Do you have an oak that is special to you? Or an oak-inspired artwork that transports you to the woodlands?
The UC Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC) will be hosting California Oak Discovery Day on Saturday, Oct. 11, starting at 10 a.m.
This free, family-friendly event will celebrate the beauty and importance of the oak woodlands that are iconic to Mendocino County. Event organizers are seeking photos, paintings, drawings and sculptures of oaks and oak woodlands — including the animals, plants, and fungi that live in oak woodlands — to be exhibited on the walls and tables during the event.
“Any artwork that captures your relationship with these magnificent trees would be welcomed at Oak Discovery Day,” said Diana Pepetone, the lead volunteer organizing the event. “Whether you live in the Willits hills or in downtown Ukiah, you’ve probably got an oak that you walk by regularly — maybe now is the time to take its photograph!”
Artwork files can be uploaded online at https://bit.ly/oakart25.
The subject must be California oak woodlands, rather than the oaks of other countries or states. At submission, participants are encouraged to share a short narrative describing the oak and why it is important to them. Artwork files will be printed in 8.5x11 or 11x17 format for the event.
2025 will be the inaugural HREC California Oak Discovery Day. The idea for the event was created by the HREC volunteer team The Quercus Collaborative, who are devoted to oak regeneration and education activities. The event will include an oak haiku sit-and-write, guided walks with authors Kate Marianchild ("Secrets of the Oak Woodlands") and Robin Lee Carlson ("The Cold Canyon Fire Journals"), a hands-on oak restoration workgroup, oak woodland bird watching, booths and career talks.
Participants are encouraged to bring along a picnic to enjoy in the beautiful woodlands at the site and to finish their day watching the play “And Who Shall Heal the Ground” by Diana Pepetone.
The event is free, but registration is required at https://bit.ly/oakday25. Support for the event and free admission for the community is made possible by The Quercus Symbiosis Foundation.