Davis Botanical Society Membership

We hope you will consider joining us!

Students, faculty, alumni, botanists, gardeners, hobbyists, friends and others with any background are invited to join! 

Members of the Davis Botanical Society enjoy the knowledge that they are directly supporting two invaluable UC Davis botanical collections that benefit all Californians, as well as supporting student research through the Society’s grants and endowments.

As part of your membership, you will receive our semi-annual newsletter, Lasthenia, as well as invitations to talks on botanical subjects, field trips, plant keying groups, workshops, and other events. The Davis Botanical Society also sponsors an annual grant competition that funds botany research for UC Davis undergraduate and graduate students. Members also are granted early access to plant sales at the UC Davis Arboretum.

Field trip guests laying on their stomach's to observe plants up close in a field of yellow Lasthenia.
Field trip guests observing plants in a field of yellow Lasthenia.

DBS Members Enjoy These Benefits

Keeping Up with the Society

Subscription to the semi-annual Society newsletter Lasthenia, filled with Society news and events and educational articles on a variety of botanical topics.

Get Opportunities for Student Research

The opportunity to support and learn about student research through our annual Student Grants Program, as well as supporting student research through the Society’s grants and endowments.

Gain Access to Exclusive Events

A year of Society events, including field trips to botanical sites of interest, workshops on botany-related subjects, and lectures presented by experts in many fields of botany. To see our calendar and more details of our events, visit our events page.

Gain Access to Exclusive Plant Sales

Admission to members-only plant sales at the UC Davis Arboretum. A printed list of active members will be distributed to the Arboretum prior to each sale.

Make a difference 

Enjoy the knowledge that by donating your time and financial assistance, you are directly supporting the Conservatory and Herbarium collections that benefit all Californians.

Three new friends admire Trillium chloropetalum, Field_Trip_Bothe_Redwoods_April_6_2024
Bothe Napa Valley State Park Field Trip

How to Become a Member

After the University of California Davis has processed your payment, and the Davis Botanical Society has processed your membership form, sometime between two to four weeks, you will be sent a tax deductible donation acknowledgement from the The Regents of the University of California, Davis and a separate welcome email or letter from the Davis Botanical Society.

By Mail

To send us your membership contribution and/or other donation by check through the mail, please print out and complete this US mail version of the member ship form.

Screenshot of application for Davis Botanical Society Membership
Botanical  Society Membership mail-in form screenshot.

Online

Once you have completed both the membership form and made the donation for dues, your membership and dues will be processed.
First:
To join (or renew your membership) online by credit card, there are two steps:
Complete the membership form using the fillable PDF version. 
https://herbarium.ucdavis.edu/pdfs/Davis%20Botanical%20Society/fillableform.pdf

Click here to Download the free version of Adobe Acrobat.

Second:
Visit https://give.ucdavis.edu/go/DBSmembership and click on "Donate to this Fund". Then, enter the amount of your chosen membership level (see options below) into the "How much will you give?" line and follow the prompts to enter the rest of your contact and payment information.

Student – FREE (Submit the online application and skip the payment step.)
Individual – Annual donation of $30.00
Family – Annual donation of $40.00
Donor – Annual donation of $75.00
Patron/Organization – Annual donation of $150.00
Benefactor – Annual donation of $250.00
Lifetime – Single gift of $500.00 provides one individual with a lifetime membership

Students note:
Currently enrolled UC Davis students may join Davis Botanical Society for free. Student Members will receive digital copies of our announcements and bi-annual Newsletter Lasthenia. Students are welcome to visit the Herbarium to pick up printed copies of Lasthenia for free. There are no dues for students; however, you will need to fill out the membership application form including your email.

Membership Davis Botanical Society Dues Payment Landing Page Screenshot
Membership Dues payment page screenshot.

 

Additional Donations Support these Valuable Programs

Student Research Grants Program

Each year, the Davis Botanical Society awards research grants to graduate and undergraduate students at UC Davis to help defray the expenses of independent study or other research projects. The student projects are field-oriented and related to plant taxonomy or plant evolutionary biology and ecology.  Davis Botanical Society Student Grants Program

Davis Botanical Society Student Grants Fund donation landing page screenshot.
Student Grants Fund screenshot of donation landing page.

Ellen Dean Herbarium Fund

The Ellen Dean Herbarium Fund is a named endowment honoring Ellen Dean’s decades of service as Curator of the Center for Plant Diversity Herbarium. Established by volunteers, friends and family, alumni, and the extended herbaria community, interest income from this fund is used to support operation of the herbarium, support for student staff and purchase of curation supplies. Contributing to this fund is a wonderful way to support the Center for Plant Diversity Herbarium, as well as student training and botany at UC Davis. The Herbarium Endowment is maintained by the UC Davis Foundation.  Ellen Dean Herbarium Fund

Ellen Dean Herbarium Fund donation landing page screenshot.
Ellen Dean Herbarium Fund screenshot of donation landing page.

Tim Metcalf Botanical Conservatory Endowment

The Tim Metcalf Botanical Conservatory Endowment Endowment has been established by alumni, friends and colleagues to honor Tim Metcalf and his four decades leading the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory. All gifts given to this fund will provide unrestricted support to the Botanical Conservatory to address the program’s needs and goals over the long-term. The goal is to reach the endowment level of $50,000 and honor Tim Metcalf’s vital role in perpetuity.  Tim Metcalf Botanical Conservatory Fund

Tim Metcalf Conservatory Fund donation landing page screenshot.
Membership Tim Metcalf Conservatory Fund screenshot of donation landing page.

Please visit these links to donate to the funds mentioned above:
     Davis Botanical Society Student Grants Program
     Ellen Dean Herbarium Fund
     Tim Metcalf Botanical Conservatory Fund

Additional donations to further the programs of the Society are welcomed. 


     Center For Plant Diversity Herbarium General Support

These donations might go towards consumable supplies for mounting specimens, for books for our reference library, or for a certain piece of equipment we need.

Additional donations to further the programs of the Society are welcomed.


    Botanical Conservatory General Support

These donations might go towards plants, consumable supplies, books for our reference library, or for a certain piece of equipment we need.

Botanical Conservatory General Support Screenshot Donation Page
Botanical Conservatory General Support donation page screenshot.

If your employer has a matching gift program, your contribution may be doubled (check with your employer). Memberships and gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowable by law.

When you are donating to more than one fund online, a separate donation form will be required for each fund. Membership in the Davis Botanical Society is considered a separate “donation” with its own form. 

After the University of California Davis has processed your payment, sometime between two to four weeks, you will be sent a tax deductible donation acknowledgement from the The Regents of the University of California, Davis and a separate welcome email or letter from the Davis Botanical Society.