Appalachian study finds stream restoration programs can inspire community action

A Stanford University research study focusing on citizen volunteers in Appalachia found that people share a common motivation to improve highly polluted places and are "further motivated to participate in cleanup projects if they saw how other volunteers' efforts had restored previously polluted areas," Rob Jordan reports for Stanford News. (Stanford photo by Heather Lukacs: Volunteers prepare for a a rafting trip down the New River in West Virginia)

The study, published in the journal Society and Natural Resources, surveyed more than 200 volunteers, finding that 66 percent "reported attending events such as stream cleanups, tree plantings or group meetings that provided social interaction," Jordan writes. "These social spaces provide an opportunity to be around people with shared values, to feel appreciated and to encourage community engagement among the young."

Heather Lukacs, a graduate student and the study's lead author, told Jordan, "Our research highlights the positive feedback loop between watershed group restoration efforts and volunteer participation. When restoration projects and their results are visible, people are motivated to become involved in community action. Seeing others working to clean up their stream and community motivates volunteers to improve their place." (Read more)