The Friends of the Conservatory | 87 followers on LinkedIn. Supporting, Enhancing, and Promoting the Volunteer Park Conservatory; Inspiring Connection Between Nature & People | The Friends of the Conservatory (FOC), formed as a non-profit organization in 1980 and grew out of a 1978 citizens’ campaign to restore the physical structure of the Conservatory. The Victorian glass building had stood for 65 years at the north end of Volunteer Park, the site approved by the renowned Olmsted brothers’ landscape architecture firm in the early 1900′s. By 1978 the Conservatory’s glass panes and wood/iron framework had deteriorated so badly the building had to be closed during high winds.