Picnic Day is known for being one of the largest student-run events in the nation, but there are many staff and faculty who also run some of the activities that take place during the day.

The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, or CAES, has been running its Picnic Day plant giveaway program for years, and it is always a hit. This year, they will be giving out strawberry and tomato plants. 

“The CAES Greenhouse Unit grows the tomato seedlings, and helps the Plant Breeding Center with the strawberry plants for the annual Picnic Day giveaway in front of the PES building. This year we are growing over 1,000 strawberry plants at the Orchard Park Greenhouses” Greenhouse Manager Rosie Gluck said. 

Lead Greenhouse Manager Eric Haddix said they have around 3,000 big tomatoes to give away this year. “They grew much faster this year than last year,” he added. The greenhouse tends to run out of plants to give out early in the day, so arrive early in order to grab a seedling.

Another yearly event that garners interest from the community is the UC Davis Fire Department open house. Deputy Chief of Operations and Training Cess Mercado said “Our fire department staff, along with our student employees, lead our fire station open house exhibit. In addition, we display our fire apparatus for visitors to explore — something that’s always a big hit, especially with kids who love seeing the fire engine and ladder truck up close. We also participate in the parade by entering our ladder truck.” 

Not only does the fire department put on a show at the fire station, they must also be prepared to respond to emergencies. Mercado said: “We focus on planning and staffing to meet the increased demand for service during Picnic Day. We bring in additional firefighter personnel, coordinate with ambulance crews from our partners at American Medical Response and support operations in the campus Emergency Operations Center. All of this helps ensure a safe and enjoyable Picnic Day for everyone who attends.”

An event more toward students is the Summer Session panel. Summer Sessions Program and Policy Analyst Danniele Biala will be in front of Wellman Hall and talking to students throughout the morning on Picnic Day.  “Our preparation for the event is going as planned,” she said. “This is our third year participating, and we have all the items ready to go. Picnic Day is a great way for us to celebrate the campus and also let the Davis community know that anyone can take courses over the summer.”

Though Picnic day is a student-run event, the work that staff and faculty do to prepare also helps make the day a success.