The links created with the natural environment during childhood, through play and experiences shared with family members, are a determining factor for joining in with environmental volunteering activities. This is one of the conclusions drawn from the VoluntaRius research project, the results of which were presented last Friday 17 December at the La Fàbrica community centre (Santa Eulàlia de Ronçana). The project is led by UIC Barcelona School of Architecture lecturers Marta Benages and Pere Vall and forms part of the Community-based Urbanism research group. Tomeu Vidal and Enric Pol, members of the Interaction and Social Change Research Group at the University of Barcelona, researchers Juan Carlos Martín and Àurea Cartanyà, members of the UIC Barcelona Health Determinants and Health Policy Evaluation Research Group, and research assistant Lina Gast, have also taken part in the research.  

The research project, which was funded by a DEMOC funding line from the Catalan Government, was set up with the aim of analysing environmental volunteering efforts in the river systems of the Besòs river basin with a focus on volunteers’ personal experience. The research identified more than 900 volunteers who cooperate with 43 local environmental groups. The results of the study were based on the statistical analysis of the responses obtained from a survey involving a total of 125 volunteers.

The research confirms the relevance of personal experiences over the course of one's life in their subsequent connection with the natural environment. “Generally speaking, we could say that volunteering begins in childhood, when, links with the natural environment are forged almost imperceptibly through play and experiences with parents or grandparents", emphasise Marta Benages and Pere Vall.

"During adolescence, there is a hiatus in the intensity of these significant life experiences linked to the natural environment due to the disruption that this stage represents in people's lives," explain University of Barcelona researchers, Tomeu Vidal and Enric Pol. On the other hand, they add that in adulthood, there is a growing awareness of the environment and this willingness to act materialises through environmental volunteering in three different ways: as a moral obligation (in 58% of cases), as a hobby (in 25%), and as an emotional need (in 17%).  

Most have university education
In terms of the volunteer profile, the study found a broad gender balance and a diversity of ages among the participants. It is striking, however, that most volunteers (63%) have university studies. In addition, 68% collaborate with more than one volunteer group, not necessarily environmental, which demonstrates their high degree of social involvement. 

Among the reasons for joining a volunteer group, there are three that stand out: a desire to improve and/or preserve the natural environment, willingness to collaborate with other people and, finally, an interest in learning.

The study also reflects on how the Besòs River basin volunteers are committed to the cause, since the vast majority have been actively involved in other volunteer activities for over a year. The results also indicate that the greatest volunteering efforts are seen in the areas closest to urban settings, probably due to the negative impact that urban pressure has on the environment.

Finally, a lack of time, interaction with government bodies and the general public's lack of awareness of environmental issues are perceived as the main obstacles by many of the volunteers, who nevertheless say they are satisfied with their work and show a clear tendency towards further commitment.