San Diego

UC President Michael Drake and UC regents were treated to virtual tours of UC ANR similar to the tour taken by legislators on Nov. 20. On Dec.

February is Black History Month, an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Mark your calendar for Wednesdays starting at 2 p.m. in February to celebrate with ANR colleagues.

Microaggressions: Towards Greater Awareness and Understanding (UC Davis) Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 1 4 p.m. or Tuesday, April 13, 2021 1 4 p.m. Register here. If seats are filled, select Express Interest and you may be added if a spot comes free.

Weed of the season: Dandelion,Taraxacum officinale Chill weather slows down grass growth in our lawns and we can notice the bright yellow flowers of Taraxacum officinale, the common dandelion. In our mild climate, dandelions bloom nearly year-round.

Vonny Barlow, former UC Cooperative Extension entomology and crop production advisor in Riverside County, passed away unexpectedly on Dec. 9 from a massive heart attack after being transported to a Palm Springs hospital. He was 55.

VP Glenda Humiston led California state legislators, their staff members and other policymakers on a virtual tour of UC ANR on Nov. 20.

Carvalho de Souza Dias named UCCE agronomy and weed management advisor Jos Luiz Carvalho de Souza Dias joined UCCE on Nov. 2, 2020, as an area agronomy and weed management advisor in Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin Counties.

Gulf Fritillaries in November? Yes! Gulf Fritillaries (Agraulis vanillae) are still active here in Solano County, on those warm, sunny afternoons that defy the season. They're still hanging around their host plant, Passiflora (passionflower vine), "looking for love" (thank you, Johnny Lee).

A "Natural History Note" From UC California Naturalist's new lead scientist, Dr. Cameron Barrows. To many people, biodiversity' is almost synonymous with the word nature,' and nature' brings to mind steamy forests and the big creatures that dwell there. Fair enough.

A UC Davis doctoral student's newly published research analyzing the population genetics of Africanized honey bees in North and South America details how rapidly they spread to California and also chronicles their successes and limitations.