About FOGS

Friends of the Gardens (FOGs) is a group of volunteer gardeners at Western University, located in London, Ontario, Canada. Volunteers include Western staff and others from the community.
FOGs Operations & Team Leads 
Outreach Student LeadsTrisha Niles & Keting LiuLead social media and digital outreach efforts while coordinating and supporting volunteers who contribute to communications, awareness campaigns, and storytelling about Friends of the Gardens.
Event Lead Sarah CornwellPlans and oversees volunteer and community events, coordinating and supporting volunteers to ensure smooth logistics and an engaging, inclusive experience for participants.
Pollinator Garden LeadBlanca AlvarezCoordinates and supports volunteers in the planning, planting, and care of the Pollinator Garden—promoting biodiversity, seasonal stewardship, and ecological education.
Co-Operations Managers Sarah Lee & Patrick BarfootProvide administrative oversight and strategic coordination across all initiatives, managing budgets, documentation, and organizational processes to ensure the long-term sustainability and operational excellence of Friends of the Gardens.


As a group, FOGs activities are:

To Work

FOGs volunteers work in the St. Mary's Cement Rock Garden that lies between the Collip Building and the Biological & Geological Sciences Building, stretching down from Middlesex Drive to the lower greenhouses.  

To Learn

FOGs mostly learns by doing! 

In addition, periodic workshops are held  on topics such as making troughs, pruning, taking cuttings, grafting, taking care of plants and plant identification. 
 
Past field trips include rescuing plants in areas under construction, travelling to public gardens to obtain plants and be inspired, and visiting gardens of fellow FOGs' members or friends. 

Members of the group are encouraged to show off their own gardens.

To Share

Occasionally there are FOGs get-togethers, often combined with a business meeting. 

This gives FOGs opportunities to meet and mingle with other like-minded people and swap plants and stories.

FOGs volunteers also impart their expertise on visitors during the annual plant sale — by the plants that they sell & and their knowledge on how to care for them!