GE NER ATIO NS – Journal of the American Society on Aging
By Karl Pillemer, guest editor, and Linda P. Wagenet,
Debra Goldman, Lori Bushway, and Rhoda H. Meador
Environmental Volunteering in
Later Life: Benefits and Barriers
Purposeful activity and
meaningful roles.
M
arjorie, 64, is opposing the construction of a
sewage plant in an urban minority community. Despite setbacks, she says, “We’ll continue
the fight, continue the pressure to get compliance and to get fairness. It’s where my passion is.
I really don’t want to get paid for it because if I
ever lose my passion or my spirit gets burned
out, I want to move on and do something else.”
George, 68, devotes nearly full-time volunteer work to restoring a stream in his small town.
“Why do I love this work? Well, there’s being
outdoors on a beautiful day like today. I could
show you what that stream is like up there after
it’s gone out of agriculture and gone back to its
natural state. It’s the right kind of thing going on
at this time in my life.”
Sarah, 74, volunteers in a nature center in
New York City. “I’m not exactly an environmentalist. The thing that I’m interested in, really, is
that the people are lovely here and it’s a pleasure
to be here. They’re kind, they say nice things. We
tease each other, and you have inside jokes that
you joke about.”
Tim, 64, volunteers for several organizations
devoted to preservation of nature and personally
maintains about ten miles of hiking trails. “I have
no children to leave this beautiful area to. So I
want to leave things nice after I die for the next
generations, for other people to enjoy in the
future, for the earth and its inhabitants.”
58 | Winter 2009–2010 • Vol. 33 . No. 4
These four individuals who participated in
our study of environmental volunteers have
several things in common. They are all retired,
over age 60, and devote hundreds of hours of
unpaid volunteer work each year to improving
the environment. They differ significantly,
however, in their motivation for volunteering
and the benefits they derive from the activity, as
their remarks show. Nevertheless, all are part of
a new and growing wave: people in life’s “third
age” who are finding purposeful activity and
meaningful roles by volunteering to protect the
environment and to educate others about
conservation and sustainability.
In this article, we examine environmental
volunteering in later life using data from a series
of studies (large-scale surveys and smaller,
in-depth interview projects) that we have
conducted to shed light on the causes and
consequences of this growing phenomenon.
The Extent of Environmental Volunteering
It is clear that many older people now
volunteer, from those at the leading edge of the
baby boom to those well into later life. To our
knowledge, however, no published information
exists regarding the extent to which people age
60 and older engage specifically in environmental volunteering. To provide information on this
topic, we collected data in 2008 as part of the
Copyright © 2010 American Society on Aging; all rights reserved. This article may not be duplicated,
reprinted or distributed in any form without written permission from the publisher: American Society on Aging,
71 Stevenson St., Suite 1450, San Francisco,CA 94105-2938; e-mail: [email protected].
Pages 58–63
Gray and Green: The Intersection of Aging and the Environment
large telephone omnibus survey conducted
outcomes for older people. Volunteering has
annually by the Survey Research Institute at
been found to be associated with better physical
functioning, better self-rated health, improved
Cornell University, in which investigators are
allowed to include their own questions of interest. psychological well-being, and even increased
longevity (Greenfield and Marks, 2004; Lum and
In the nationwide survey of 976 randomly
selected adults, rates of membership in environ- Lightfoot, 2005; Morrow-Howell et al., 2003).
