Barriers to volunteering and other challenges facing community-based conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand

Charlotte P. Sextus; Karen F. Hytten; Paul Perry

doi:10.1071/PC24029

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Previous Next Contents Vol 30(6)

Barriers to volunteering and other challenges facing community-based conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand

Charlotte P. Sextus

^A ^* , Karen F. Hytten ^A and Paul Perry ^B

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

^B School of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

^* Correspondence to: charlotte.przybylski@gmail.com

Handling Editor: Sarah Clement

Pacific Conservation Biology 30, PC24029 https://doi.org/10.1071/PC24029

Submitted: 25 April 2024 Accepted: 18 November 2024 Published: 16 December 2024

© 2024 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Context

In many countries, community-based conservation plays an important role in protecting natural ecosystems and preserving biodiversity. However, community-based conservation groups face a variety of challenges including recruiting and retaining volunteers, maintaining relationships with stakeholders and monitoring progress towards achieving conservation objectives. In order to address these challenges, it is important to understand the barriers to volunteering, and ways to assess and improve effectiveness.

Methods

This research explores these barriers and looks at some potential solutions through a case study of community-based conservation in the Manawat $\bar{u}$ region of Aotearoa New Zealand. Twenty-one in-depth, semi-structured interviews were carried out with group leaders and other key stakeholders and an online questionnaire was used to explore the experiences and perspectives of volunteers participating in community-based conservation initiatives.

Key results

Our research showed that one of the most effective ways of recruiting new volunteers was through social interaction and that the main barriers to participation were time commitment and health issues.

Conclusions

Relationships between volunteers, non-government organisations and government agencies impact the success of local groups, and environmental monitoring was key to obtaining funding and documenting success.

Implications

A collaborative approach creates a framework that encourages participation by empowering communities to work together on conservation initiatives, and can increase volunteer commitment. Increased recognition of the importance of Māori culture and interests will also further collaboration with Indigenous communities.

Keywords: community-based conservation, community-based environmental monitoring, environmental volunteering, leadership succession, New Zealand, volunteer recruitment, volunteer retention, volunteering barriers.

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