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UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden
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UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden

UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden

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  • About
    • About
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    • Major Initiatives
      • UC Davis GATEways Project
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      • Arboretum Waterway Maintenance and Enhancement Project
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Waterway Reimagined

Thank you to all donors whose gifts supported the Waterway Reimagined campaign!

We are grateful to everyone who gave during UC Davis Give Day, the Sacramento region's Big Day of Giving, or at other times this spring. Over 200 contributors provided $100,000+ in gifts, exceeding our goal! Donors to the Waterway Reimagined campaign are helping us continue our work to create a healthy and vibrant renovated Arboretum Waterway and investing in our student environmental leaders who are central to this work.

These generous donors support our work to engage, empower, and educate the people of our community to create resilient, climate-ready landscapes, enrich our beautiful campus, and foster a healthier environment for everyone!


Challenge Donors

  • Kristen and Alan Bennett
  • Ann and James Daniel
  • Terry Davison
  • Ann and Charles Filmer
  • Nancy and Chuck Foster
  • Tré Frane
  • Kathleen Socolofsky and Bob Gregoire
  • Glenys and James Kaye
  • Cathryn and Robert Kerr
  • Mary Ann and Ernie Lewis
  • John and Lynne Morgan
  • Will Green and Martín Palomar
  • Chris Craig-Veit and Lance Veit
  • Marty West
  • Kent Bradford and Barbara Zadra
  • Anonymous (3)
Donors

Did you make a gift but don't see your name on this list? You requested that your name be hidden from view when you gave during UC Davis Give Day or Big Day of Giving. If you'd like your name to show, please let us know!

  • Erich Aigner
  • Cynthia H. Anders
  • Frances Andrews
  • Julia Aue
  • Phyllis Baecker
  • Heidi Ballard
  • Hunter Barton
  • Mary E. Bayless
  • Jacqueline Beckley
  • Kim Berardi
  • Christina Blackman
  • Ariel Boone-Worthman
  • Robert Boshoven
  • Stephen Brush
  • Teresa Bunn
  • Benjamin Cadranel
  • Dawn Calciano
  • Davis Campbell
  • Manny and Debbie Carbahal
  • Camille Chan
  • Aaron Cheesman
  • Julie Cherrington
  • Bruce and Becky Conrad
  • Darleen Coppersmith
  • Ana Lucia Cordova
  • Geoff Crim
  • Candace Cross-Drew
  • Sheryl Dodd-Hansen
  • Paul DuBowy
  • Natalya Eagan-Rosenberg
  • Rachel Ehlers
  • Pam Fair
  • Hay Family
  • Yeganeh Farzin
  • Carmia Feldman
  • Maureen Feldman
  • Joan Fischer
  • Judith Fletcher
  • Evan Fletcher
  • Margaret Fong
  • Cathy Forkas
  • Henry French
  • Stacie and Lucas Frerichs
  • Sabina Funk
  • Tara Gee
  • Paul & Elisabeth Gepts Garcia
  • Gail  Goldsmith
  • Cliff Gravem
  • Emily Griswold
  • Ruth Gustafson
  • W. David Haggerty Jr.
  • Annette Halbach
  • Rachel Hartsough
  • Judy Hayes
  • Katie and Eric Hetrick
  • Nancy Hiestand
  • Michael and Sally Hirst
  • Bryan Jeff Holcomb
  • Jeff Holmsen
  • Linda Hughes
  • John Huls
  • Jennifer Jones
  • Marwan Khalaf
  • Lisa Kolb
  • Manfred Kusch
  • Debee Lamont
  • Rachelle Latimer
  • Nancy Latta
  • Nicole LeBlanc
  • Anne Lee
  • Bo Lonnerdal
  • Erica Lopez
  • Michael Lopez
  • Swee Louie-Der
  • Sharon Lynch
  • Fran Maguire
  • Norika Malhado-Chang
  • Mark Mancl
  • Sarah Mangum
  • Karen Martin
  • Malinda Matson
  • Don McBride
  • Terry McDowell
  • Cate McGuire
  • Wendy Mills
  • Brandon Milton
  • Roxanne Moger
  • Ernesty Moore
  • Janet Mukai
  • Leslee Newton-Reed
  • Harry and Barbara Ohlendorf
  • Michael Okada
  • Kathleen O'Kelly
  • Linda Olsen
  • Martha Ozonoff
  • Stacey Parker
  • George Patena
  • Erin Peltzman
  • Curt Peters
  • Marjorie Phillips
     
