Volunteer commitment and longevity in community-based conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand
Committed volunteers are the driving force of successful community-based conservation initiatives. However, many groups struggle with recruitment and retention of volunteers. This research adds to the limited knowledge on what motivates community-based conservation volunteers to become committed to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Kōtuitui |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/1177083X.2024.2335995 |
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| author | Charlotte P. Sextus Karen F. Hytten Paul Perry |
| author_facet | Charlotte P. Sextus Karen F. Hytten Paul Perry |
| author_sort | Charlotte P. Sextus |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Committed volunteers are the driving force of successful community-based conservation initiatives. However, many groups struggle with recruitment and retention of volunteers. This research adds to the limited knowledge on what motivates community-based conservation volunteers to become committed to a conservation initiative, by carrying out a case study on community-based conservation volunteers in the Manawatū region of New Zealand. Twenty-one semi-structured interviews with key members of community-conservation groups were carried out along with a survey distributed to all local community-based conservation groups. This research showed that the key long-term motivation factors are ‘to care for the environment’, ‘to help the local community’, ‘to be outside, or amongst nature’ and to have ‘a connection to nature’. There was minimal change between long-term and initial motivation factors, with only three motivation factors increasing in importance; ‘to socialise with others’, ‘for stress relief or escape’ and ‘to help the local community', and one decreasing in importance; ‘to learn new skills and knowledge’. In order to enhance commitment of volunteers there is a need to take motivation factors into account within project design and management, allow time for socialisation, and provide ongoing training, education and recognition. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2945dd00f1fd454fa9a596f17cbe9ea3 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1177-083X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Kōtuitui |
| spelling | doaj-art-2945dd00f1fd454fa9a596f17cbe9ea32025-01-28T01:57:24ZengTaylor & Francis GroupKōtuitui1177-083X2025-01-01201254510.1080/1177083X.2024.2335995Volunteer commitment and longevity in community-based conservation in Aotearoa New ZealandCharlotte P. Sextus0Karen F. Hytten1Paul Perry2School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New ZealandSchool of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New ZealandSchool of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University, Palmerston North, New ZealandCommitted volunteers are the driving force of successful community-based conservation initiatives. However, many groups struggle with recruitment and retention of volunteers. This research adds to the limited knowledge on what motivates community-based conservation volunteers to become committed to a conservation initiative, by carrying out a case study on community-based conservation volunteers in the Manawatū region of New Zealand. Twenty-one semi-structured interviews with key members of community-conservation groups were carried out along with a survey distributed to all local community-based conservation groups. This research showed that the key long-term motivation factors are ‘to care for the environment’, ‘to help the local community’, ‘to be outside, or amongst nature’ and to have ‘a connection to nature’. There was minimal change between long-term and initial motivation factors, with only three motivation factors increasing in importance; ‘to socialise with others’, ‘for stress relief or escape’ and ‘to help the local community', and one decreasing in importance; ‘to learn new skills and knowledge’. In order to enhance commitment of volunteers there is a need to take motivation factors into account within project design and management, allow time for socialisation, and provide ongoing training, education and recognition.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/1177083X.2024.2335995Community-based conservationenvironmental volunteeringvolunteer motivationsvolunteer commitmentvolunteer retention |
| spellingShingle | Charlotte P. Sextus Karen F. Hytten Paul Perry Volunteer commitment and longevity in community-based conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand Kōtuitui Community-based conservation environmental volunteering volunteer motivations volunteer commitment volunteer retention |
| title | Volunteer commitment and longevity in community-based conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand |
| title_full | Volunteer commitment and longevity in community-based conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand |
| title_fullStr | Volunteer commitment and longevity in community-based conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand |
| title_full_unstemmed | Volunteer commitment and longevity in community-based conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand |
| title_short | Volunteer commitment and longevity in community-based conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand |
| title_sort | volunteer commitment and longevity in community based conservation in aotearoa new zealand |
| topic | Community-based conservation environmental volunteering volunteer motivations volunteer commitment volunteer retention |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/1177083X.2024.2335995 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT charlottepsextus volunteercommitmentandlongevityincommunitybasedconservationinaotearoanewzealand AT karenfhytten volunteercommitmentandlongevityincommunitybasedconservationinaotearoanewzealand AT paulperry volunteercommitmentandlongevityincommunitybasedconservationinaotearoanewzealand |