Environmental stewardship (ES) is an established area of research in numerous fields of study, whereas community geography (CG) is a more recent and growing subfield of geography that aims to build capacity and affect change in communities through university–community partnerships. As such, CG demonstrates a shift in geographic research trends that provide benefits not only to the university but also to the students and community/ies as well. I argue that ES and CG research agendas are characterized by a meaningful overlap and attempts to synthesize them will add value to both bodies of knowledge. This paper overviews both of these research agendas, identifies major challenges and gaps in the extant literature in ES, and suggests how CG can help move the ES research agenda forward. I conclude with the notion that incorporating a CG research approach can (a) better develop the ES literature and (b) provide important benefits for universities, communities, and students who are looking for hands‐on civic engagement experiences.
LUMBAR syndrome (lower body congenital infantile hemangiomas and other skin defects; urogenital anomalies and ulceration; myelopathy; bony deformities; anorectal malformations and arterial anomalies; and rectal anomalies) is a rare association between infantile hemangiomas of the lower half of the body and regional congenital anomalies. Since 1986, 53 cases have been reported and no etiology has been identified. We report on the 54th case in a male infant and review the literature concerning the manifestations of the LUMBAR syndrome.
Citizen science (CS) programs often question what motivates their volunteers and how volunteer participation can be sustained. Using a case study of citizen scientist volunteers (CSVs) who monitor water quality in Texas, I apply here a novel approach-the Dispositional-Organizational Interactions Framework (DOIF)-that provides a nuanced understanding of CSVs. The DOIF allows for consideration of how dispositional variables, such as sociodemographic characteristics and motivations for participation, may relate to organizational variables (e.g., program efficacy, results, and recognition); both overarching variables relate to indicators of commitment. The purpose of this study is to examine interactions among different aspects of a CS program and CSVs-observations that can improve CSV satisfaction and possibly retention. In a community geography partnership, volunteers of a statewide CS program were surveyed (n = 327). Results of exploratory factor analyses and a series of nonparametric tests indicate the DOIF offers insights into five major motivational factors; it uncovers between-group differences in how CSVs value organizational variables and indicate a commitment to volunteerism. This study contributes to the broader literature by incorporating the role of the organization in assessments of motivations through the creation of a novel framework and through empirical findings. The paper considers implications of results for CS programs and practice, then concludes with suggestions for future research.
Environmental Stewardship (ES) is voluntary action on behalf of the environment. ES is typically practiced at environmental nonprofit organizations that offer stewardship programs. Because these programs are managed by individual organizations, relatively little external research exists on their impacts, for example, diffusing norms and behaviors of ES more broadly across society. Responding to that research gap, this paper studies change in the environmental outlooks and behaviors of participants at two partner nonprofits in Texas using surveys (n=407) and interviews (n=5). Three categories of changes in environmental behavior are assessed: Natural Areas, Environmental Activism, and Water Awareness. Findings demonstrate that participation was linked to pro-environmental changes in all categories for the survey respondents. Follow-up interviews allowed the authors to capture additional aspects of ES not addressed in the survey. Ultimately, ES can lead to greater uptake in selected pro-environment actions, higher awareness of environmental issues, and greater appreciation for natural amenities. with the natural world; these "win-win" behaviors can have a positive impact on the environment and human well-being alike (Kurisu, 2015).
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.