Author : Christine Moskell
Release : 2016
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Kind : eBook
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Book Synopsis Mixed-methods Investigations of Community Engagement in Urban Environmental Stewardship by : Christine Moskell

Download or read book Mixed-methods Investigations of Community Engagement in Urban Environmental Stewardship written by Christine Moskell. This book was released on 2016. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cities across the US are expanding their green infrastructure (e.g. trees, parks, gardens) at a time when the majority of Americans live in urban and urbanizing areas. Given that many people will only experience nature in cities, urban greening initiatives are critical for increasing public access to the health and ecosystem services provided by natural resources. However, local government often lacks public resources for adequately maintaining urban green spaces due to changes in urban environmental governance and the delivery of public services. Thus, public involvement in urban environmental stewardship plays an important role in natural resource management in cities. The four chapters of this dissertation examine strategies for the engagement of residents and volunteers in urban environmental stewardship. Chapter 1 describes the design, implementation and evaluation of an outreach program consisting of mailed postcards to remind residents to water street trees in Ithaca, NY. A difference-in-difference analysis of soil moisture data collected at each tree found significant differences in soil moisture between the treatment and control group and found that postcards may be an effective intervention strategy. Chapter 2 presents the ecological model of street tree watering which identifies factors at intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, community and public policy levels of analysis that may affect residents' street tree watering behavior. The analysis of survey data found significant differences in factors in the ecological model of street watering between i residents who watered and those who did not water. Chapter 3 entailed a narrative inquiry of the community engagement strategies employed by a small nonprofit organization working to build community capacity in low-income communities in Washington, DC. Narratives from staff members highlight the nature of community engagement practices as culturally situated in the form of community expression, celebration and conversation. In Chapter 4, a national survey of urban environmental nonprofit organizations reveals that volunteer contributions and volunteer management practices enhance the ability of organizations to carry out their mission in light of acute and chronic stressors (e.g. natural disasters, financial crises). Together, the four chapters in my dissertation contribute breadth and depth of understanding on the organizational and community context of community engagement and volunteer management practices in urban environmental activities. ii.