Get outdoors during Biodiversity Museum Day

“The UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden is proud to be one of 12 campus collections participating in UC Davis Biodiversity Museum Day – a free, family-friendly celebration of the incredible diversity of life on our campus and beyond,” says the Arboretum team. “(In the GATEway gardens),Learning by Leading students and staff invite you to explore the rich biodiversity woven into our landscapes and discover how urban habitats can support both people and wildlife.”

The Arboretum, a living museum of plants, is an obvious choice for this celebration.

“This year’s theme, Nature Rx, is all about fulfilling a prescription for better physical, mental, and social wellbeing simply by spending time outdoors,” say the organizers.

Among the special events planned are a public yoga session at 2 p.m. on the lawn adjacent to Scrubs Cafe and the unveiling of a new ceramic mural at 3 p.m.

Other activities include: a living drawing booth, Polaroid postcards, birding and garden tours, water-wise and nature-friendly garden demonstrations and more. Find the full schedule of Arboretum events here: https://arboretum.ucdavis.edu/events/uc-davis-biodiversity-museum-day-2026

Leave time for UCD’s other museums, too. The “Bug Squad” with their creepy crawlers always draw a crowd. The Bee Haven will undoubtedly create some buzz, too. Here’s a snapshot of schedules and locations:

• Anthropology Museum, temporarily housed in Wickson Hall, West Entrance, while Young Hall is undergoing renovations. Hours: 12 noon to 4 p.m.

• Arboretum and Public Garden, Habitat Gardens in the Environmental GATEway, Hours: 12 noon to 4 p.m.

• Bee Haven, 1 Bee Biology Road, off Hutchinson Drive. Hours: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Bohart Museum of Entomology, Room 1124 of the Academic Surge Building and hallway, 455 Crocker Lane. Hours: 12 noon to 4 p.m.

• Botanical Conservatory, Kleiber Hall Drive. Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• California Raptor Center, 1340 Equine Lane. Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Center for Plant Diversity Herbarium, 1026 Katherine Esau Science Hall. Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Design Museum, 124 Cruess Hall, 375 California Ave. Hours: 12 Noon to 4 p.m.

• Nematode Collection, 1026 Katherine Esau Science Hall. Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Museum of Wildlife and Fish Biology, Academic Surge Building, 455 Crocker Lane. Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Paleontology Collection, Earth and Physical Sciences Building, Room 1309, Crocker Lane. Hours: 12 noon to 4 p.m.

• Phaff Yeast Culture Collection, Robert Mondavi Institute Brewery and Food Processing Facility. Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

In addition, there will be a speakers’ series from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Silverado Vineyards’ Sensory Theatre, Sensory Building, Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, 392 Old Davis Road.

More details: https://biodiversitymuseumday.ucdavis.edu/