WWOOF Canada’s Board of Directors is the organization’s governing body, responsible for setting strategic direction and ensuring strong oversight. The Board is currently composed of five Directors, including Mary Garden.
Mary Garden has served on the Board of Directors for over two years and has held the role of Treasurer throughout her tenure, contributing her expertise to the organization’s financial stewardship, among other priorities.
Mary Garden brings over 40 years of experience as a board director, executive, and leadership coach across government, business, and the not-for-profit sector. Known for asking clear, practical questions and connecting strategy to execution, she has helped organizations strengthen financial oversight, enhance risk management, and build effective board cultures that deliver results.
Mary holds an MBA and was a BMO Honouree for Board Governance & Leadership in 2025.
She holds governance and sustainability designations, including ICD.D, GCB.D, and iGP certifications, and has advanced certifications in organizational coaching. Mary is also an author and a voice in the emerging space of regenerative leadership and spiritual ecology, translating these ideas into practical insights grounded in both business and life on the land. She is an ordained minister with the Canadian International Metaphysical Ministry (CIMM).
Raised in the Pacific Northwest by her Norwegian mother, Mary’s cultural roots span Northern Europe, Canada and the US. She has two grown sons and is married to Mike, a retired psychologist. After a long career in the corporate and investment world, she now focuses her “third act” on using her experience and networks to create opportunities for others through thoughtful governance and collaboration.
In 2019, Mary and Mike began a project to regenerate an abandoned horse farm on Vancouver Island into a place of sustainable learning, nourishment, and connection. Today, Agua Dulce Farm is an active regenerative farm raising alpacas for fibre and growing market fruits and vegetables. Since becoming WWOOF Canada hosts in 2023, they have welcomed volunteers from across Canada and around the world, deepening Mary’s commitment to hands-on learning and cultural exchange.
Through her work with WWOOF Canada, Mary sees a powerful opportunity to shape the future of Canada’s food systems by connecting people to the land, supporting the next generation of farmers, and advancing regenerative agriculture.