An Exploration of Volunteers: Motivations for and Benefits of Participating in a Galapagos Islands Earthwatch Expedition

Earthwatch Expedition Volunteers;Galapagos Islands;Natural Resources and Environment

Young, Jennifer K.Reinhardt, Ulrich ;

University of Michigan

关键词: Earthwatch Expedition Volunteers;    Galapagos Islands;    Natural Resources and Environment;   

Others  :  https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/61364/Young_Thesis_Dec2008.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

瑞士|英语

来源: The Illinois Digital Environment for Access to Learning and Scholarship

【 摘 要 】

Conservation science and service projects benefit from the participation of thousandsof volunteers each year. Yet little is known about these volunteers and particularly, aboutones that participate internationally. I sought to address this gap by studying the motivationsof volunteers who participated in an Earthwatch Expedition in the Galápagos Islands (the;;Expedition”), the subsequent benefits they derived, and the likelihood of furtherengagement in conservation behaviors as a result of their participation. Two groups ofvolunteers were surveyed and interviewed. One group (n=27) was surveyed and interviewedbefore the Expeditions that occurred during fall 2006, immediately after these Expeditions,and over 14 months later. Another group (n=27) was surveyed and interviewed over 14months after their spring 2005 to spring 2006 Expeditions. Factor analyses of the study’squantitative data revealed a range of motivations and benefits including self-interested(learning and personal growth, exploration, social interaction, breaking out of the routine,and professional growth) and altruistic ones (contributing to future generations, making adifference, and meaningful involvement). Qualitative results suggested that traveling to aunique location was also an important aspect of this particular volunteer experience and thatvolunteers associated the above listed motivations and benefits with the Expedition providingan alternative to traditional tourism. There were few differences among volunteers with theexception that older volunteers placed greater importance on altruistic motivations andbenefits, particularly contributing to future generations and making a difference. Results alsorevealed that the volunteers who participated in the Expedition already engaged in a numberof conservation behaviors which may help to explain why there was limited evidence thattheir conservation behaviors increased as a result of the Expedition. Severalrecommendations are made that are aimed at providing organizations such as Earthwatchwith the understanding necessary to attract and retain volunteers as well as to better meettheir goal of fostering further conservation behaviors.