The growing legacy of the U of R herbarium

Photos by Trevor Hopkin

By Katie Doke Sawatzky MJ'18

Former biology professor George Ledingham spent a lifetime collecting plant samples housed in the on-campus herbarium that now bears his name. The herbarium is getting a new lease of life thanks to a multi-disciplined effort that has rocketed the facility into the digital age.

The George F. Ledingham Herbarium and its collection of specimens—some 70,000 dried plants, flowers, mosses and lichen—has been a gem of the University’s biology department for decades, but regrettably it remains relatively unknown to the outside world. That is about to change.

Mel Hart, associate dean of Science: Student experience and engagement, is happy it won’t remain a secret for much longer. She is spearheading a project to digitize the entire collection over the next five to ten years, making the data from each specimen available on the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), a free and open global online database.

“There's a lot of historical importance in here,” says Hart about the herbarium. “It's not just plants that have been pressed and dried. There’s just so much in the collection that connects to the Saskatchewan landscape.”

Former U of R biology professor George Ledingham.
Former U of R biology professor George Ledingham.

The Ledingham legacy

Behind that connection is one man, who dedicated his life to the collection and study of Saskatchewan’s plant life. George F. Ledingham, born on his family’s farm in 1911 near Boharm, Saskatchewan, attained his undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate degrees in science during the Great Depression in Saskatoon and Wisconsin. He worked his way up in the Biology department at Regina College from assistant professor in 1946 to chair of the department in 1969, when it was known as the Regina Campus of the University of Saskatchewan. Retiring in 1978, four years after the University became an independent degree-granting institution, Ledingham taught until 1983.

Throughout his career, this Indiana Jones of biology gathered specimens from all over Saskatchewan and around the world. In 1965, he discovered a new species in Iran which was subsequently named after him as Astragalus ledinghamii.

“Although he retired in 1978, George continued working in the herbarium, coming into the University several times a week right up until a few months before his death in 2006,” says Hart.

For a man who spent so much time in the herbarium, which was named after him in 1990, one needs to hunt for signs of Ledingham’s presence. But on one wall hang awards from Environment Canada and the Canadian Parks Service for great acts of service, next to the grey fedora he wore gathering specimens. Tucked into the frame of one certificate a photo shows George wearing the hat tromping through waist-high grass, a plant press hanging from a strap in his right hand.

“Although he retired in 1978, George continued working in the herbarium, coming into the University several times a week right up until a few months before his death in 2006,” says Hart.  His dedication to the work he did is just one part of why the Ledingham Herbarium is such a special place.

While the plants are dried and laid out on acid-free paper, the moss and lichen collections are contained in small envelopes in cardboard boxes that once held Hush Puppies, Italian-made shoes, rice cakes, and biscuits. Pulling out the specimens and reading the immaculate cursive of the labels makes one feel they’ve gone back in time.

Three students pose in the U of R herbarium.
Helping with the digitalization project is (left to right) Bazil Rehman BSc ’23, Ellaissa Andrade BSc ‘22, and Mariko Sawa BA'19.

A new generation of botanists

At a table in the front of the herbarium sit biology students, Ellaissa Andrade BSc ‘22 and Bazil Rehman BSc ’23. Tasked with transcribing the written information found on each of these labels into digital files. They are also getting ready to create images of each specimen with a new high-resolution scanner the faculty received earlier this spring.

The legacy of Ledingham’s work isn’t lost on the two young scientists, who were born nearly 90 years after Ledingham, and 55 years after he created the herbarium in 1945.

“There's so much documentation that he has from over the course of his lifetime that really makes for a richer story,” she says.

“It’s interesting to see how he spent his life,” says Rehman. “He started this when he was really young, he was our age he was already collecting specimens. Then he kept doing this for another 70 years. It’s really impressive to see how dedicated he was.”

The herbarium holds other records of Ledingham’s work, including numerous journals in which he notated his findings and daily work, boxes of slides that document his research travels, and three filing cabinets packed with documents that range from his teaching notes to his efforts to establish conservation areas in the province.

Hart sees it all as vital information for the University to preserve and make accessible.

“He was a very detail-oriented man,” laughs Sawa, who has plans to study library and archival sciences at the graduate level after her internship.

