Samantha McDonald elected to the Worcester County Horticultural Society’s Board of Trustees

July 8, 2020

Samantha McDonald has been elected to the Board of Trustees of the Worcester County Horticultural Society, commonly known as Tower Hill Botanic Garden. In addition to being an experienced, client-focused real estate lawyer, Samantha has been an avid gardener for about 30 years, growing vegetables and perennials. She said, “The veggies give me food and appreciating the beauty of the plants gives me peace. Paying attention to the plants – noticing differences in leaf patterns, bark, shape of flowers, for example — makes me stay in the moment. I find nothing more soothing than weeding, bringing order to the unruly and nurturing the others.”

Being on the board for Tower Hill, she says “allows me to use my skills to give back to an organization that has provided a happy place for me, and to help support and expand that mission so others can experience that same sense of calm and wonder at the natural world and its infinite complexity.”

In her new position as trustee, Samantha will be part of the group that “governs” the agency. They provide guidance and resources to the CEO and ensure the agency’s funds are used prudently. When asked about her new position, Samantha replied, “I hope to support Tower Hill’s efforts of providing new and different services that appeal to a wide variety of people, while continuing the things that long-time supporters love. Of course, given the pandemic, those services are altered right now, and future plans are necessarily fluid, but I can’t think of a better time to become a trustee – people really need a connection to the natural world right now. Tower Hill has been a place that soothes, instructs and excites people about plants. I’m excited to share what I’ve found at Tower Hill and help the Society expand that connection to a wide variety of communities.”

The Worcester County Horticultural Society was founded in 1842 by a group of 24 professionals, merchants and public officials. In 1986, the Society settled at Tower Hill Farm in Boylston and focused on creating a botanic garden. This began the creation of Tower Hill Botanic Garden as we know it today featuring, “a four-season display of the finest plants for cultivation in New England.” Tower Hill Botanic Garden adopted a new mission in 2014 which is to, “Inspire the use and appreciation of horticulture to improve lives, enrich communities and strengthen commitment to the natural world.”