It’s impossible to imagine our city without the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden. It’s a shared community treasure that’s connected our campus to the region community for nearly a century. For LeShelle and myself, our strolls through the Arboretum offer a welcome retreat from our busy lives.

For generations, the Arboretum has strengthened our community’s well-being as a third space for connection. It’s free and open every day, providing exercise and leisure that’s accessible to all. In a recent interview with UC Davis Magazine, Yolo County Supervisor Lucas Frerichs described the Arboretum as “a crown jewel of the entire region.”

It’s that and much more. As a national model for sustainability, UC Davis shows how environmental leadership strengthens our community. Our longstanding commitment to land stewardship and environmental health goes back to our earliest days as the University Farm. For decades, the Arboretum has served as our living laboratory, offering visitors a window into the university’s research and innovation.

Its lush tree canopy is a vital resource to the university’s research and sustainability.

The UC Davis Living Landscape Adaptation Plan notes that, “over half of the 26,000-plus trees on campus may become vulnerable to climate change and unsuitable for the region by the end of the century.” Tree plantings in the Arboretum help create larger shaded areas, provide cleaner air and water conservation practices.

This academic year, we’re celebrating the Arboretum’s 90th anniversary with plant sales, art activities, guided walks and a range of community events to mark this milestone.

It’s not only a celebration of a UC Davis landmark. It’s a celebration of the enduring partnership between the university and the community that helps nurture it. It truly is a community landmark built with the help of generations of volunteers, donors, students, faculty, staff and local partners.

Spanning more than 100 acres, the Arboretum’s garden and living museum is a key connection point between UC Davis and the Davis community, as well as the entire outdoor landscape of the campus that is part of the Arboretum and Public Garden. Through the UC Davis GATEways Project — Gardens, Arts and The Environment — the entire campus landscape becomes a portal into the university’s teaching, research and creativity.

These GATEway Gardens and other teaching landscapes bring ideas out of classrooms and laboratories and into public spaces. Visitors can explore topics UC Davis scholars and students are working on through gardens, public art, exhibits, events and hands-on learning experiences.

In programs such as Learning by Leading, UC Davis students gain practical leadership experience while engaging with the community, improving gardens and natural areas, and addressing critical environmental issues.

The Arboretum’s influence extends beyond campus as well. The Arboretum All-Stars program includes plant sales, educational resources and demonstration gardens. In the process, it helps our region’s residents create landscapes that are not only attractive, but climate-ready and support wildlife. And, the Learning by Leading Program has spawned a nationwide community of practice with university gardens across the country emulating our Arboretum’s student leadership model.

Meanwhile, university research at the Arboretum continues to address challenges felt across the globe. As communities adapt to hotter, drier conditions, the Arboretum gardens support biodiversity and enhance ecological resilience while serving as a model for habitat restoration and sustainable landscape practices.

I’m grateful to all those over the years who’ve supported the Arboretum. We’ve seen powerful examples of how a personal connection to the Arboretum can grow into a lasting investment in students, the environment and the wider community. We are especially grateful for a transformative $3.7 million gift established by the late Cate McGuire and her husband, Michael Smith, to support the Learning by Leading program.

I encourage you to become a part of the Arboretum’s legacy and become a member of the Friends of the of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden for access to events, exclusive discounts and much more. I also invite our local residents to participate in any of our single-day and weekly volunteer opportunities.

Let’s continue to honor the Arboretum’s history while ensuring its vitality. In the process, future generations can continue to drive breakthroughs, foster community engagement and create knowledge that builds a healthier, more resilient tomorrow.