The power of giving
Your generosity and kindness will not only help nature, it’ll do you the world of good, too.
Giving is good for us. We know this instinctively. When we give, we feel good. We experience what scientists describe as the ‘warm glow effect’ or ‘helper’s high’, caused by a release of endorphins in the brain.
Research into this effect by the US National Institutes of Health discovered that giving to charities stimulates the areas of the brain associated with pleasure, social connection and trust. A second US study by Claremont Graduate University found that giving may also trigger the release of oxytocin, another hormone associated with feelings of warmth, euphoria and connection. Put simply, altruism is a proven path to good mental health.
When our altruism is related to nature, and in particular when we give our time and effort, the
rewards for our
wellbeing are far-reaching. Whether we’re on a volunteering holiday supporting a conservation project, working to maintain wildlife habitats in our local area or contributing to a citizen science survey by monitoring wildlife in our back garden, our care and kindness has the power to boost our mood and strengthen our self-esteem, especially when we learn new skills.
Better all round
There are benefits to our physical health, too, including an improvement in our fitness, lower blood pressure, improved cardio-vascular health and better sleep. The immersive and hands-on aspect of taking part in nature and wildlife conservation projects has also been shown to help combat stress, anxiety and low mood. A three-year study by the University of Essex, which monitored volunteers taking part in the UK Wildlife Trusts’ nature conservation projects, found that 95 per cent of participants who reported low mental wellbeing at the start of volunteering, recorded an improvement in their mental health after six weeks, which increased further after 12 weeks. “The research revealed how volunteering with meaningful, nature and craft-focussed activities may be beneficial to both the general public and individuals with defined needs,” concluded lead researcher Dr Mike Rogerson. Volunteering as part of a group is also an opportunity to meet like-minded people who share our values. The Campaign to End Loneliness reports that a fifth of the UK population say they are often or always lonely; volunteering is a way to reach out and make human connections, as well as connecting to the natural world. Research published in Psychology Today shows that strong social connections reduce anxiety and depression, boost our immune system and may even lengthen our lifespan.
Getting involved in wildlife volunteering enables individuals to get outside, meet people with a shared goal and make a difference, all of which contribute to increased wellbeing.
This is also true of being a member of online communities created by citizen science projects. Not all of us have the access to nature that we might like, but these online hubs give us the chance to volunteer our time, wherever we are. Help From Home (helpfromhome.org) is a directory of ‘microvolunteering’ opportunities, which include insect, bird and flower counts, and can take just a few seconds to complete.
The positive impact for wildlife is also clear: with the public recording sightings, charities have access to a wealth of data they can use to map, track and better understand how to protect our natural world.
“Voluntary work saved my life. It gave me something to do that was meaningful at a time when I was despairing. I rediscovered happiness and had an outlet for my obsessive compulsive tendencies – I will reach that piece of litter that is eluding me!” Ruth Lawton volunteer ranger at RSPB Sandwell Valley, West Midlands, UK