  • Cory Poroli
  • Lisa Putnam
  • Janet Reksoatmodjo
  • Jean Riehl
  • Patricia Roca
  • Sierra Ronning
  • Kathleen Rose
  • Grace Rosenquist
  • jesikah maria ross
  • Erik and Lisa Schultz
  • Tory Schwab
  • Julia Serat
  • Brenda Sha
  • Jon Shaff
  • Ryan A. Sharp
  • Jamie Shattuck
  • Walter Sherwood
  • Amy Shuman
  • Jacquelin Siegel
  • Billie Jean Slott
  • Robert Snider
  • Jay  Solnick
  • Meg Stallard
  • Cindy Starks
  • Ann Steiner
  • Kathleen Stock
  • Christopher and Mary Stokes
  • Lucinda Strandberg
  • Nina Suzuki
  • Kathryn Sylva
  • Nancy Temple
  • Dana Topousis
  • Trena Tuse
  • Suzanne Ullensvang
  • Ginny Vaughn
  • Marc Vayssieres
  • Ann Marie Velasco
  • Tyler Wakabayashi
  • Margaret Washington
  • Loraine Watson
  • Douglas West
  • Phyllis Willard
  • Frances Renty Williams
  • Renee Wilson
  • Mary Woolsey
  • Kerry Wright
  • Judith J. Wydick
  • Matthew Zavod
  • Anonymous (34)
Waterway Reimagined wordmark graphic with an illustration of a heron on the right side.

Donate to Waterway Reimagined!

Our spring campaign to support "Waterway Reimagined" is complete. We are so thankful for each generous donor! If you would like to give to support students and the Arboretum Waterway, gifts can still be made via the link below.

Donate Today!

It’s a dramatic transformation!

Once a static pond, today the Arboretum Waterway functions as a dynamic system of lakes, meandering channels, and gentle falls. Its waters weave past earthen banks and wetland islands now emerging with newly planted California flora and the growing sights and sounds of native wildlife.

Arboretum waterway with green, algae-covered stagnant water.
For decades, the Arboretum Waterway functioned simply as a stormwater pond with concrete borders. The water was stagnant and algae-covered during much of each summer.
Renovated Arboretum waterway shows clear, moving water under a footbridge. A jogger runs beside it while the sunlight shines through the trees.
In 2018, after years of planning, the first phase of the Waterway renovation began with added circulation pumps, weirs, an enhanced channel, and habitat restoration along the eastern portion of the Waterway. Campus investments plus community donors who supported the Waterway WOW campaign in spring 2018 helped make this phase possible.
The drained waterway shows an expanse of dirt, an excavator is in the middle digging holes throughout.
In 2023-2024, thanks to a major grant and university investment, renovation construction continued along the entire rest of the Waterway, finishing a year ahead of schedule.
A view from above of the reimagined waterway with clear water running between small islands with blooming flowers, the waterway is surrounded by lush trees and shrubs.
Efforts are already underway to create a thriving riparian habitat along the entire length of the renovated Waterway. With support from this year’s Waterway Reimagined campaign, community donations will empower our Learning by Leading™ Waterway Stewardship students and advance their vital restoration work.

Donations are helping in these areas

Student Leadership

Habitat restoration is a long-term process that begins to show results within a few months, but the development of a full ecosystem restoration takes decades, even longer. Your support helps fund the work of student environmental interns on the Learning by Leading™ Waterway Stewardship team who will oversee this long-term process.

Specialized Equipment

Your support helps fund the supplies, tools, and equipment for students to monitor and care for the reimagined Arboretum Waterway. With the right resources, student leaders who are part of our award-winning Learning by Leading™ program can efficiently maintain and grow this important environment, creating a resilient, climate-ready ecosystem for generations. 

Community Outreach

We are reimagining the Arboretum Waterway as a living classroom and a hub for community connection. Your support helps provide the programs necessary to transform it into a dynamic space for learning about riparian habitats, wetland ecology, and the health of our local watershed while inspiring participants to become stewards of the environment.

Arboretum Waterway Flood Protection and Habitat Enhancement Project

Read about what's happened so far, see 3D renderings, maps and more.

View of the Arboretum Waterway, lined by redwood trees

Learning by Leading Waterway Stewardship team

Learning by Leading interns play a crucial a role in maintaining and continuing to improve the Arboretum Waterway.

Students planting along the banks of the Arboretum Waterway

See the Arboretum Waterway's Transformation

Scroll through dozens of photos documenting the construction and refill of the waterway since March 2024.

View on nearly created islands in the Arboretum Waterway as seen from the far west end of the pond

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Contact Us

Arboretum and Public Garden Headquarters:
Valley Oak Cottage
448 La Rue Road
Davis, CA 95616

Mailing Address:
One Shields Avenue
Davis, CA 95616

Tel: (530) 752-4880
Fax: (530) 752-5796
Email: arboretum@ucdavis.edu

More contact information

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UC Davis GATEways Project
Support

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