The Yolo County Master Gardeners are trained volunteers with the University of California Cooperative Extension program. They extend the ability of the local UC Cooperative Extension office to provide practical scientific horticulture and gardening information to the citizens of California.  Master Gardeners are key volunteer leaders for the Central Park Gardens renovation project.

The City of Davis works with the volunteers to help support the renovation and maintenance of the gardens in Central Park.  The City has provided staff support and funding for irrigation improvements, path improvements, and mulching and planting projects.

The Davis Farm to School Connection is a program of Yolo Farm to Fork that works to support gardens in the schools, bring produce from local farms to school cafeterias, and take classes on farm field trips.  In addition to improving children’s agricultural literacy, their programs give children a hands-on connection with science and nature and help improve their nutrition.  The Davis Farm to School Connection is also interested in using the gardens in Central Park as a demonstration site.  They are providing volunteers to help with the planning and implementation of the renovation and will ultimately coordinate school field trips and informal family activities in the gardens.  Several active members of the Davis Farm to School Connection are also Master Gardeners.

The UC Davis Arboretum is supporting the project through staff consultations and advice.  The Arboretum also lends garden tools for Central Park work days that require more tools than are on site.

The Davis Garden Club initially supported Central Park Gardens by providing volunteers and funds for garden projects and events.  Founded in 2005, the Davis Garden Club was a local member of the statewide California Garden Clubs. Unfortunately, this club no longer exists.

Project Coordinator: Emily Griswold, community volunteer and Director of GATEways Horticulture and Teaching Gardens at the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden

Volunteer Garden Designers:
Cheryl H. Sullivan, Landscape Architect #3954, Cunningham Engineering Corporation
Laurie Opfell, garden designer, The Secret Garden Landscape Design

Nikhil Joshi, Bioinformatics Programmer at the UC Davis Genome Center