Further, research suggests that engagement in
mental organizations differed somewhat among
age groups. We found that among adults between environmental organizations and activities may
provide additional benefits beyond those found
the ages of 18 and 44, approximately 14 percent
in other types of volunteering. We propose four
were members of environmental organizations,
ways that such special benefits may occur.
a percentage that drops for those ages 45 to 54
(10.2 percent) and 55 to 64 (11.8 percent). There was a difference between
‘I could show you what that stream is like up
the “young-old” and “old-old” populathere after it’s gone out of agriculture and
tion, with those 65 to 74 years of age
more likely to belong to an environmen- gone back to its natural state. It’s the right
tal organization (14.2 percent) than
kind of thing going on at this time in my life.’
people 75 years of age and older (9.9
First, environmental volunteering can lead to
percent). The difference was more pronounced
increased physical activity. In a national survey
for the question of whether the respondent
of over 2,000 respondents, Librett and colvolunteered for the environment in some way
leagues (2005) found that compared to nonother than being a member of an organization.
volunteers, individuals who performed any kind
Rates of volunteering ranged from 16 percent to
22 percent for age groups under 65, then declined of volunteering were 1.8 times more likely to
meet the standards for physical activity estabto 13 percent for people ages 65 to 74 and 8
lished by the Centers for Disease Control and
percent of those age 75 and older.
Prevention guidelines. Environmental volunThe most important implication of these
teers, however, were 2.6 times more likely to
results is that there clearly is a vast, untapped
reservoir of potential environmental volunteers in meet these guidelines. Given the well-known
the older population. Most individuals age 65 and relationship between physical activity and
beyond (and particularly people age 75 and older) mental and physical health (Prohaska et al.,
do not volunteer for environmental organizations, 2006), one benefit specifically of environmental
leaving considerable room for the development of volunteering may be increased physical activity,
over and above other types of volunteering.
such opportunities and for recruiting older
A second benefit of environmental volunpeople to them. Simply doubling the percentage
of older people who do such volunteer work, for
teering is increased exposure to nature. Clearing
example, would greatly increase the volunteer
trails, testing streams, and similar activities
resources for the environment.
characterize volunteering for the environment.
Studies have shown the benefits of exposure to
nature for older adults, including improvements
Benefits of Environmental Volunteering
in cognitive functioning (Hartig, Mang, and
There is no longer any doubt that volunteerEvans, 1991), enhanced psychological well-being
ing is good for people over the course of their
(Kaplan, 1973), and greater levels of physical
lives. The substantial scientific literature has
activity (Ellaway, Macintyre, and Bonnefoy,
found a positive relationship between volunteer
2005). Research on environmental volunteers
activity and positive physical and mental health
©American Society on Aging
Winter 2009–2010 • Volume 33 . Number 4 | 59
GENERATIONS – Journal of the American Society on Aging
has shown that increased appreciation of nature
is a frequent self-reported benefit of such
activity (Miles, Sullivan, and Kuo, 2001; O’Brien,
Townsend, and Ebden, 2008).
A third way in which environmental volun-
‘I’m not exactly an environmentalist....
the people are lovely here and it’s a
pleasure to be here.’
teering might promote health and well-being is
by increasing social connections and support.
Environmental activities generally take place in
organized groups that are typically intergenerational, thus offering a variety of opportunities for
meaningful relationships and shared experiences
(Pillemer and Wagenet, 2008). Studies suggest
that experiences in the natural environment help
people create social connections and increase
their sense of community (Lewis, 1992). Thus,
environmental volunteering can be a valuable
community-building tool (Kuo et al., 1998).
Fourth, both theory and research on lifecourse development suggest that older people
share a need for activities that focus on improving the world and leaving a legacy for future
generations, referred to as generativity (McAdams and de St. Aubin, 1998). Individuals in this
developmental stage could develop an interest in
making a positive contribution to the environment, as such activity is critically important to
future generations’ quality of life. Older volunteers in one study reported being motivated by
the need to nurture the environment and
connect their actions to creating a better future
that they themselves would not live to see
(Warburton and Gooch, 2007).
To explore the possible benefits of environmental volunteering, we conducted analyses of
the relationship between volunteering for an
environmental organization and three health
and well-being outcomes over a twenty-year
period in a large community sample. This
analysis used data from the Alameda County
60 | Winter 2009–2010 • Volume 33 . Number 4
Pages 58–63
Study, a longitudinal study of health and mortality that has followed 6,928 adults since 1965
(Berkman and Breslow, 1983).
