News & Information Outreach

trickle
African Violets blooming. J. Alosi

Caring for an Indoor Garden

December 15, 2025
Nearly everyone, from well-meaning beginners to experienced outdoor gardeners, has struggled at one time or another with a houseplant that seemed determined to die. Understanding the four basic needs of all houseplants can not only give you the knowledge you need to care for these plants, but also help you…
View Article
Blue morpho butterflies at Bohart Museum of Entomology.

And the UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day Design Contest Winners Are...

December 15, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 These designs showcasing the 15th annual UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day will "draw you in."The BioDiv Committee recently sponsored a design contest and selected the two winners. They are....drum roll...Haylie Wilcox, a first-year master's degree student in the lab of Professor Neal Williams, a…
View Article
green leaves with interesting white variegation

A Painterly Plant, Goeppertia roseopicta

December 15, 2025
Blog by Michelle KrespiI have grown plants from the Calathea genus before, so I was used to the variety of leaf patterns this group exhibits. What drew me to this particular plant was how painterly the leaves are. The common name sums it up, Rose-Painted Calathea. Each leaf is a work of art, as you can see…
View Article

UC ANR internal hires prioritization update

December 15, 2025
As a follow-up to our earlier communication regarding the temporary internal hire prioritization process implemented in response to the SNAP-Ed funding loss, we want to provide an update as we prepare to transition back to our standard open recruitment requirements. The temporary internal-priority process…
View Article
Honeycomb (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Sweet Collaboration: Honey and Mead

December 12, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 A sweet collaboration!The California Master Beekeeper Program (CAMBP), based at UC Davis, and The HIVE Tasting Room and Kitchen in Woodland, have joined forces--sweet forces--to present two courses at The Hive:  the first is The Science of Honey Tasting  from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., on…
View Article
volunteer looks on as a woman is making a wreath

Wreathy Miku

December 12, 2025
Miku by Mike Gunther Three days preparingMany hands; craft, cut, trim & boxSuccessful wreath workshop   
View Article
A Spoonful of Soil Organisms

Healthy soil is not just dirt under our feet

December 12, 2025
By Janice Mathews, UC Master Gardener of Napa County.Healthy soil is not just dirt under our feet.  It is a living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals and humans.Healthy soil has four components.  About 25 percent is air, allowing soil organisms to return essential nutrients to the soil while…
View Article
Speaker delivering a talk. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Who's Speaking at ENT Seminars?

December 11, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Who's speaking at the winter seminars hosted by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology?Marshall McMunn, coordinator of the seminars for the 2025-26 academic year, has announced the "spring list."All seminars will take place at 12:10 p.m. on Wednesdays  in 122 Briggs Hall. They also…
View Article
Cluster of overwintering monarchs.

Radio-Tagging the Migratory Monarchs

December 10, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 What exciting research--fitting overwintering monarch butterflies with the newly developed ULTRALIGHT solar-powered radio tags to monitor their movements.Senior conservation biologist Emma Pelton of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation today announced in a news release that “Scientists are…
View Article

Goji Berry Bliss

December 10, 2025
Blog article by Cindy YeeAbout 5 months ago, I purchased a Taiwanese guava tree and Ningxia goji berry plant from a home grower in Fremont, California.  She has all 5-star ratings on Facebook Marketplace and was very helpful with advice on how to care for them. Happy to say that both plants are…
View Article
A paved walking path dotted with orange, fallen leaves, bordered by grass and shaded by trees.

2026 Webinars from UC IPM

December 10, 2025
The new year is just around the corner, and along with it will come new Urban and Community IPM Webinars! Join us every third Thursday of each month from 12:00 to 1:00pm PST to learn about a wide range of urban pest management topics. This series is free and open to the public but advance registration is…
View Article
Parsley sharing space with other houseplants on a window sill. Debi Durham

Herbs as Houseplants

December 9, 2025
It’s cold outside! But that doesn’t have to stop you from gardening. Why not cheer up the dark days of winter by planting some herbs on a sunny windowsill indoors, and using them in your cold weather soups and stews?
View Article
Bumble bee on a pansy. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Want to Participate in a Statewide BioBlitz?

December 9, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Science matters. Science beckons. Science fulfills.The California All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (CalATBI) is organizing a 2026 Student Insect Collection BioBlitz, a statewide community science effort to document our state's biodiversity.Organizers related:The goal: "To document California’s insect…
View Article
Firefighters on the 2019 Kincade Fire in northern California. Photo by Faith Kearns

Rethinking Water Systems in a Fire-Prone West: A Fire Chief’s Approach

December 9, 2025
By Faith Kearns
 Firefighters on the 2019 Kincade Fire in northern California. Photo by Faith KearnsBy Faith KearnsThe 2017 Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa, California is memorable for many reasons, including the almost unbelievable way this wildland fire pushed into neighborhoods and leapt across Highway 101. It is also the…
View Article
Flameskimmer dragonfly. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

'The Dragonflies Are In!'

December 8, 2025
By Kathy Keatley Garvey
 Some folks wear their heart on their sleeves.Others wear a dragonfly on their chest.Newly arrived in the Bohart Museum of Entomology gift shop are dragonfly T-shirts."The dragonflies came in!" announced Tabatha Yang, education and outreach coordinator of the Bohart Museum. "They look great." …
View Article
Ana sitting in field with sun hat

Community Education Specialist Highlight Series: Ana Resendiz

December 8, 2025
By Caddie M Bergren
 Climate-smart agriculture programs have taken root in the Imperial Valley thanks to the dedication and persistence of Ana Resendiz, our Climate-Smart Agriculture Community Education Specialist serving Imperial and Riverside counties.When Ana stepped into her role, adoption of CDFA climate-smart grants…
View Article
Sudangrass

Cover Crop Field Day: LA Hearne Co Cover Crop Showcase

December 8, 2025
By Michael D Cahn
Great opportunity to see more than 20 different cover crops in the field and learn about how to use cover crops to improve your soil health, improve yields, and improve water quality.  Please register by following the QR code in the attached flyer. Lunch ProvidedThursday December 11th, 20259am - 12 pm…
View Article
Leaves on the ground

Making a Case for Leaving the Leaves

December 7, 2025
By Help Desk Team
  Leaving the leaves has become the hot, fall garden topic. An appropriate topic for this time of year as leaves are falling steadily. The U.S. Forest Service, the National Park Service and the National Wildlife Federation are all huge advocates for leaving the leaves. State and local fire…
View Article
Previous Next

Contribute for a Better Future

Make a Gift