Volunteer Recognition

Volunteer Profiles – 2011 Award Winners

Each year volunteers are thanked and recognized for their contribution to the Society. Here are the 2011 Calgary Horticultural Society volunteer winners.

Life Membership Award  - presented to a member who has dedicated a minimum of ten years of  outstanding volunteer commitment to the Society.  This includes significant contributions to the Calgary Horticultural Society, education in horticulture and community involvement.  

2011 Life Membership Award - Glenn KIng

Glenn has been an active member and volunteer of the Calgary Horticultural Society for many years.  He has volunteered for every committee and event, served on the Board of Directors, and has been the lone man in a group of women stuffing newsletters for mail-out.  From gate-sitting gardens to fundraising through casinos to teaching fellow gardeners about greenhouses, there is nothing Glenn has not done to support the Society and its educational goals.  He has also shared his gardening knowledge and promoted the Society at Seedy Saturdays and Bloomfests.

Glenn shares his wry sense of humour and wit with everyone and is always a welcome visitor to the Society office.  He is well known to hundreds of Calgary gardeners through his contributions and is most deserving of the Society’s highest award, a Life Membership. 

Award of Merit  - Joanne Ogilvie

Award of Merit - presented to an individual for their distinguished voluntary service to horticulture in the Province of Alberta.

Joanne  Ogilvie has significantly contributed to the promotion of gardening in Calgary. She has been a member of the Society since 2004 and has contributed many volunteer hours to Society events and programs, including garden shows, plant shares, bus tours, and our workshops. She has also been a writer and managing editor of our Calgary Gardening magazine.

As a member of the Society, Joanne promotes and supports our events, participates regularly in our on-line forum sharing information with other members. In the Calgary community, Joanne promotes and supports our events, participates regularly in the Queensland Gardening Club, organizing tours and providing education. Joanne has been a workshop presenter and guest speaker at community gardening events around the city. In 2011, Joanne made a significant contribution to our Community Gardens Resource Network by connecting the Society, Ball Horticulture's Burpee Home Gardens Program, GroZone with over 100 community gardens in the city. The idea involved donating one Celebrity Tomato Seedling to Community Gardens all around Calgary! In fact 2,000 tomato seedlings were donated.  It was a very exciting day and was greatly appreciated by hundreds of community gardeners.

Gold Award - presented to a dedicated Society member who has rendered voluntary distinguished service and promotion of the Calgary Horticultural Society and horticulture over a minimum of ten years.

Judy has been an active member and an outstanding volunteer for over 10 years.  Judy’s contributions have supported the mission and mandate of the Horticultural Society through a variety of services, including:  Board Member for 4 years, Past chairperson of Garden Show and is the current Chairperson of Perennial Plant of the Year committee.  Judy can been seen at many Society events throughout the year contributing her time; whether it be sharing information at the Garden Show or educating members at our AGM about the newly selected perennial plant of the year.  She has also shared her knowledge through newsletter articles and being a judge in the Garden Competition.  Judy has also contributed many hours reviewing and recommending changes to the rules & guidelines of the Garden Competition.

Judy’s community involvement on behalf of the Society includes being a current member of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Healing Gardens as well as making made past contributions to support the Society on radio and in print media.  She is a constant role model and has been a valuable mentor to me and many other Society members. 

John Buysschaert   - Silver Award - 2011

John Buysschaert has enthusiastically taken on a variety of different roles for the Society including assisting with the Garden Show as Venue Coordinator when the show was held at the Calgary Stampede. More recently John assisted Society Staff as part of the Show venue move-in team.  John’s contribution to this process is greatly appreciated.

John also assisted with the move-in and set up of the ‘Rooted in The City Greenhouse’ at the Calgary Stampede and helped build Project Orange Thumb – the Fiskars community garden project in Albert Park-Radisson Heights Community.

One of John’s greatest contributions is photography. This has included photos of the Garden Competitions, special events and award events. John's photos have covered a decade of gardening. His pictures are lovely and he is readily available to help us out when needed.

Joey Stewart  - Silver Service Award - 2011

Joey Stewart was recognized for her many contributions to The Calgary Horticultural Society. During the summer of 2011, she assisted with the design and delivery of the invitational garden bus tours.  Joey was instrumental in helping us find and screen gardens. She also visited the gardens, informed herself about specific features and characteristics and then acted as the bus tour guide. Joey also hosted the bus group in her garden at the end of one of the tour days. Joey also evaluated and reported on the project success.

Joey has volunteered in a number of areas for the Society. As a member of the Speaker’s bureau, she has integrated elements of fun, art and her love of gardening in with the education aspects of gardening in Calgary. She has also volunteered for the Plant Shares as a quality control specialist and table advisor.

For the Garden Competition, Joey has been a gatesitter, a photographer, and a judge. In addition, she provided her feedback into recent planning discussions about the future of this event. Joey volunteered for  the Garden Show, as well in the exhibitor check in and the membership booth. She is a keen advocate for the Society and is always  willing to share knowledge and experience with others. She brings such enthusiasm and joy to every task. 

William Dorman  - Silver Service Award - 2011 

William has been a dedicated volunteer for the Calgary Horticultural Society for well over 10 years.  He has served the Society in different capacities and given countless hours of his time. He served on the Board of Directors in 2005-2006 and from 2009 to 2010. In addition, he sat on the Garden Show Core Committees and played a key role in securing the raffle sponsors and prizes for this major fundraising event by searching out, and organizing the prizes. He also volunteered staff time to sell tickets at the Show.

William has assisted in the reclamation of the garden at the Society office by donating his time to and equipment to clear the site. He also supervised the construction of the pathway at the Society office with the Venturers Society team.

He currently volunteers for events such as the Rooted in the City Greenhouse at the Calgary Stampede. William is always an advocate for the Society and is willing to share knowledge and experience with others.