Ongoing research

Trees for hazard assessment

Inspect Your Trees for Hazards

February 16, 2026
By Help Desk Team
Winter storms with high winds or heavy rains take a toll on our trees and may cause a tree to fail. Most susceptible are the trees that keep their leaves all year, including broadleaf evergreens like eucalyptus and conifers. The greenery acts like a sail in a heavy wind and can cause the tree to bend…
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UC Rice Blog: Article

Weedy Rice Survey Update

February 16, 2026
By Troy L Clark, Luis A Espino, Whitney B Brim-Deforest
We have conducted field surveys of weedy rice in 2020 and 2025. The objectives were to document the location of weedy rice infestations, determine how severe these infestations are, and evaluate the spread of this weed. In 2020, we inspected 15,748 acres of rice. Of these, 3,412 acres (21% of surveyed…
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UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County: Event

Webinar - Good Bug, Bad Bug: A Science-Based Look at Garden Insects

Feb 17, 2026

Join UC Master Gardener volunteer John Fike as he provides a snapshot image of the fascinating insect populations that exist under the leaves, in the soil and in the air around us. Insect pests (bad bugs) that commonly occur in our area are shown along with the beneficial insects (good bugs) that prey on…
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
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GTPS Logo colored 610by514
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County: Event

GTPS - Great Tomato Plant Sale at Richmond Art Center

May 2, 2026

We are looking forward to seeing your smiling faces very soon.  Please mark your calendar, as we’d hate for you to miss a single minute of the excitement.  See you there!
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
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GTPS Logo colored 610by514
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County: Event

GTPS - Great Tomato Plant Sale at Our Garden

Apr 15, 2026

We are looking forward to seeing your smiling faces very soon.  Please mark your calendar, as we’d hate for you to miss a single minute of the excitement.  See you there!
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
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GTPS Logo colored 610by514
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County: Event

GTPS - Great Tomato Plant Sale at Our Garden

Apr 12, 2026

We are looking forward to seeing your smiling faces very soon.  Please mark your calendar, as we’d hate for you to miss a single minute of the excitement.  See you there!
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
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GTPS Logo colored 610by514
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County: Event

GTPS - Great Tomato Plant Sale at Our Garden

Apr 11, 2026

We are looking forward to seeing your smiling faces very soon.  Please mark your calendar, as we’d hate for you to miss a single minute of the excitement.  See you there!
UC Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County
View Event
UC Master Food Preserver: Article

Botulism Is Rare Because We Do It Right (February 2026)

February 15, 2026
Paige Weisskirch, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program Volunteer “How Death Came, Unbidden, to Mrs. Sales Dinner Party”, an illustration accompanying an article reporting on a botulism outbreak due to improperly processed olives in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Nov. 30, 1919.  Botulism Is Rare…
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UC Master Food Preserver: Article

Candied Kumquat Flowers for Lunar New Year (February 2026)

February 15, 2026
Marina Hsieh and Henry Shaw, UC Master Food Preserver Online Program VolunteerKnown as Mứt Tắc in Vietnam, these delicious, candied tidbits are a traditional Lunar New Year treat. Just as you eat fresh kumquats whole, you candy all parts of the fruit, whether whole, sliced, or quartered. Serve with tea, in…
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