Urban Greening grant recommended for funding
A joint application for an Urban Greening grant filed by the Arboretum, led by Arboretum Assistant Director of Horticulture Emily Griswold, and the City of Davis to green the Downtown Davis Parkway has been recommended for full funding by the California Natural Resources Agency. The recommendation is up for approval by the Strategic Growth Council at their May 10th meeting, and if approval is given the Arboretum and City of Davis could be granted $891,304 to carry out improvements of pedestrian and bike connections from the Davis Commons parking lot into the Arboretum.
The restoration includes adding improvements to approximately 3.5 acres of a remnant section of Putah Creek for wildlife habitat, reconfiguring a section of bike trail to improve bike/pedestrian access with new wayfinding signage, adding more visitor-friendly elements to the California Native Plant GATEway Garden (read more about the California Native Plant GATEway Garden here), and installing bio-swales and pervious concrete to catch parking lot run-off. One of the areas slated for improvement from the Greening Grant is the currently unused portion of land between Davis Commons and the Australian Collection of the Arboretum at the east end (see photo above).
The three proposals made for the grant tied for the top score out of the 24 applicants recommended for funding – Davis was ranked #1 along with San Diego Canyonlands and the LA Conservation Corps. Read more about the Urban Greening Grant Program for Sustainable Communities here.
California Native Plant GATEway Garden
Thanks to funding from Museums for America, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and UC Davis, the weedy field at the very east end of the Arboretum will soon be transformed to a garden featuring plants native to the lower Putah Creek watershed. The garden will feature themed plantings and interpretive signs to educate the public about regional flora and fauna, the history of the Putah Creek watershed, and how to create sustainable landscapes with native plants.
As the result of an additional grant funding request currently in progress, this area may also include three teaching patios, a demonstration rain garden, and a wayfinding kiosk to orient visitors from downtown Davis to the Arboretum.
This is what the east end of the Arboretum looks like now.
Below is a photo of the view from the area that will be the California Native Plant GATEway Garden–the UC Davis Arboretum Australian Collection.
City of Davis allocates $40,000 to develop Arboretum sculptural feature
On October 5, 2011 the City Council of the City of Davis unanimously approved a proposal shepherded by UC Davis Arboretum Assistant Horiculturalist Emily Griswold, to allocate $40,000 towards the development of a sculptural gateway feature at the east end of the Arboretum. This area of the Arboretum also recently received grant funding to build a new California Native Plant GATEway Garden.
A call for proposals from artists is currently underway. The budget includes all costs such as artist’s fees, travel, shipping, fabrication and installation. The qualifications submission deadline is December 12, 2011, with the grand opening unveiling projected for October 2012.
The goal of this installation is to improve pedestrian, bicycle and transit connections; to help promote and market the campus and downtown area as an art district and visitor destination; and to enhance the partnership between the City and University on a mutually beneficial project.
Congratulations Emily for spearheading an important partnership that will not only serve as a symbol of the city/campus collaboration, but act as a lasting landmark to help visitors find their way.
