A Systematic Review of Environmental Volunteer Motivations

Abstract

In many countries, volunteers make an important contribution to protecting and restoring natural ecosystems through participating in activities such as planting, weeding and species monitoring. However, many environmental groups have low recruitment and retention rates. It is therefore important to understand people’s motivations to participate in environmental volunteering. In this context, this paper systematically reviews the limited literature on this topic. A thorough database search identified 44 relevant peer-reviewed journal articles. These papers identified a range of key factors motivating people to volunteer in conservation initiatives including, helping the environment, helping the community, learning, being in nature, and social factors. The literature also showed that there is variation in motivations between individuals, and that different motivations can develop over time. The literature also provides insights into barriers to volunteering and how to recruit and retain environmental volunteers, which is a major factor in the success of conservation initiatives.