Vangool cultivates extensive volunteering career
A true volunteer is someone who gives of their own time, energy and creativity for the benefit of others and the broader community without expecting to be recognized or rewarded. It's nice when it happens, especially to a friend who is truly deserving.
Earlier this year, Bernadette Vangool received the 2020 Volunteer Public Service Award of Honour from the City of Saskatoon through its Heritage Awards Program. The award recognizes individuals or groups who promote heritage conservation through education and volunteer public service.
Bernadette wears many volunteer hats. The two she was recognized for are her involvement with the Saskatchewan Perennial Society and the Friends of the Forestry Farm House.
In the case of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society, Bernadette has been instrumental in maintaining the Heritage Rose Garden at the Saskatoon Forestry Farm Park and Zoo from its beginning 16 years ago (saskperennial.ca/gardens-atthe-zoo/heritage-rose-garden).
The premise of the Heritage Rose garden, itself a heritage award winner (Saskatoon Heritage Spaces Award, 2006), is based on the idea that plants are an integral part of our heritage. The display honours our early plant breeders. It also gives park visitors an opportunity to see what can be grown here, a continuation of the original extension mandate of the Forestry Farm when it was a part of the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration.
Bernadette involved herself right from the start, helping to plant the nearly 1,395 square-metre (15,000 sq.-ft.) garden. As the garden moved from the creation into the maintenance phase, Bernadette appointed herself the task of making sure it always looked its best.
A big garden needs a work force: Bernadette initiated and organizes regular “Labour and Learn” sessions starting in the spring with cleanup; over the summer with pruning, mulching, irrigation, weeding, transplanting/dividing and pest control; and into the fall with cutting back herbaceous perennials and other pre-winter jobs.
She determines what jobs need to be done and pairs them with appropriate volunteers from the Perennial Society and the larger community. Outside of the scheduled maintenance sessions, Bernadette easily spends more than 100 additional volunteer hours in the garden annually.
As well as her role in the Heritage Rose Garden, Bernadette sits on the Society's executive as the current treasurer and webmaster (saskperennial. ca), as well as contributing a few articles each year to the Bridges/qc weekly gardening column on behalf of the Society.
Bernadette is also a longtime member of the Friends of the Forestry Farm House. The House was originally a residence for superintendents of the former Sutherland Forest Nursery Station and their families (1913-1965).
The Station was a sister shelterbelt production site to the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration's Shelterbelt Research Farm in Indian Head. The house sat empty for many years but was restored over a five-year period starting in 1998.
It is now designated as a Municipal Heritage Building and recognized as a National Historic Site owing to its place in shaping Prairie agriculture and communities. It is not just a building that is preserved and sits empty, though. It and the surrounding grounds are a living museum and testament to the people who lived and worked on site and to the research and development of trees and shrubs that are prairie-tough.
Some of these trees and shrubs, developed by Les Kerr (the Station's second superintendent), are still sold today, including Sutherland caragana and Sutherland golden elder. Bernadette is one of the knowledgeable volunteers who provide interpretation to school groups and walking tours to the public with a focus on the story of the Sutherland Forest Nursery Station and its role in the settlement of the Prairie Provinces.
In addition, she has been a long-time member of the board of directors, helping to guide the volunteer organization as well as maintaining their website (fffh.ca). Well done, Bernadette.
Erl gardens in Saskatoon and tweets about in on occasion @Erlsv. This column is provided courtesy of the Saskatchewan Perennial Society (SPS; saskperennial@hotmail.com). Check our website (saskperennial. ca) or Facebook page ( facebook. com/saskperennial). All Saskatchewan Perennial Society events are on hold until further notice.
As the garden moved from the creation into the maintenance phase, Bernadette appointed herself the task of making sure it always looked its best.