October 9th, 2011 | Published in Trees and the City
By Kate Burke and Branden Fitzpatrick
Volunteers are making the forest a healthier environment in locations across Seattle. But what motivates volunteers to get their hands dirty to remove invasive species or plant native trees? Weston Brinkley and a team of researchers surveyed hundreds of volunteers this summer to get at why people care about putting their time and energy toward healthier forests, wetlands, or native prairies. It turns out that the benefits of volunteerism extend beyond the environment.