We examined the prospective association
between environmental and other types of
volunteering and three outcomes—physical
activity, self-reported health, and depression
—with 1974 volunteering predicting 1994
outcomes, controlling for a number of relevant
variables. Midlife environmental volunteering
was positively associated with later-life physical activity and self-reported health, and
negatively associated with depressive symptoms. The effects were greater in all three cases
for environmental volunteering over other
types of volunteering. Of course, this finding
needs to be supported by additional research.
The finding does, however, provide evidence
for a significant, positive relationship between
environmental volunteering and health and
well-being outcomes.
Organizations and
Environmental Volunteering
There is a wide variety of environmental
activities in which older people could be engaged, including advocacy regarding local and
national environmental issues, monitoring
projects such as bird counts and testing water
quality, restoration of natural areas, and promoting efficient energy use and recycling. It does not
appear, however, that local environmental
agencies and organizations are capitalizing on
the “age wave” by targeting older people as
volunteers and working to meet their specific
interests and abilities. To examine this issue, we
conducted an exploratory survey of forty-four
local organizations in New York state that had
the primary goal of improving water quality. The
organizations ranged from small to large, with
some using few volunteers and others making
use of hundreds in their activities. The respondents (typically the organization directors)
answered a series of questions about attitudes
and outreach toward older volunteers.
©American Society on Aging
Pages 58–63
Gray and Green: The Intersection of Aging and the Environment
the table. This includes assigning tasks
that don’t overwhelm older participants
but also allow opportunities to contribute
in a meaningful manner.”
• Make provisions for transportation when
needed. A director said, “In our annual wetland clean-up, transportation is provided
for our older volunteers so there would be
less strenuous walking.”
• Offer daytime activities, given that some
older people become reluctant to drive
after dark, when board meetings, for
example, are often held.
In general, the studies we have conducted
highlight the heterogeneity of the older volunteer population, suggesting that “one size fits all”
approaches are unlikely to work. As the examples with which we began this paper indicate,
motivations and benefits for environmental
volunteering differ considerably among individuals. Thus, environmental groups should be
creative in developing opportunities for older
people. Given their current relatively low rates
of participation, older adults may need to be
actively encouraged and recruited to volunteer
in environmental activities, and organizations
should make a concerted effort to attract and
retain older volunteers.
Approximately two-thirds of the organizations (60 percent) did not make any special
accommodations for older people. Further, only
28 percent of the organizations made efforts to
adapt activities for older people. In practice,
respondents reported that some older individuals selected less physically demanding tasks on
their own. For example, one respondent said,
“Some older folks do not go in the stream, but
keep data or record data for us from a safe
location near the stream.” Another said, “We
don’t make adaptations, so older individuals with
‘I want to leave things nice after I die
for the next generations, for other
people to enjoy in the future, for the
earth and its inhabitants.’
physical limitations may not be able to participate directly in our volunteer stream monitoring
activities. However, they may be able to contribute through educational and administrative
activities.” These examples show that in some
cases volunteers choose jobs they deem appropriate to their physical capacity, even if no jobs
have been specifically designed for people with
diminished physical capacity.
Some environmental organizations, however,
did specifically plan for accommodating older
people. Suggestions whereby environmental
organizations can become more “elder-friendly”
included the following:
• Ensure that the organization’s location is
accessible and meets the requirements of
the Americans with Disabilities Act. For
example, one environmental group reported, “In our center, there are plenty of places
to sit and rest, and we are fully accessible.”
• Provide a range of volunteer jobs for
people of different interests and physical
abilities. A respondent noted, “We sometimes break up a project into segments
whereby older individuals can participate
and contribute via bringing their skills to
©American Society on Aging
Future Directions
An important first step in promoting environmental volunteering in later life is to gather
more knowledge. The published literature does
not contain any major scientific studies specifically focused on environmental volunteering in
late middle age and beyond. Much is to be
learned about the motivations for engagement,
the potential benefits for older people and their
communities, and barriers to participation.