“There's so much documentation that he has from over the course of his lifetime that really makes for a richer story,” she says.

A multi-disciplinary approach

Last fall, Hart reached out to Philip Charrier, associate professor of history, who then reached out to Crista Bradley, an archivist at the John Archer Library, to discuss ways to get students involved in preserving Ledingham’s work. Charrier recommended history student Mariko Sawa BA'19, to digitize Ledingham’s journals and transcribe one of them for the archives for her Arts internship, under Bradley’s supervision.

“We looked at the resources that Science, Archer, and Arts can pool together to help the herbarium shine and to bring a valuable archival research opportunity to students and provide them with a rich experiential learning experience,” says Bradley.

“The synergy that comes from connecting students in different disciplines is a pretty cool thing to have happening at the undergraduate level,” says Bradley. “That's pretty special.”

The journals date from the early 1940s to Ledingham’s death. Sawa transcribed one from the 1990s, when Ledingham decided to take an inventory of the herbarium. In order to transcribe the details of the journal accurately, she worked with Andrade and Rehman to find the proper scientific names of specimens.

“He was a very detail-oriented man,” laughs Sawa, who has plans to study library and archival sciences at the graduate level after her internship.

Three faculty members pose in herbarium.
U of R faculty members behind the digitization of the Ledingham collection are (left to right) Crista Bradley, an archivist at the John Archer Library, Philip Charrier, associate professor of history, and Mel Hart, associate dean of Science: Student experience and engagement.

The herbarium exhibit

The students’ collaboration has continued with a second herbarium-inspired project Sawa is organizing: a curated art exhibit of herbarium specimens in the former University Club space for fall 2023.

“I chose around 20 specimens that Ella and Bazil presented to me and then did research for each one to create title cards and designed those,” says Sawa, explaining that high-resolution photographs of the specimens will be taken, mounted, and displayed on the wall as art.

Andrade and Rehman have found it fun to collaborate with Sawa.

Part of what alumna Mariko Sawa BA'19, has been working on in the Ledingham Herbarium is putting together some of the plant samples for an art exhibit that will take place in the Fall.
Part of what alumna Mariko Sawa BA'19, has been working on in the Ledingham Herbarium is putting together some of the plant samples for an art exhibit that will take place in the Fall.

“I like it a lot because we don't really have a lot of opportunities to study the plants since our work is mostly transcribing,” Andrade says. “Learning about the plants and helping Mariko with her exhibition is fulfilling.”

Rehman adds, “Any time she's like, ‘Do you know what this plant is?’, I'll say, ‘No, but I'll find it for you in like 10 seconds, just give me the name and I'll go off on a little adventure.’”

In his quest to raise awareness and protect native prairie in Saskatchewan, Ledingham’s crowning achievement, some may argue, was the formation of Grasslands National Park in the moist, mixed grasslands of southwestern Saskatchewan in 1981.

For the exhibit, the trio has chosen specimens that have kept their colours nicely over the decades, like Lilium philadelphicum, the Western red lily collected by Ledingham in the Great Sand Hills in 1963. Specimens found by Bernard de Vries, who worked closely with Ledingham to help catalogue the herbarium in the ‘90s and whose personal collection is part of the herbarium, will also be part of the exhibit. They include Opuntia polyacantha, a small cactus from Big Muddy Lake in 1968, and Hypoxis hirsuta, a grass called starflower found near Rocanville in 1968.

“The synergy that comes from connecting students in different disciplines is a pretty cool thing to have happening at the undergraduate level,” says Bradley. “That's pretty special.”

Working together

For Charrier, the way in which the herbarium has allowed for cross-disciplinary interactions not only for the students, but also for himself, has been valuable, referencing a recent grant application he and Hart worked on and coordinating with Bradley on internships.

“It's been very meaningful to step into a different world, to realize how much Mel, Crista, and I have in common,” he says. “The disciplinary boundaries that seem so significant in an institutional context are really fairly minimal when it comes to actually working together.”

Bazil Rehman's BSc ’23 time in the herbarium has turned the Faculty of Science graduate into an expert at finding the scientific names of plant samples.
Bazil Rehman's BSc ’23 time in the herbarium has turned the Faculty of Science graduate into an expert at finding the scientific names of plant samples.

