Megan Ardolino, Plant Growth Facilities Manager

Megan Ardolino joined the Arnold Arboretum as the Plant Growth Facilities Manager at the Weld Hill Research Center in 2022. She is passionate about plants, creating natural and sustainable growing systems, and learning everything botanical!

Megan’s introduction to horticulture began the summer after earning her B.A. in English at Salem State University. After a naive attempt to grow vegetables in a very shady spot in her backyard, Megan volunteered at the Food Project, a non-profit supporting sustainable agriculture, food access, and social justice. Quickly taken with agriculture, she became employed by both the Food Project and Appleton Farm within the same year, focusing on organic methods of vegetable production. Eagar to learn more skills, Megan apprenticed with the Trustees of Reservation’s Moraine Farm in 2013 and a family-owned certified organic farm, Green Meadows, in 2014. Her passion for agriculture and talents in leadership propelled her to manage Green Meadows Farm’s vegetable and fruit production for 4 years.

With an interest in studying more diverse growing methods, Megan entered the (legal) Cannabis industry in 2018, managing 22,000 sqft of indoor growing space for a national company, Curaleaf. It was through this experience she delved into indoor climate control and soilless systems.

In her spare time, Megan enjoys caring for a variety of plants at her home in Georgetown, MA; among her collection are several varieties of her favorites: rex and cane begonias. She is a member of the National Begonia Society, the Massachusetts Audubon Society, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, and the Association of Education and Research Greenhouses. Megan considers herself a lifelong learner of botanical sciences and after 10 years of retail crop production, she is thrilled to support the research at Weld Hill.