Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
and they include those groups who participate in ecological restoration. Such volun-
teers can be considered stewards of the land, particularly when viewed from a holistic,
reciprocal view of ecological restoration. Our discussion of volunteers, however, in-
cludes more than simply those who work on ecological restoration projects. In order
to make use of the rich and relevant literature about volunteering, we looked more
broadly at volunteers engaged in a variety of environmental stewardship projects.
However, our findings translate directly to ecological restoration volunteers.
Stewardship is defined as “the careful and responsible management of our natu-
ral resources” (Merriam-Webster 1998). It is associated with a land ethic (Curtis and
DeLacy 1998) that, as eloquently described by Aldo Leopold (1949), “changes the
role of
Homo sapiens
from conqueror of the land-community to plain member and
citizen of it. It implies respect” (204). Stewardship is more than the careful and re-
sponsible management of our natural resources, it involves respect, preservation, and
actions toward the betterment of our natural resources regardless of personal eco-
nomic gain. The most common motivation identified for individuals involved in
volunteer stewardship groups, including those involved in ecological restoration, is
a desire to protect and preserve the natural environment they appreciate and care
about (Donald 1997; Christie 2004; Clewell and Aronson 2006; chap. 18, this
volume).
Ecological restoration can be a vehicle for building and maintaining a sense of
stewardship or caring between people and the environment around them. It provides
opportunities for people to connect with nature, be more involved in the environ-
ment, and, ultimately, come to respect and care about the land (Higgs 2003; Light
2008). Restoration can “serve as a kind of schoolhouse for environmental responsibil-
ity” (Light 2008, 101). This sense of responsibility and stewardship toward natural sys-
tems cultivated through participation in restoration activities can result in the creation
of a committed constituency of land stewards, a constituency for conservation of natu-
ral areas (Jordan 2003; Light 2008).
This chapter presents a conceptual framework that details the components neces-
sary for success when volunteer stewardship groups are involved in restoration proj-
ects, as well as a research example.
Conceptual Framework for Restoration and Stewardship Volunteerism
The conceptual framework for gauging the success of volunteer stewardship groups
considers both the characteristics of the volunteer organization and those of the indi-
vidual volunteers that contribute to success. This framework, shown in figure 2.1, is
based on the literature about human motivation theory, successful nonprofit organi-
zations, and studies of volunteers involved in ecological restoration, conservation, and
environmental stewardship projects. We also conducted a survey of volunteer group
leaders and land managers in order to investigate components of the conceptual
framework. The results of the survey and their contribution to our proposed frame-
work are provided at the end of this chapter.
