addition to other loyal supporters, helped us provide internships to the over 80 students participating in our Learning by Leading Program over the 2015-16 school year. Here is a recap of how these students added richness to our landscapes, improved our outreach efforts, and leveraged staff resources.

Stacey Parker, GATEways Horticulturist, and two students she mentored, Hanna Morris and Carli Hambley, are featured in a UC Davis news article “UC Davis Crops and Compassion Help Feed Those in Need.”