At the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden, we are dedicated to promoting sustainable horticulture and helping the public understand how climate change impacts gardens, pollinators and wildlife, and the broader environment. In today’s world, it’s more important than ever to create landscapes that are not only beautiful but resilient—landscapes that contribute to local biodiversity, our personal well-being, and environmental health.
The UC Davis Arboretum Waterway Flood Protection and Habitat Enhancement project is nearing a major milestone, with earthwork and infrastructure set to finish this year—months ahead of schedule. Originally planned to be completed in November 2025, the revised timeline allows Arboretum and Public Garden teams to focus on establishing native plantings on the Waterways’ banks, testing the newly installed infrastructure and restoring areas impacted by the construction – about a year earlier than expected.
In a remarkable testament to her impact at UC Davis and beyond, Kathleen Socolofsky was awarded the American Public Gardens Association’s highest honor, the Honorary Life Member Award.
The UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden's Learning by Leading™ program has been awarded the prestigious Program Excellence Award by the American Public Gardens Association. The accolade recognizes the innovative and impactful nature of the program, which has been instrumental in shaping the future of environmental and public garden leaders.
On May 30, 2024, under the shade of the UC Davis Arboretum’s 80-plus-year-old cork oak grove, a rarely seen exhibition of cork harvesting took place. This traditional practice, unfamiliar to most Americans, involves the careful stripping of a cork oak’s outer bark without harming the tree.
As you find ways to keep cool during the triple digit heat, we have tips to help your plants beat the heat during this heat wave and in the coming summer months.
From daisies and lavender to sunflowers and orange blossoms, flower gardens not only result in beautiful table centerpieces, bragging rights and a joyful hobby. They can also be hugely beneficial to local pollinators and, by close extension, food security and biodiversity.
Reminder: Glitter is litter! To create the perfect graduation photo, many students and photographers take advantage of props like plastic confetti and glitter. The problem is that any confetti left on campus grounds will eventually flow through storm drains and end up in the Arboretum Waterway and Putah Creek.