The driving force behind the herbarium, and, it seems, Ledingham’s career in botany, is summed up well in a single question he wrote at the end of an entry on Dec. 11, 1995, when he was taking an inventory of the herbarium’s entire collection: “We badly need research on Canadian vasculars. How can we protect our heritage if we know so little?”

In his quest to raise awareness and protect native prairie in Saskatchewan, Ledingham’s crowning achievement, some may argue, was the formation of Grasslands National Park in the moist, mixed grasslands of southwestern Saskatchewan in 1981. A tribute to Ledingham in The Blue Jay, a journal of Saskatchewan’s Natural History Society which he edited for 16 years, details the 20 years he spent organizing and meeting with federal government.

Ellaissa Andrade BSc ‘22 was one of the students tasked with transcribing the written information found on each of these labels into digital files.
Ellaissa Andrade BSc ‘22 was one of the students tasked with transcribing the written information found on each of these labels into digital files.

The fact that one could make a career out of studying plants, is something Rehman, Andrade and Sawa have learned to appreciate through their work in the herbarium.

More interested in zoology in the beginning of his studies, Rehman has a new found respect for botany.

“I can really see myself doing plant stuff for the rest of my life and being perfectly happy with it,” he says.  “I've started appreciating plants a lot more as a result of this.”

While the dried specimens within the herbarium are indications of past life, the ongoing work to preserve Ledingham’s legacy is creating new resources and opportunities for students and the wider community.

“Once the collection and the associated materials are available in a digital format on GBIF, that really allows accessibility for anyone anywhere to tap in and see what we have to offer,” Hart says.

About the Author

Katie Doke Sawatzky is a freelance journalist in Regina. She is also the communications coordinator for the Mennonite Church Canada. She has written for Eagle Feather News, J-Source, Geez Magazine, and Briarpatch Magazine.

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Celebrated Saskatchewan writer Guy Vanderhaeghe BEd'78, S.O.M., O.C. is the author of six novels and four collections of short stories, and has been the recipient of many awards, including the Governor General's Award (three times), the Saskatchewan Order of Merit, the Lieutenant Governor's Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts, and is an Officer of the Order of Canada. He received the University of Regina's Alumni Crowning Achievement Award - Lifetime Achievement Award - in 2017. In January, he was awarded the 2nd annual Glengarry Book Award for his most recent novel, August Into Winter, which is set in small-town Saskatchewan on the brink of World War Two. Vanderhaeghe spoke with Degrees about how looking at history can help to make sense of the present, how teaching informs his writing, and the importance of applying oneself to the job at hand.

What's your origin story as a writer? Was it something you were always drawn to, or was there a period that marked your "beginning"?

It was something that I was always drawn to from an early age. As soon as I could read, I became fascinated with books. I grew up in a relatively small town - Esterhazy, Saskatchewan. There weren't many writers around except for the person who wrote the entire local newspaper himself. Things have changed - I'm over 70 years old, and when I went to school we read virtually no Canadian literature. It almost left you with the impression that writing was not something that people in this country tended to do, that writing happened someplace else - in Great Britain or the United States - I'm speaking as an English speaker when I say that. So, it didn't really cross my mind as something that I could do until I arrived at university.

I think it probably seems more possible now. The country has changed a lot, and there's a sense of possibility in the arts now that might not have existed when I was a child. The more remote you were from a big centre, the less possible it seemed to be - because you weren't consuming the arts. You weren't going to a symphony or a play, or attending a concert, which would have been a possibility in any city of significant size.

A big point for me was when the Saskatchewan literary magazine Grain was initiated and I read the first issue. I thought 'well, this is interesting. They're publishing writing by people from here.' So I sat down and wrote a short story and sent it off to Grain, and it was published in the second issue. And that's what prompted me to sit down and write short stories; I thought there might be a place to send my writing and have it published. It's possible to write for your own interest and pleasure - I'm not saying it isn't - but if you see no avenue for publication, you're not likely to pursue writing, or any other art form, with the sort of diligence that you need in order to develop as a writer.

Your latest book August into Winter takes place on the cusp of the Second World War. What attracted you to this time period, and how do you think it speaks to our present circumstance?

