AT THE ARBORETUM

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) — The Davis Shakespeare Ensemble, in association with Friends of the UC Davis Arboretum, presents this "irreverent, fast-paced romp" through the Bard’s 37 plays. Directed by Gia Battista. 8 p.m. Thursday-Sunday, May 12-15 and 19-22, and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 12 and 19, gazebo. Tickets: $12 adults, $8 students, $5 children 12 and under. Reservations: davis.shakespeare@gmail.com. More information is available online or by e-mail, davis.shakespeare@gmail.com.

Buscando los Raices — A Spanish-language tour of California native plants, with topics to include California ecology and traditional uses if native plants. Presented by the Arboretum Ambassadors, environmental leadership interns. All ages are welcome for this tour — to be conducted entirely in Spanish. 11 a.m. Saturday, May 21, 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 Friday, May 27, and June 10 and 24, Wyatt Deck.

Discover the Oak Grove Trove — A tour through one of the nation’s largest collections of oaks, highlighting the grove's astonishing variety of tree and leaf forms, and providing information on oak ecology, and the importance of oaks in human culture through time and around the world. 10 a.m. Saturday, June 4, gazebo.

Walk with Warren — Warren Roberts, retired arboretum superintendent, guides this tour amid the bounty of blooms in the Storer Garden’s low-water environment. Noon Wednesday, June 8, starting at the gazebo.

Around the World in 80 Oaks — A concert by the Sacramento City College World Music Ensemble, celebrating and honoring the origins of the majestic oaks in the Shields Oak Grove. The audience will stroll through the gove, stopping along the way to hear music from some of the countries that are home to the 80 varieties of oak trees in the arboretum. The program also includes a reading by Allegra Silberstein, the city of Davis' poet laureate, and commentary by arboretum docents relating to the oak trees. Participants may wish to bring portable chairs or camp stools. 5:30 p.m. Sunday, June 12, starting at the gazebo.

Walking Meditation in the Oak Grove — Amie Diller leads this hourlong program, starting with brief instruction, followed by silent walking with occasional brief instructions, and concluding with a chant. 8 a.m. Saturday, June 18, starting at the gazebo.

All programs are open to the public, and all are free except the art workshop and the Shakespeare production. More information: (530) 752-4880 or arboretum.ucdavis.edu (for directions, click on “Plan Your Visit”).

AT STEBBINS COLD CANYON

NATURE OUTINGS

• Homestead Jamboree — A combination of hiking, music and an old-style family picnic. A 1 1/4-mile hike (one way) on the Homestead Trail will lead to a tall tree canopy, for lunch (bring your own) and an impromptu concert by local musicians, including Keith Cary, Wyatt Hesselmeyer and many more. Bring an instrument or your voice if you want to join in. Last year, the music inspired men, women and children to get up and dance. Come out and join the fun and see what the music and the canyon inspires in you.10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, May 21. (This event was previously billed as the Stebbins Canyon Celebration, which it still is, but in a different format.)

• Photography and Nature: Take Only Photos, Leave Only Footprints — Daniel Ng leads this tour, helping people with their film or a digital cameras (participants provide their own). 9 a.m.-noon Sunday, May 22.

• Stargazing: Tour of the Night Sky — Bryn Bishop leads this program, focusing on constellations, planets and deep sky objects. In addition, she will share stories on the mythology of the night sky. A 1¼-mile hike, slightly uphill, to a meadow. Wear appropriate clothing for evening; binoculars are optional. 8:30-11:30 p.m. Saturday, June 4.

• Loop Trail: Sunrise Hike — Hike the Loop Trail as the sun cimbs into the sky before the shortest night of the year. Five miles of ups and downs, with a 1,200-foot elevation gain. Many steps are interspersed with breathtaking views. Participants are advised to wear sturdy shoes, and to bring sunscreen, snack and at least a liter of water. 5-10 a.m. Saturday, June 18. (An earlier posting gave the wrong date for this adventure.)

NATURE’S THEATRE: Nature Play for Kids

One more program remains in this season's Nature’s Theatre, in which children are invited to become part of the story and learn from Mother Nature, Professor Planthead and Tiny and Whiny, to name a few.

Each outing is an opportunity to play outside and learn a little bit more about the secrets of nature.

• Glug, Glug and the Water Boss (water play for kids, ages 5-10) — 10 a.m.-noon Sunday, June 5

SIGN-UPS

All activities are open to the public. Optional fees: $5 per person or $10 per family. Activities fill up fast; reservations are required. E-mail Jeff Falyn, jfalyn@ucdavis.edu, with your name, address, event date, and phone number and-or e-mail address, and indicate whether you need directions. More information, including the complete schedule.