Rediscover Yolo & Solano Counties • The Davis Enterprise • Sunday, September 19, 2021
Arboretum provides escape from isolation By Caleb Hampton Enterprise staff writer The UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden is a 100plus acre stretch of campus that includes a waterway, gardens and scientific collections featuring plants indigenous to different parts of the world, and the Putah Creek Riparian Reserve, a stream and grassland ecosystem used for teaching, research and habitat protection. Established in 1936, the arboretum has more than 4,000 species of trees, plants and shrubs arranged in different gardens that represent specific geographic regions, plant groups or historical periods. Sometimes described as a living museum, the arboretum includes redwood, oak and acacia groves, a California native plant garden and meadow, collections from Australia, East Asia, the Mediterranean, the California foothills and the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico. The arboretum also features a teaching nursery, a rock garden and a hummingbird garden, as well as gazebos, mosaics and other works of public art. In addition to its academic and ecological benefits, the arboretum is a popular recreation area for students and community members. It includes a 3.5-mile-long loop for walkers, joggers and bicyclists, as well as shaded benches and grassy areas that are ideal for picnics and other outdoor activities. An especially popular gathering place is the stretch of the arboretum behind UC Davis’ Mrak Hall, where the East Asian Collection borders Spafford Lake. In the fall, ginkgo and zelkova trees turn bright yellow, orange and red and in the spring cherry blossoms are in bloom. The annual Battle of the Bands, a Picnic Day tradition, has long been held on the grassy slopes by Spafford Lake. During the pandemic, the arboretum has provided an escape for many from the isolation of lockdowns and never-ending Zoom meetings. Its variety and spaciousness make it a perfect place to safely walk, read, exercise, gather with friends or simply spend time in nature. Visit arboretum.ucdavis.edu.
LEFT: A couple walks through the T. Elliot Weier Redwood Grove — one of the largest collections of coast redwood trees outside their native range in the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden. BELOW: A mural highlights the flora and fauna of the area. Richard Belcher/ Enterprise photos
A red-eared slider turtle, above, and a heron, left, take a rest on the banks of the Arboretum Waterway for different reasons.
Walkers and joggers alike find relaxing exercise as they pass through the GATEway Garden on the east end of the Arboretum.