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From exposure to impact : effects of conservation volunteering on connection with nature and pro-environmental behavior : a case study from Iceland

Horn, Olga LU (2013) In Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science MESM01 20131
LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
Abstract
Environmental volunteering in Iceland was taken as a case study to investigate whether taking part in an extended conservation volunteering project has the potential to increase participants’ connection with nature and motivate them to act in a more environmentally-friendly way. Drawing from theories of behavior change and the human-nature relationship a mixed-methods approach was applied. Levels of Nature Relatedness (NR) and Pro-Environmental Behavior (PEB) were generated from 49 former and 21 prospective volunteers and compared using descriptive statistics. In addition, self-reported change data was examined and supplemented with qualitative accounts derived from interviews and the survey. While the comparative approach yielded mixed... (More)
Environmental volunteering in Iceland was taken as a case study to investigate whether taking part in an extended conservation volunteering project has the potential to increase participants’ connection with nature and motivate them to act in a more environmentally-friendly way. Drawing from theories of behavior change and the human-nature relationship a mixed-methods approach was applied. Levels of Nature Relatedness (NR) and Pro-Environmental Behavior (PEB) were generated from 49 former and 21 prospective volunteers and compared using descriptive statistics. In addition, self-reported change data was examined and supplemented with qualitative accounts derived from interviews and the survey. While the comparative approach yielded mixed results, the qualitative findings suggest that the participation in an extended volunteering project is indeed able to influence nature connectedness through an increased familiarity and PEB through an increase in awareness and concern as well as reflection. Wider implications of the findings are discussed. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Horn, Olga LU
supervisor
organization
course
MESM01 20131
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
conservation volunteering, nature experience, nature relatedness, sustainability science, pro-environmental behavior
publication/series
Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science
report number
2013:029
language
English
id
4145519
date added to LUP
2013-11-07 15:33:08
date last changed
2013-11-07 15:33:08
@misc{4145519,
  abstract     = {{Environmental volunteering in Iceland was taken as a case study to investigate whether taking part in an extended conservation volunteering project has the potential to increase participants’ connection with nature and motivate them to act in a more environmentally-friendly way. Drawing from theories of behavior change and the human-nature relationship a mixed-methods approach was applied. Levels of Nature Relatedness (NR) and Pro-Environmental Behavior (PEB) were generated from 49 former and 21 prospective volunteers and compared using descriptive statistics. In addition, self-reported change data was examined and supplemented with qualitative accounts derived from interviews and the survey. While the comparative approach yielded mixed results, the qualitative findings suggest that the participation in an extended volunteering project is indeed able to influence nature connectedness through an increased familiarity and PEB through an increase in awareness and concern as well as reflection. Wider implications of the findings are discussed.}},
  author       = {{Horn, Olga}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  series       = {{Master Thesis Series in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science}},
  title        = {{From exposure to impact : effects of conservation volunteering on connection with nature and pro-environmental behavior : a case study from Iceland}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}