Animal Science GATEway Garden update
Donkey that can be heard braying while one visits the UC Davis Animal Science GATEway Garden.
Students, volunteers and staff take a break after planting a large portion of the UC Davis Animal Science GATEway Garden. The bench featured in this photo was once a large animal "squeeze chute" which has been re-purposed by the Animal Science crew to serve as seating in this unique garden.
Have you seen the UC Davis Animal Science GATEway Garden? Be sure to stop by when you get a chance to check out the newly-planted beds and to enjoy the peaceful surroundings, that is, if the nearby donkey is not braying!
You may feel as though you are trespassing because there is a gate at the entrance, but it pushes right open to give visitors a closer glimpse of the animals, and, once the interpretive signage is installed, an educational look at the research being conducted here. Take note of the farm equipment re-purposed by creative Animal Science crew members; there’s a bench viewing area created using old wagon wheels, another seating area that makes a squeeze chute look inviting (see photo at the left), planters made from feeding troughs, and a picnic bench fashioned from a hay feeder.
Under the large valley oak at the center of the garden you will find a selection of California natives known to thrive in this tree’s shade. Large sandstone rocks brought in from the upper reaches of Putah Creek provide visual definition and serve to separate the planting areas within the raised beds. As the plants radiate out from the oak you’ll find a mix of selections native to the southwest and high-desert including a variety of grasses typically consumed by domesticated animals raised in these areas.
Notice the lack of landscaping west of the oak tree? That’s a placeholder for a large teaching deck yet to be installed.
READ MORE about the history of the creation of this garden here.
VIEW A SLIDESHOW OF PHOTOS
Progress update: UC Davis Animal Science GATEway Garden
PHOTO CAPTION: Bench installed at horse viewing area within the UC Davis Animal Science GATEway garden. This bench was constructed using recycled farm equipment.
We have made lots of progress in the UC Davis Animal Science GATEway Garden. Over the past few months pathways were shaped and paved with decomposed granite; raised planting beds, irrigation and fencing were installed; a bench was created using recycled agricultural materials (see photo above); stone pathways and fence posts were constructed; and defunct concrete irrigation standpipes were given a second life as vessels for container plantings.
In a true collaborative effort, UC Davis Animal Science Farm Crew members, UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden team members including staff from Grounds and Landscape Services and Putah Creek and Riparian Reserve, along with student assistants and volunteers have all been hard at work creating a unique space that will serve to showcase UC Davis Animal Science research and societal contributions, in addition to functioning as an outdoor classroom and event space.
Read more about this project here:
Introduction: UC Davis Animal Science GATEway Garden
Construction begins at the UC Davis Animal Science GATEway Garden
LINK TO SLIDESHOW of photos documenting the progress of this garden.
Director Kathleen Socolofsky receives Award of Distinction
PHOTO CAPTION: Director of the UC Davis Arboretum and Assistant Vice Chancellor Kathleen Socolofsky, joined by Interim Dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CA&ES) Mary Delany and a student from CA&ES to celebrate her "Award of Distinction."
Kathleen Socolofsky, director of the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden, was honored October 5 with an “Award of Distinction” from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CA&ES).
“The Award of Distinction recipients are highly accomplished, as well as influential in their daily lives, and we are honored by their strong connection to and support of our college,“ said Mary Delany, interim CA&ES dean.
The award is presented annually to those whose contributions and achievements enhance the college’s ability to provide cutting-edge research, top-notch education, and innovative outreach. Kathleen was recognized as a Friend of the College for her role in transforming the campus landscape with innovative programs and broad-based support. Seven other people–faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the college–also received the award.
Kathleen has led the Arboretum, in partnership with a number of CA&ES programs, in the transformation of the Peter J. Shields Oak Grove into a destination for visitors and the development of Nature’s Gallery Court GATEway (Gardens, Arts, and the Environment) Garden, and is in the process of creating an Animal Science GATEway Garden designed to connect campus and Arboretum visitors with the Department of Animal Science, its research and facilities.
Congratulations Kathleen!
