News & Information Outreach

 Santa sleighed us.The jolly ol' man parked his reindeer on our roof on Christmas Eve, slipped down the chimney, and what to his wondering eyes should appear--but a very territorial tuxedo cat named Miss Sarah Sylvia Cynthia Stout that hissed at him.Santa eyed the cat and the brass grasshopper ornaments…

Blog by Paula PashbyA few years ago, I wrote a blog about one of my favorite plants in our garden: the Brugmansia suaveolens, also known as the Angel's Trumpet. I purchased the plant around 20 years ago and gave it to my mom, who took care of it with love.  When she passed away, we transplanted the…

 The annual Yule blog...Back in 2010, UC Cooperative Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen (1944-2022) of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, and yours truly, department communications specialist, wondered why no insects appear in "The Twelve Days of ChristmasZero. Zilch…

A beautiful way to add color to your garden in winter and early spring is to plant hellebores. These perennials grow low to the ground in clumps usually no more than one- and one-half feet high, with distinctive leathery, dark-green leaves. Their flowers, about two inches across, appear in clusters that…

  Remember Cole Cramer and Connor Hsu, the two Southern California insect enthusiasts who met as pre-teens at the 2022 Bio Boot Camp at UC Davis? They became fast friends, joined professional entomological societies, and formed a youth entomology group, the Lorquin Society…

 Are you hanging out beneath the mistletoe? Or know someone who is? Maybe Mommy kissing Santa Claus?Scales and ants may be hanging out, too.The two insects maintain a classic mutualistic symbiosis in which ants "farm" scale insects for their sweet honeydew.  It's a beneficial arrangement: scales…

This information may be of interest to those running Mixed or Integrated Farming Systems. Wednesdays • January 14 – March 18, 2026 • noon-1:15pm with optional office hours 1:15pm-2pm • Free virtual seriesHosted by CAFF, UC Organic Agriculture Institute (UC OAI), and UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE…

Blog by Cindy YeeWe have a 9-year-old dwarf Owari Satsuma mandarin tree in our front yard.  This is the first year the tree has finally produced well.  I purchased it from a local nursery and paid for it and others to be planted by the employees who delivered the trees.  To my surprise, they…

From the UC IPM Urban and Community team, we’d like to wish you a happy holiday season! As we reflect on this past year, we’d like to express our gratitude to all of you for joining us to learn about pest management around the home and garden.  This year, we’ve connected with you in various ways:…

 Workshop participants meet in Davis, CA in November 2025.The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) opened the door for groundwater markets to emerge in much of California. Groundwater markets refer to the voluntary, compensated transfer of the right or allowance to pump groundwater, as well as…

Every year hundreds of questions come to the Help Desk, a UC Master Gardener project designed to bring information about sustainable gardening to Contra Costa residents. At the Help Desk, a team of Master Gardeners answers questions about insect problems, plant diseases and how to manage the ever-pesky…

February 7–11, 2026, The Society for Range Management (SRM) will host its annual conference in Monterey, bringing together ranchers, land managers, researchers, students, and agency professionals from across the nation and the world. The meeting theme is ‘Herd ‘Round the World: Celebrating Global Rangelands…

Blog by Lanie KeystoneWith the holidays quickly approaching, there’s nothing better for your gardening friends and family than a hot-off-the-press book. In my last blog, the gift list was aimed at the young gardeners in your life.  Now it’s time to take a look at a few volumes that are sure to…

 The UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology today published its 2025 "News in Review," with a message from the administration--Joanna Chiu, professor and department chair, and Rachel Vannette, professor and vice chair--and featuring highlights of the year."We recognize our roots," the…

By Penny Pawl, UC Master Gardener of Napa County.  My fellow Master Gardener Gayle Nelson is having a love affair with her new cloner.  A tray of 20 gardenia cuttings produced roots in 4 weeks.  A cloner is a machine that uses hydroponic methods to encourage cuttings to produce roots. …

 Dear Community,Connecting with like-minded people is one of the top reasons individuals join a California Naturalist or Climate Stewards course. Your support of UC Environmental Stewards powers a small but mighty team anchoring one of the largest collective impact networks of its kind. Just five…

 The "Lost Science" column of the New York Times recently focused on Jenny Carlson Donnelly, a UC Davis doctoral alumna who lost her job earlier this year as a Malaria Outbreak Emergency Advisor for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) due to Trump administration cuts.USAID,…