I think I saw similarities between the two periods - the present day and the 1930s and very early 1940s. They were periods of political crisis, and I feel that we're entering a period like that now. The 1930s was a period in which radical politics were on the rise - both on the left and right. In the present day, there's not the kind of equal distribution of political ideology that you saw in the 1930s - but I do see a great increase in the activity in the radical right. There are certainly shifting elements in North America - and Europe and other places in the world too - and I found that concerning. So, in a sense, the book was partly about that, and looking at politics in the 1930s, but also it was about how people deal with crisis.

When I began writing the book, we weren't yet feeling the crisis of the pandemic, but by the time I was finishing it, we were well into that. And that made me reflect on how my parents faced close to 15 years of hardship and crisis between the Great Depression and Second World War. That was also part of my interest in writing the book - to look at how individuals and societies weather that sort of thing. I didn't anticipate the pandemic, but when it broke I think that changed the way my novel ended because that was present in my mind. I wanted to show that people were capable of overcoming adversity - that doesn't mean that everybody survives adversity, but that people can actually deal with it.

Does the act of writing clarify things for you?

Absolutely. One of the things I used to say to creative writing students is that often you nail down what you actually think or feel in the attempt to write it, because often that's a process of distillation and refinement. For most writers, the act of writing is a way of thinking and an emotional response. I think that maybe writing the novel helped me clarify - at least a little bit - my real feelings of political distress about what was going on in the United States and all over the world, and also my reaction to what the pandemic was doing to people and how we were dealing with it. I think that writing the book may have clarified my own responses to those things. Writing and revision and posing questions - all of those things - it's a process. And it's a process that finally arrives at some point. And, in my case at least, the point I arrive at is sometimes not exactly where I thought I was going.

How does a sense of place play into your writing beyond just the setting?

When I first began to write in the 1970s and 80s, it was a period of cultural nationalism in Canada. And people were attempting to define themselves against the cultural hegemony of the United States. But here in Saskatchewan, I think we also felt a kind of cultural hegemony for English-speaking Canada that was coming out of Toronto. I think my generation of writers very consciously began writing about the province, the people of the province, and our experience of life here. Over time, I think it has become a more natural thing to do. Now, I never consciously write that stuff. I just write what surrounds me.

I think that a sense of place is in some sense diminishing everywhere in the world, and part of that is a kind of global culture which is also a homogenizing culture. So it seems to me the distinctions between people, at least on one level, are kind of breaking down - and you almost have another reaction that's leading to a kind of extreme nationalism. We're in this moment in history where everybody seems to be drifting toward sameness, and some people are violently reacting to that. So I find that there's a strange tension in the times.

Your degree from the U of R is in Education. How has teaching informed your writing?

I found that when I was teaching creative writing I had to think about what I did more or less instinctively. In terms of explaining to other people about how I believe fiction works - the need to explain how fiction is constructed in a craft sense actually made me more aware of it, and I think it seemed to help me solve problems in my own writing when I encountered them. When you talk about creative writing, part of it is purely instinctual. And you only really have to put your rational hat on when you know that there's a problem in whatever you're writing, and you have to figure out what the problem is. You have to be able to ask yourself questions about point-of-view or structure, or character development or any number of topics that I have discussed with students in a creative writing class. And some of those things have been clarified for me because I have had to be able to explain them to students as clearly as I could. I had to think harder about what I do as a writer.

What advice would you give to someone who'd like to follow your path and pursue a career in writing?

The first bit of advice that I would give is that it's not so much a question of inspiration or even of talent. It's more question of applying yourself to the job at hand, and realizing and accepting that it's a bit of a struggle. The British writer V.S. Pritchett used to say whenever you get into trouble as writer, increase the difficulty. I think that if you want to write you have to accept that it's not easy. It's difficult work. A lot of people think that it's merely a question of imagination and ideas. And really, it's a question of embodying ideas and imagination in words. And to do that successfully requires a good deal of craft, and a good deal of work.

*This interview was condensed for length

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Bring our young people back!

That's been a Saskatchewan mantra for years, as politicians and business leaders decry the out-migration of some of our best and brightest young people.