Equally important are the development and
evaluation of interventions to promote environmental volunteering in retirement. Our earlier
discussion of potential benefits suggests that
such activity is highly appropriate for the “third
age” and can lead to positive outcomes for older
Winter 2009–2010 • Volume 33 . Number 4 | 61
GENERATIONS – Journal of the American Society on Aging
people. Given the low rates of participation in
such activities, new program models and recruitment methods are needed to more successfully
promote environmental volunteering.
A potential model is the Retiree Environmental Stewards Program (RESP), which we
have created and tested over the past several
years at Cornell University. RESP attempts to
make the entry into environmental volunteering
easier for people age 60 and older, including
individuals who do not have prior experience
working on environmental issues. Exploratory
research conducted during the program development phase revealed that three potential barriers
exist for older people regarding environmental
volunteering. First, some people felt they had
insufficient expertise or knowledge about
environmental issues and science to contribute
effectively. Second, they were unaware of
‘I really don’t want to get paid for it
because if I ever lose my passion or
my spirit gets burned out, I want to
move on and do something else.’
opportunities for environmental stewardship in
their communities and were unsure how they
could become involved. Finally, volunteer
activities were not perceived as socially fulfilling
compared to other types of opportunities (e.g.,
volunteering in schools or churches).
The goal of RESP is to provide a pathway to
environmental engagement for retired people,
maximizing the potential offered by the increased leisure time available to these individuals. RESP consists of ten sessions designed to
prepare retirees to become successful environmental stewards, able to take on meaningful
volunteer roles in their communities. An initial
daylong session focuses on building participants’
leadership skills and awareness of available
62 | Winter 2009–2010 • Volume 33 . Number 4
Pages 58–63
resources (in particular, how to gain access to
scientific information). Subsequent sessions
(three hours each) focus on providing the best
empirical evidence on key environmental topics
(such as water quality, climate change, recycling,
alternative energy) and on informing participants
about accessible stewardship opportunities.
RESP culminates in an environmental stewardship activity (a group project for the community
or an individual plan). Preliminary evaluation
data suggest that RESP is successful in motivating and engaging older people, who report high
satisfaction with the program.
In conclusion, the evidence shows that older
adults are an untapped resource for environmental stewardship at precisely the time when
involvement is critically needed. The task
remains to encourage environmental organizations to reach out to older adults with activities
that are age-appropriate as well as individually
satisfying. Educational programs such as the
Retiree Environmental Stewards Program will
help achieve that goal, and further development
and evaluation of other innovative programs
specifically targeted toward older environmental
volunteers should be encouraged. Equally important is additional research on the causes and
consequences of environmental volunteering in
later life. Such knowledge will lead to new
opportunities for older people to solve environmental problems and for organizations seeking
volunteers to protect the environment.
Karl Pillemer, Ph.D., is Hazel E. Reed Professor,
Department of Human Development, and director,
Cornell Institute for Translational Research on Aging;
Linda P. Wagenet, Ph.D., is senior extension associate,
Department of Developmental Sociology; Debra
Goldman is a graduate student in human development;
Lori Bushway is senior extension associate, Department of Horticulture; and Rhoda H. Meador, Ph.D., is
associate director for extension and outreach, College
of Human Ecology, all at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
©American Society on Aging
Pages 58–63
Gray and Green: The Intersection of Aging and the Environment
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Pg 4
courtesy of Eric Vance
Pg 5
courtesy of Cornell University
Pg 33
courtesy of Jim Sykes
Pg 45
©istockphoto/Frank Leung
Pg 72
©istockphoto/Andreas Reh
Pg 74
©istockphoto/Parker Deen
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©istockphoto/Jeanette Zehentmeyer
Pg 84
©istockphoto/Miranda McMurray
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