The research, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, shows that many young volunteers travelled long distances from cities to short-term projects in rural areas and felt they were being punished for being disruptive or naughty at school. Others had been directed to work on projects by youth offending services.
The report, Environmental Skills and Knowledge for Sustainable Rural Communities: Problems and Prospects for the Inclusion of Young People, claims that active recruitment of young people interested in conservation issues is rare.
Instead most conservation projects rely on young people recruited through other community networks, such as schools, youth organisations and local youth services. The result is that many participants consider work such as digging holes and building footpaths as "slave labour" and "grunt work".
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here