AT THE CALIFORNIA RAPTOR CENTER

The Spring Open House at the California Raptor Center is set for May 1. The event is free, with donations welcome.

Activities begin with a Hawk Walk at 8 a.m. (meet at the gate to the raptor center), followed by the open house from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Special presentations are set for 10 a.m. and noon, focusing on raptor biology and ecology.

The raptor center, a program of the School of Veterinary Medicine, cares for injured raptors, rehabilitating and releasing them back to the wild — provided that they are judged suitable to survive on their own.

Directions: Take the UC Davis exit from Interstate 80 and turn south on Old Davis Road. Cross the railroad tracks and continue until just before the Putah Creek bridge. Turn left onto the paved levee road. Follow it for two-tenths of a mile and keep on the pavement as the road veers left, taking you down off the levee. Then make a quick right turn into the free parking area.

More information: vetmed.ucdavis.edu/calraptor

AT THE ARBORETUM

If you have not yet discovered the arboretum’s new Oak Discovery Trail, then you might want to consider coming out May 2 for Oak Discovery Day.

The program is scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m. in the Shields Oak Grove at the arboretum’s west end. Program organizers said Oak Discovery Day offers something for all ages, with participants invited to:

• Serenade the trees during a songwriting workshop with local musician Dave Nachmanoff

• Sculpt a leaf or acorn out of clay, with guidance from Donna Billick and Diane Ullman of the university’s Art-Science Fusion Program.

• See the processing of acorns for food, in the tradition of native Californians. Organizers said cultural interpreter Diana Almendariz will present this part of the program.

• Hear from UC Davis expert David Rizzo on the latest news regarding sudden oak death.

The program also includes an Arbor Day ceremony, and how appropriate, since the Shields Oak Grove is home to nearly 300 mature trees representing more than 80 varieties of oaks from around the world.

If Oak Discovery Day gets you all excited about oaks, then you are invited back for a May 16 arboretum tour, Oak Ecology and Diversity, scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at the gazebo near the Shields Oak Grove.

MORE AT THE ARBORETUM

Folk Music Jams — Play or listen. Noon today (April 30), and May 14 and 28. Wyatt Deck.

Tour — Simple Tips for Great Container Gardening. 11 a.m. May 1, Arboretum Terrace Garden, Davis Commons shopping center, First Street and Richards Boulevard.

Plant sale — End of Season Clearance, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. May 15, Arboretum Teaching Nursery, Garrod Drive south of La Rue Road.

Bicycle tour — What’s New at the Arboretum? Bring your bicycle for an easy, slow ride lasting about an hour and covering less than five miles. 11 a.m. May 22, Buehler Alumni and Visitors Center.

All events, including Oak Discovery Day, are free and open to the public. The Shields Oak Grove is near the gazebo off Garrod Drive, south of La Rue Road. Free parking is available along Garrod and in Lots 50 and 55.

More information: (530) 752-4880 or arboretum.ucdavis.edu