Retirement is a big step. At first, it seems like an extended vacation. Then, the reality sets in. We have a lot of time on our hands. After decades of work and having grown accustomed to being productive, we ask ourselves: “How will I spend my time?”

Work, at least until the pandemic hit, provided a social outlet – chatting with colleagues in the halls and at photocopiers, going for coffee and lunch. Retirement takes these opportunities away but, at the same time, it provides new ones that can fulfill the need to be social and remain active and contribute to the world around us.

One way to meet this need for social activity is to volunteer with the many non-profit organizations that abound in Ottawa.  For example, The Friends of the Central Experimental Farm, a volunteer organization helping to care for the Arboretum, the Ornamental Gardens and Shelterbelt of the Central Experimental Farm (CEF), presents an excellent opportunity for volunteering.

The CEF was established in 1896 as a research station to help farmers, many of whom were recent immigrants, with their planting and harvesting techniques and to grow crops and horticultural plants suitable to the Canadian climate. In 1998, the entire Central Experimental Farm was declared a National Historic Site, a place of profound importance to Canada’s development as a nation.

By volunteering with the Friends, you can help to protect the green and blooming spaces at this historic site, and meet new people while enjoying the outdoors. Volunteering does not require you to be an accomplished gardener. But you must be open to learn in friendly teams devoted to one of the gardens or help the Friends out with administrative tasks.

A Friends of the Farm Team

Janice Tayles, recently retired from a global information technology services and consulting company in Ottawa, was researching volunteer opportunities on the internet. As she said in a recent interview: “I am a great lover of the outdoors and was definitively looking for something with an ‘environmental’ theme.  When I saw a potential opportunity to volunteer at the Central Experimental Farm I was sold.” She volunteers in the Rock Garden on Tuesday mornings and uses her internet skills in an administrative capacity in the afternoon.

This enthusiasm for the outdoors is echoed over and over by the volunteers with the Friends. As Ian Dublin, also recently retired from the high-tech sector, pointed out:  “My wife and I visited the ornamental gardens and Arboretum many times last spring as an activity we could finally do when out of the lockdowns. My career had involved a lot of time on the computer designing very small things in the virtual world. Getting outside and enjoying nature holds great appeal. Gardening has been a hobby for me for many decades.” He enjoys it so much that he works in the Shelterbelt on Tuesday mornings and in the Explorer Rose Garden on Fridays.

Many retirees downsize from family homes to apartments and condos. This was the case of Helen Tsang who had an extensive perennial garden at a suburban property.  After she and her husband downsized to a downtown condo, she missed the connection to gardening especially with the extra time she had on her hands.  As she said: “It was a very opportune time to join the Friends.  I love peonies and the flexible schedule fit into my schedule nicely. It was nice to have someone to talk to face to face even with social distancing.”

It is such an enjoyable experience that volunteers come back year after year. Career civil servants Fiona Cowell and Stephen Joy, have found they learned so much more about peonies, roses and hostas thanks to extremely knowledgeable team leaders who happily shared their expertise. Socializing within the teams they have found to be enjoyable as well as the interaction with the public strolling in the gardens, which is usually positive. They added that it was “nice to get thanks for our efforts – immediate feedback on our work.” In addition, Helen Tsang noticed on her team that genuine friendships had formed over the years – “There is a feeling of camaraderie.  That’s inspiring.”

Getting the Garden ready

All of the volunteers interviewed stressed that the positive aspects are the full body workout, helping make things beautiful, the relaxed team approach and enjoyment of the outdoors. They have found the weekly half-day (two and a-half hour) commitment to a team from early May to early October an easy task. And all said it is an experience they would highly recommend to others. Helen Tsang added, “I always believe the key to physical and mental well-being is staying active no matter your age.”

Each one pointed out that the Central Experimental Farm is a gem in the middle of Ottawa, one city residents as well as visitors enjoy year-round.  Janice Tayles concluded: “I feel very passionate about contributing in some small way to such a wonderful place. In addition, fresh air, sunshine, and the opportunity to work on such an amazing variety of plant specimens at a National Historic Site…. how can one refuse?”

For more information on volunteering with the Friends of the Central Experimental Farm, visit the Friends’ website or by e-mailing volunteer@friendsofthefarm.ca or calling 613-230-3276.