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Dawn’s Pond

Dawn’s Pond is located down the paved trail from the main entrance and is adjacent to the Rhododendron Garden. It was built by MetroWest Water Gardens, has an electric pump with waterfall. Native fish species such as brown bullhead, bluegill sunfish, fallfish, and shiner minnows. Cattails, iris, rushes, water lilies, and pickerelweed grow in pots in the lined pond. Many frogs are attracted to the pond during hot dry summer months. Dawn Wang (1963-2023) was an Acton resident for 25 years and a community activist. She served on the Acton-Boxborough Cultural Council, the Friends of the Acton Arboretum, Inc., and helped create the Arboretum’s China Trail Garden in 2018. Before Dawn passed away in 2023 of lung cancer, she offered to fundraise for this manmade, aquatic garden feature at the Arboretum.