It used to be that rising tech superstars who aspire to be the next Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos had to pack up their bags and venture to Toronto or to Silicon Valley - the global epicentre for tech innovation and home of Apple, Google and Facebook.

But that narrative is changing thanks to an innovative tech incubator called Cultivator powered by Conexus.

Maggie Sinclair, chief growth officer at Conexus, says that Cultivator harkens back to credit union roots. Maggie Sinclair, chief growth officer at Conexus, says that Cultivator harkens back to credit union roots.

The birth of Cultivator

 Launched in 2019, Cultivator is Canada's first credit union-led tech incubator.

Those seeking help commercializing their tech innovations, known as founders in the Cultivator vernacular, can apply to be a part of Cultivator's startup programming and receive access guidance from mentors around the world. Founders also have access to funding, resources and programming, as well as office space shared with like-minded enterprises.

"The time of seeing our talented entrepreneurs leave this province has ended."

"It goes back to our credit union roots of members helping members, along with the cooperative principle of concern for the greater economic community," says Maggie Sinclair, chief growth officer at Conexus.

"The time of seeing our talented entrepreneurs leave this province has ended. We saw this great opportunity to be involved in something special. Here on the prairies, we have some of the most resilient people anywhere. By giving them access to the right support at the right time, we're able to help them compete on a global stage."

Joran M Jordan McFarlen BEd'10 helps lead Cultivator's operations as the tech incubator manager.

Cultivator's impact on tech startups

Jordan McFarlen BEd'10 helps lead Cultivator's operations as the tech incubator manager. He started with Conexus in early 2018 to help oversee the creation of the new tech hub.

Cultivator provides founders with the tools and resources they need to be successful. The stats speak for themselves.

"Cultivator began around the same time that the U of R was seeking revitalization funding for the College Avenue Campus Project. Conexus was selected as a community partner, and as part of its RFP proposal, it wanted to build an innovation hub to help support local startups," says McFarlen.

After a year of planning, Cultivator launched in January of 2019 with 10 ambitious startups, initially working out of Innovation Place adjacent to the U of R campus until a new space on College Avenue was ready in 2021.

"Having a centralized location where founders can be mentored and tap into venture capital and other supports has really made a difference, accelerating their growth into global markets."

Tech startups are often high risk - meaning there's a high failure rate - but they also have high growth potential. Through programming and events, Cultivator provides founders with the tools and resources they need to be successful. The stats speak for themselves.

In the past four years, Cultivator has incubated over 115 companies through its four different programs, helping them navigate from the concept stage to some with $1-million plus annual revenues.

"We're like a close-knit family," he says. "I really have to thank Cultivator for helping me build those relationships and take my career to the next level."

"Of the companies we've supported, they've been able to raise $59 million in private capital, get $42 million in public funding, and generate over $39 million in revenue," McFarlen says proudly. "Additionally, these companies have created over 300 jobs. It's exciting because we're seeing people stay in Saskatchewan because of this support, and we're also enabling others to stay and work here too."

A case in point A case in point "I grew up in Pilot Butte where everyone knows everyone and I really didn't want to leave Saskatchewan," says David Crossman BASc'15, co-founder and CTO of Citrus Technology.

A case in point

"I grew up in Pilot Butte where everyone knows everyone and I really didn't want to leave Saskatchewan," says David Crossman BASc'15, co-founder and CTO of Citrus Technology, a platform that provides software management for youth sports, with innovative ways to communicate with parents and deal with the day-to-day administration.

For Crossman, who just turned 30, tech has advanced with lightning speed. "I grew up with cassette tapes and Sony Discmans, eventually sharing an MP3 with my sister," he laughs. "I always thought I'd get into video design at the U of R, but wound up taking a software course and fell in love, even though I'd never written code before in my life."

So Crossman - always the innovator - started a Slack group to connect and build a community of technical folks in Saskatchewan, eventually becoming HackRegina. "We were able to pull experts in from across the tech community, solving problems and sharing ideas. I could reach out and say: 'Hey, this isn't working for me. Have you come across this same issue?' and dozens of tech experts could respond. We even brought in new immigrants and partnered with Regina Open Door Society."

