About the McLean Game Refuge

Connor joined the McLean Game Refuge in the summer of 2017 as the fourth director since we opened in 1932. Connor oversees research, conservation, education, and recreation across our 4,400 acres of forests, meadows and waterways. He works closely with the president of McLean and the board of trustees to carry out the management goals set by our founder Senator George McLean when he established the Game Refuge.

Before coming to the Game Refuge, Connor served as the assistant manager of the Yale School Forests overseeing 11,000 acres of working forest across New England. He also has experience in forest restoration, urban forestry and landscape design.

Connor received his Master of Forestry degree from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and his Bachelor of Arts degree from Bates College, and he maintains a Certified Forester license through the Connecticut Division of Forestry.

Samantha joined the McLean Game Refuge as a summer Forest Ranger in June of 2018. She now oversees the work of all Forest Rangers as our Crew Leader. In the course of her work, Samantha assists the director with trail maintenance, visitor management and conservation activities related to plants and wildlife. She’s currently studying wildlife behavior within the Game Refuge using motion-sensor cameras installed at strategic locations within the forest.

Samantha currently attends the University of Connecticut and will receive her bachelor’s degree in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology in December 2019.

Logan joined the McLean Game Refuge in the fall of 2017. A Granby native and avid hiker, he’s spent much of his life exploring the trails of the Game Refuge. Following a high school job shadow day hosted by Director Connor Hogan, Logan decided to pursue an internship at the Game Refuge.

In his duties, Logan monitors over 20 miles of trails and forest roads, maintains Game Refuge boundaries, manages visitor activities and aids in the collection of field data to support scientific research.

Prior to working at the Game Refuge, Logan worked at a family owned landscape construction business as well as at Wilderness Experience Unlimited adventure camp in Southwick, Massachusetts where he led and taught children the value of playing outdoors and learning about the New England forests.

Logan is in his first year studying at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont.

Judah began working at the McLean Game Refuge in the spring of 2019 to oversee cartography and geographic information management. A resident of West Simsbury, Judah has frequented the Game Refuge for running, hiking, and photography for much of his life.

Judah is managing all mapping operations for the Game Refuge. Through field GPS data collection and computer analysis, Judah is developing maps to support wildlife management plans, environmental remediation prescriptions, and various other property management activities. He is also working with Game Refuge management to develop a brand new comprehensive trail map for the forest.

Before coming to the Game Refuge, Judah coordinated and served as a cartographer for UConn Hartford geography students in a project exploring themes of neighborhood revitalization in Hartford.

Currently, Judah is an undergraduate student at the University of Connecticut pursuing a B.A. in Geography with a focus in Geographic Information Science (GIS).

Merlin began working at Mclean Game Refuge in the summer of 2019 as a Forest Ranger. In the course of his work, Merlin builds and maintain trails, maps and measures champion trees, and plans silviculture treatments for wildlife habitat. Additionally, he cores trees to collect data about the age of the forests throughout the Game Refuge.

Before coming to the Game Refuge, Merlin had worked for a local organic landscaping company mulching, pruning, planting native plants, and using organic lawn care techniques.

He is currently studying Environmental Science at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and will graduate in 2021.