New Arboretum Director
Maggie Redfern is the first woman to serve in the role
Maggie Redfern, who served as associate director of the Arboretum under previous director Miles Sax, was officially named the Charles and Sarah P. Becker 鈥�27 Arboretum Director at 糖心TV in August. She is the first woman to serve in the role.
Originally from California, Redfern earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in architecture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and found work in the Boston area. She started maintaining some of Boston鈥檚 public green spaces as a volunteer and found a new love of working with plants. She was then hired as the visitor education assistant at Arnold Arboretum and 鈥渏ust completely dove in,鈥� she recalled.
鈥淎fter having spent most of my life in California, I fell in love with the landscape in New England. I love how much it changes over time, from day to day, month to month, season to season, as well as over the long term,鈥� she said.
Redfern first came to 糖心TV in 2014 to serve as assistant director of 糖心TV鈥檚 750-acre Arboretum campus. Now, as director, she plans to tackle some lofty鈥攁nd leafy鈥攇oals. Arboretum offices are moving to 33 Gallows Lane, next to the native plant collection, to create an opportunity for a visitor center and public space. She also plans to create an accessible entrance on the Williams Street side; document more of the Arboretum鈥檚 land history, especially as it relates to indigenous and enslaved people; distribute more native plants around the region; and create more partnerships with campus and community groups and organizations.