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.

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The arboretum is more than happy to fill your Sunday (April 28) with a plant sale in the morning, and a Turtle Talk and Tour in the afternoon. Meanwhile, the arboretum provides the stage for a production of The Foreigner, a comedy, running through Sunday night.

You're also invited to a folk music jam (players and listeners welcome) on Friday (April 26) and an arboretum tour on Saturday (April 27).

The plant sale is the arboretum's first and only Sunday sale of the spring season. Open to the public. Members of Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum and the Davis Botanical Society receive 10 percent off their plant purchases at every sale. 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. The spring sale season concludes with a clearance sale, Saturday, May 18. All sales run from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Arboretum Teaching Nursery.

Next on Sunday comes the Turtle Talk and Tour, during which undergraduates Jennifer McKenzie and Robyn Screen will present their recent research on the effect of invasive, introduced turtles on the arboretum's native turtles. Followed by a tour of turtle "hot spots" along the arboretum waterway. 1-3 p.m., Wyatt Deck.

Common House Productions, in collaboration with the arboretum, presents Larry Shue's The Foreigner, about an Englishman named Charlie Baker, who, while visiting a fishing lodge in Georgia, pretends to be from an exotic foreign country and that he speaks no English. 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, Wyatt Deck.Tickets: $10 adults, $8 students, seniors and children. Reservations can be arranged via Common House Productions’ online box office, or by email, commonhouseproductions@gmail.com. See separate story.

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, April 26, May 10 and 24, and June 7 and 21, Wyatt Deck.

• What's New in the Native Plant Garden? — Tour the recently renovated pathways and plantings in the Mary Wattis Brown Garden of California Native Plants for examples of native plants that work well in home landscapes. 2 p.m. Saturday, April 27, meet at the Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center.

• Walks with Warren — Warren is Warren Roberts, arboretum superintendent emeritus, a master plantsman and punsman! Noon Wednesday, May 8 and June 12, gazebo.

• Water-Wise … and Colorful! — The Ruth Risdon Storer Garden is a showcase of water conservation — and still this garden has color and flair. Come see what’s popping this spring. 2 p.m. Saturday, May 11, Storer Garden.

• Bugtopia 2.0: Discover Everyday Insects — Arboretum Ambassadors Melissa Cruz and Mira Parek present this program on 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. 1-3 p.m. Sunday, May 19, gazebo.

• 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.

• Second Annual M.A. Farewell Reading — Creative writing students — graduates-to-be — read from their theses. Presented by the Creative Writing Program and the arboretum. 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 12, Wyatt Deck.

All programs are open to the public, and all are free except The Foreigner. 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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