Volunteering for the environment – some do, some don’t
When you think of environmental volunteers, do you automatically picture an older, retired person with plenty of free time? It’s true that volunteers are often older, but in fact there’s an amazing diversity of people who get involved.
Volunteers give their time, knowledge and/or skills to supports a cause, person or organisation for free. Globally volunteers play an invaluable role in protecting and rehabilitating natural environments. What motivates people to volunteer for the environment? Research shows key factors include:
- helping the natural environment, and feeling satisfied with seeing improvements
- learning something new
- being in nature
- social factors, including building connections, having fun and feeling needed and valued
- helping the local community
Motivations for volunteers are complex and can change over time. Interestingly, motivation can be influenced by age, income, education, employment status and previous volunteering experience. Younger people tend to be more interested in learning new skills, networking and building their career – which makes plenty of sense. Older people tend to be more altruistic, focussing on sharing knowledge and skills, being advocates, socialising and connecting with nature. Volunteers often talk about the benefits of participating – personal satisfaction, relationships, positive feedback, recognition and knowledge gained.
Unfortunately, organisations and interest groups often struggle with low volunteer recruitment and retention rates. Some committed volunteers can experience burn out and need to retire. The many barriers to volunteering include:
- Lack of information and awareness about opportunities
- Time constraints because of work, family and study commitments
- Distances to travel and time and effort to get there
- Confidence issues and wondering about being capable of participating
- Fear of committing on an ongoing basis
- Health issues and mobility
- Lack of resources
Groups often struggle to work out how to effectively recruit and retain environmental volunteers, which can be a key factor in the success of environmental initiatives. There’s a need for support and understanding, so that people can contribute in their own way. Some people love to be out doing physical works while others prefer management and organisational roles.
Have you ever considered volunteering for environmental efforts? There’s a growing need for environmental volunteers, given the rising awareness of environmental issues, the increasing pressure on our local environments and recognition of the importance of its protection.
There are so many ways to help the environment – from planting native vegetation, controlling weeds (such as the dreaded Wheel Cactus!), putting up nest boxes, fencing off remnant vegetation from stock, contributing to plant and animal surveys, participating in community events and creating online educational information.
Members of the Wheel Cactus Warriors have been busy for over 20 years fighting to control this noxious weed. Over this time, many people have contributed to this noble cause – in so many ways. Have you ever thought about getting involved? Check out our website https://cactuswarriors.org/ for all things cactus related and feel free to get in touch.
You can also check out this interesting article: Sextus et al. (2023) A systematic review of environmental volunteer motivations. Society and Natural Resources journal https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08941920.2024.2381202#abstract
