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 ’27 Arboretum Director at Conn in August. She is the first woman to serve in the role.

Originally from California, Redfern earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, and found work in the Boston area. She started maintaining some of Boston’s 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 “just completely dove in,” she recalled.

“After 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,” she said.

Redfern first came to Conn in 2014 to serve as assistant director of Conn’s 750-acre Arboretum campus. Now, as director, she plans to tackle some lofty—and leafy—goals. 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’s 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.