SHOVELS WANTED

Wanted: your old shovels for a vine-inspired sculpture that will be part of the “urban greening” at the east end of the arboretum, where the campus and city connect.

Spades, trowels and shovels of all kinds are being collected through the end of May at this season’s arboretum plant sales and at the city of corporation yard.

Why old shovels? Because the varied shapes, sizes and rusty patterns "will give the sculpture a richness and character that would be unattainable with new materials,” said the artist, Christopher Fennell of Alabama.

And don’t worry about going without a shovel; in return for your donation, you’ll get a coupon from Davis Ace Hardware for 15 percent off a new shovel.

Read more.

This weekend in the arboretum features plants, bugs and a clearance sale — on plants, not bugs!

The plant sale is the last of the season: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday (May 18) at the Arboretum Teaching Nursery. Open to the public. Members of Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum and the Davis Botanical Society receive 10 percent off their plant purchases. Join the friends organization at the gate to receive 10 percent off, plus a $10-off coupon. More information on membership and the associated benefits.

On Sunday (May 19), Arboretum Ambassadors Melissa Cruz and Mira Parek present Bugtopia 2.0: Discover Everyday Insects, about the arboretum’s hidden insect wonders. The students will lead a tour of the arboretum, provide insect names, teach trapping methods and talk about ecology. The program runs from 1 to 3 p.m.; meet at the gazebo.

MORE IN THE ARBORETUM

• Folk Music Jam Sessions — Pull out your fiddles, guitars, mandolins, penny whistles, pipes, flutes, squeezeboxes you name it! and join your fellow musicians during the lunch hour for a little bluegrass, old-time, blues, Celtic, klezmer and other world music. All skill levels welcome. Listeners, too! Noon-1 p.m. Friday, May 24, and June 7 and 21, Wyatt Deck.

• Poetry in the Garden with Zach Watkins — “OmegaZ” is a composer and poet who lives in Sacramento. Noon-1 p.m. Thursday, May 30, Wyatt Deck.

• Storytime Through the Seasons: Down Under the Eucalyptus — The Arboretum Ambassadors invite children and families to this outdoor reading program, including stories, games, crafts and more. This chapter focuses on traditional Australian culture, and takes places in the arboretum’s Australian Collection. 1-3 p.m. Sunday, June 1, meet at the south end of Lot 10, at the southeast corner of Old Davis Road (formerly A Street) and First Street.

• Wild Family Day — The student organization Wild Campus, dedicated to the conservation of wildlife in Davis, partners again with the arboretum for the second annual Wild Family Day. An all-ages event featuring games, displays, live animals and the opportunity to build a pine cone bird feeder to take home, “to bring the wildlife to you!” Wild Campus aims to engage the community in the conservation of native species, raise awareness about native wildlife and tell the community what you can do to help conserve these extraordinary animals. For more information, email wildcampus@ucdavis.edu. 1-3 p.m. Sunday, June 2, gazebo.

• Walk with Warren — Warren is Warren Roberts, arboretum superintendent emeritus, a master plantsman and punsman! Join him for a walk in the west end gardens. Noon Wednesday, June 12, gazebo.

• Creative Writing Farewell Reading — Master of Arts students in creative writing — graduates-to-be — read from their theses. Presented by the Creative Writing Program and the arboretum. 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 12, Wyatt Deck.

• As You Like It — The Davis Shakespeare Ensemble presents its fourth annual summer show, with the arboretum as co-presenter. Rob Salas directs this telling of one of the Bard's most celebrated comedies, in a production that ventures not into the forest of Arden but into the hills of Appalachia (as played by the arboretum!). The ensemble draws on the region's culture and music for a new take on an old classic, complete with laughs and romance and Richard Chowenhill's music. 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, June 13-30, gazebo. Tickets: online, by email, boxoffice@shakespearedavis.com; or by telephone, (530) 802-0998.

All programs are open to the public, and all are free except As You Like It. More information: (530) 752-4880 or arboretum.ucdavis.edu (for directions, click on Plan Your Visit). Keep up with arboretum news by reading The Leaflet e-newsletter. To start receiving it, send an email to arboretum@ucdavis.edu, with newsletter in the subject line.

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