Shields Oak Grove at Davis Arboretum looking great

Just thought I would post a few pics of the new Shields Oak Grove path/tour in the Davis Arboretum.  It is very very nice and looks like it will expand with more trails, etc.  The pics do not do the place justice but I thought I would post anyway.

Good kids activity around Davis: Aerospace Museum of California

Good time today with my kids at the Aerospace Museum of California. Just East of Sacramento - with a nice facility, great outdoor playground, and lots of plances and satellites and rockets and other things. My kids loved it. Here are some pics:

New hotel at #UCDavis is quite nice

Here is a little video I made when I went to pick up Rebecca Skloot for her talk at UC Davis last week. She was staying at the new UC Davis hotel University of California Davis Hotel | Hyatt Place which is on campus right near the Mondavi Center. The hotel seemed very very nice.




Just thought I would post the vid -- seems like it is a good addition to the area hotels with the one exception that it is not in downtown.

Wildhorse Ag Buffer and Burrowing Owls

Just thought I would post some pics here from a walk on the Ag Buffer trail behind WildHorse gold course. Lots of burrowing owls out there these days.

More from Yolo Basin

Here are some pictures from a recent trip to Yolo Basin

Fun at the #UCDavis Raptor Center

Some pics from a family visit to the UC Davis Raptor Center open house

Good last minute place to donate $$ - Explorit Science Center in Davis

Just got an email saying that the Explorit Children's Science Center in Davis is hurting for funding.  See below - please consider donating to this worthy cause ...

Cash-strapped Explorit appeals to community for support

For 28 years, Explorit Science Center has been a gem of the Davis community and an educational boon to the Sacramento region, providing hands-on science opportunities for thousands of families and schools.

Now, the center is confronting a challenge that science can't address. Financial struggles are threatening the existence of Explorit's main site at 2801 Second St., which was purchased in 2006.
In response, the center is appealing to the community for support.

 "We know this is a philanthropic community, and one that strongly believes in furthering the education of our children," says Lou Ziskind, executive director. "We need help to keep the Explorit mission alive."

Ziskind attributed the financial difficulties to the down-turned economy and unfortunate timing in the center's purchase of the Second Street site.

"Government funding for education is down, corporate donations and grants are scarce, and understandably, individuals just cannot contribute like they could a couple years back," he said. "Income from program fees, also a key revenue source, have shrunk as well."

"The bigger concern, however, is that in 2006, when the economy seemed sound and real estate values were rising, we obtained bridge financing to complete the purchase of our building," Ziskind said. "With a drop-off in income, we are struggling with the repayment terms of our $1.6 million loan. Without additional financial support, our ability to run our Second Street facility will be in jeopardy."

Ironically, the museum is thriving in many ways. It is breaking attendance records -- 2,391 visitors in November was a 40 percent increase over November 2008  -- and visitor evaluations have been very positive.

"We've finished our phased-in opening of the museum so there is more fun stuff to do than ever," Ziskind said. "We've also been getting great media attention with new attractions like our streambed table and new promotions like "Toddler Tuesday."

Explorit's Board of Directors and staff believe that the need for the center's informal science education programs is greater than ever.

"In Davis, we're fortunate to have a school budget that allows for science education in elementary classrooms," said Betsy Elzufon, an Explorit trustee and mother of two. "Sadly, in many other towns, the students' only hands-on science experiences are those provided by Explorit's traveling programs. For those schools, it is truly a blessing to have us help fill the void and educate these students about the importance science lends to our daily lives."

To keep the Explorit vans rolling and the museum open, Explorit offers a package of ways to lend support, says Peter Willson, the development director. The organization is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization; donations are tax-deductible.

"We have a 'Donate' button on our website, of course," he said, referring towww.explorit.org. "That's the easiest and fastest. We also gladly take cash or check donations at the museum during visiting hours or through the mail (to Explorit at P.O. Box 1288, Davis CA 95617). Then our website has lots of other information about ways to help, including a new car-donation program."

He and board members are hopeful that the center will weather the recession.

"This place has been a great part of the community for over a quarter-century and has meant so much to the families in Davis and the greater Sacramento region," Elzufon said. "It would be a sad day if we were not able to continue offering our many valuable programs to the many families, schools, and educators who depend on us."

For more information about Explorit, please contact Peter Willson at (530) 757-4530 ext. 112 or e-mail him at PeterW@explorit.org.