You may recognize Anders Gullberg from his job helping customers bag their groceries at the River Forest Jewel, where he has worked for the past 8 years. Or maybe you’ve volunteered with him on Mondays at the local food pantry, Beyond Hunger. Since April, Anders has joined The Friends as a weekly volunteer tending the Oak Park Conservatory showrooms in the early mornings before opening.
While he’s lived in the area for the past 10 years, he recently moved to a new home run by the local non-profit L’Arche Chicago, just down the street from the Conservatory. His caregiver suggested he might enjoy volunteering at the historic 96-year-old facility.
A lifelong love of gardening led Anders to want to volunteer at the Conservatory. Influenced by his grandfather, who kept a garden in the northwest suburbs growing up, Anders caught the “gardening bug” and today gardens at home and in his community.
At his current home and at his previous home in Austin, Anders was the resident gardener. He grew vegetables such as tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, and herbs in raised beds along with flowers to beautify the courtyard. Even though he doesn’t like to eat vegetables himself, he enjoyed growing them and sharing them with co-members living in the house.
When asked what he enjoys about volunteering at the Conservatory, Anders shared, “I love working with plants. I love to weed and clean up and make the garden look nice, like I do at my own house. I have enjoyed getting to know a lot of new people in the Conservatory. This experience has helped me be a better gardener.” He added, if you are thinking about volunteering, “I encourage you to volunteer because it is good to give back to the community, and if you like gardening, it is good to work with the plants at the Conservatory.”
The Friends are approaching our 40th Anniversary next year, and for four decades have offered an opportunity for volunteers of all ages to support our programs, do hands-on work in the Conservatory, and connect with others who share the same passion and interests. Our volunteers contributed over 4,500 hours to the Conservatory last year alone.
If you are interested in volunteering or supporting our efforts to continue offering free nature-based education programs to the community, visit our volunteer page here.
