Abstract
Few studies in urban forestry have examined the motivations of urban forestry volunteers. In this research, two social psychological theories (Volunteer Functions Inventory and Volunteer Process Model) are utilized to examine motivations for participating in tree planting activities. The Volunteer Functions Inventory can be used to examine the needs, goals and motivations that individuals seek to fulfill through volunteerism. The Volunteer Process Model sheds light on the antecedents, experiences and consequences of volunteerism at multiple levels (individual, interpersonal, organizational, and societal). An understanding of volunteer motivations can aid practitioners in the development and implementation of participatory urban forestry programs that are attractive to stakeholders. We conducted a survey of volunteers who participated in a MillionTreesNYC volunteer planting event and a focus group of urban forestry practitioners. Survey results reveal that volunteers have varied motivations and a limited knowledge of the community level impacts of trees. Results from the focus group reveal that providing education about the benefits of trees and maintaining long-term communication with volunteers are frequently used strategies for engagement. However, the public‘s lack of knowledge about urban forestry and an inability to connect to audiences are practitioner-identified challenges for recruiting stakeholders to participate in their programs.
Highlights
The urban forest is a living infrastructure that provides health, economic and environmental benefits to cities and people living in urban areas
The following research questions guided our study: (1) What are the motivations of urban forestry volunteers? (2) What are the most effective strategies employed by urban forestry organizations to engage stakeholders? (3) Do the engagement strategies used by urban forestry organizations match the motivations of volunteers? we provide a brief review of the existing literature on stakeholder engagement in urban forestry and volunteerism that framed our research study
While environmental benefits and community service were the primary motivations for planting trees, urban forestry volunteers reported a variety of motivations for participating in the MTNYC tree planting event
Summary
The urban forest is a living infrastructure that provides health, economic and environmental benefits to cities and people living in urban areas. Urban forests are managed by a combination of local government agencies (i.e. transportation, parks and recreation, public works, etc.), commercial arboriculture firms, and non-profit organizations (Dwyer et al 2000; Dwyer et al 2002; Schwab 2009; Elmendorf 2008; Austin 2002) Stakeholders, such as residents, property owners, businesses and community organizations, are often invited to become involved in the planting and care of urban trees, especially as many cities have launched large-scale urban forestry programs (Pincetl 2010), similar to MillionTreesNYC (MTNYC) (MillionTreesNYC 2010a)
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