Crossman says that the same Saskatchewan mentality of stopping and helping a stranded motorist at the side of the road applies to the tech community. "We're like a close-knit family," he says. "I really have to thank Cultivator for helping me build those relationships and take my career to the next level."

"My company is all about a social mission, first."

Citrus is now helping over 40 youth sports organizations across Canada with the chance to break into the U.S. market. "It's crazy how far we've come - all thanks to Cultivator."

 

Supporting technology across all sectors

Cultivator supports companies ranging from health, sales, cleantech, agtech, and more. To support the emerging growth of agtech around the world, Cultivator teamed up with founding partners Emmertech (an Agtech-focused venture capital fund managed and operated by Conexus Venture Capital Inc.) and Economic Development Regina. Together, they launched AGTECH ACCELERATOR, a national 12-week, venture-backed program built with founders and farmers, combining agriculture and technology to help create more Ag startups.

"Each winter, Cultivator selects top early-stage companies from across Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia to participate in three months of intensive programming," says McFarlen.

"This includes connecting with world-class mentors, Ag producers, and other investors, to optimize solutions for the agriculture industry," he says. "They finish off the program by pitching their company on the main stage at Canada's Farm Show in Regina."

Hannah Tait BAdmin'22 is launching a tech enterprise called ProdYous. The app connects urban producers of fruits and vegetables with others in their neighbourhood looking to buy fresh food. Hannah Tait BAdmin'22 is launching a tech enterprise called ProdYous. The app connects urban producers of fruits and vegetables with others in their neighbourhood looking to buy fresh food.

Tech with a social conscious

Founders in Cultivator attend numerous sessions with mentors as well as attend retreats. For anyone curious to see what the tech industry is all about, Cultivator also hosts several events throughout the year including its 24-Hour Startup.

Hannah Tait BAdmin'22 participated in the 2022 Agtech-themed 24-Hour Startup which took place at Canada's Farm Show. Tait, whose company ProdYous, markets an app that connects urban producers of fruits and vegetables with urban consumers, won the competition.

"Helping solve food insecurity is really important to me," she asserts. "Food prices are soaring, and in some neighbourhoods like North Central, they don't even have a grocery store. It's easier for someone to pick up a bag of chips at the convenience store than to buy fruits and vegetables to feed their family. I want to change that.

Tait is currently in discussions with a founding partner to build a new business that addresses food security issues in Regina. "If you have a garden and you grow five extra tomatoes - or 500 extra - I want to be able to connect you with people who need this produce within walking distance."

The 27-year-old says her proposed new company is built on the concept of Varagesale, but with social awareness in mind. "I'm excited to build this community of people creating local food access and removing transportation barriers to grocery stores - especially amongst those who don't drive or have cars," she says.

While this new company is still in the development stages, she's excited to see where it may lead.

Tait, whose university degree is in business, never dreamed she would wind up building tech start-ups. But she saw a need and forged ahead, even with difficult odds.

At the time of the interview, Tait was working on her new company evenings and weekends while still managing a day job at Ethical Digital, a Saskatoon-based company trying to change the trajectory of the internet. The company raises awareness and delivers strategies to clients to reduce mental health impacts of social media like insomnia, anxiety, and depression. She has now started working at Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership while continuing to explore the options for technology innovation to improve food security.

"It's hard working full time and developing this food security initiative but it's what I love and it's important work," she says. "It's also important to show young people what's possible when you work hard and set goals."

Tait cites Cultivator and "incredible community" of Regina founders for believing in her and helping her realize her own tech dreams.

Good news for Saskatchewan

McFarlen feels the same about each and every founder he's had the chance to work with at Cultivator. "We're doing really innovative work and helping grow Saskatchewan communities, celebrating success in our own backyard."

Sinclair agrees, "We're so proud of what we're doing with Cultivator. It really inspires you when you think about all the good that's happening with tech here in Saskatchewan."

For Crossman, Tait, and dozens of other founders, Saskatchewan is no longer a place to be from but a place to be - to thrive and build a future in tech.

"I'm always thinking about the future - what sort of world am I going to leave behind for my nephew. That motivates me to keep pushing forward," says Tait, who dreams of creating the kind of environment where today's youth never have to pack their bags and leave, and where Saskatchewan will always remain home.

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