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 hosting a play, a poet and plants (of course), and a turtle, a talk and a tour. Actually, it's a Turtle Talk and Tour, coming next weekend!

First come the play, The Foreigner, including a free performance on Picnic Day (April 20); the poet, Mariam Ahmed, on April 25; and plants for sale, on April 28.

Here are the details:

• The Foreigner — Common House Productions, in collaboration with the arboretum, presents the Larry Shue comedy play 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-Friday, April 18-19; 10 a.m. Saturday, April 20; and 8 p.m. Sunday, April 21, and Thursday-Sunday, April 25-28. Wyatt Deck. Tickets for all performances except April 20: $10 adults, $8 students, seniors and children. Reservations can be arranged via Common House Productions’ online box office, or by email, commonhouseproductions@gmail.com. The April 20 Picnic Day performance is free. See separate story.

• Poetry in the Garden: Mariam Ahmed — The featured poet grew up in Folsom and studied English literature as an undergraduate at UC Davis. She enjoys organizing poetry slams and open mic nights featuring local artists, poets and musicians. She teaches creative writing in elementary schools in Folsom and Davis, and edited and published Stories ETC. (Equality Through Creativity), a chapbook of short stories written by children. Noon-1 p.m. Thursday, April 25, Wyatt Deck.

• 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.

• Plant sale — Make note of the day of the next sale: It's on a Sunday, April 28, the 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.

• Turtle Talk and Tour — A history of turtles in the arboretum, presented by undergraduates Jennifer McKenzie and Robyn Screen, who also will present their recent research on the effect of invasive, introduced turtles on the native turtles. Followed by a tour of turtle "hot spots" along the arboretum waterway. 1-3 p.m. Sunday, April 28, Wyatt Deck.

• 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, April 18-19, 21 and 25-28 (the April 20 Picnic Day performance is free). 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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