Aging in Rural Places by Jurkowski Elaine;Hash Kristina M.;Krout John A.;Krout John A. PhD;

Author:Jurkowski, Elaine;Hash, Kristina M.;Krout, John A.;Krout, John A., PhD;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Springer Publishing Company, Incorporated
Published: 2015-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Leadership and Environmental Stewardship

Drawing upon community, organizational, and leadership development theory, Sandmann and Vandenberg (1995) developed a conceptual model around the leadership needs of the future. Their community action leadership framework incorporates an overarching philosophy of community, vision, learning, and action and is operationalized by seven action values: visioning together, leading together, learning together, building community, developing energy, acting together, and communicating. It envisions a process of people coming together with their individual strengths to develop a collective vision and collaborate toward action or change in the community (Sandmann & Vandenberg, 1995).

Sandmann and Vandenberg’s (1995) classic empowerment principles have contributed to the development of various leadership development initiatives for older adults that are on the rise in some communities including those in rural regions of the country. For example, Encore Leadership Corps (ENCorps) is a program in Maine for people age 50 and older to give back to their communities in the areas of environmental stewardship and community development. Volunteers have worked on projects such as grooming snowmobile and hiking trails; starting food coops, food pantries, and farmers’ markets; grant writing; and serving on town planning boards. Training and networking opportunities, as well as a 2-day annual leadership summit, are a part of this program, and stipends may be available for certain volunteer projects. Comparable programs exist in New York and Florida, organized through Cornell University, called RISE (Retirees in Service to the Environment), and similar programs are sure to develop in other areas of the country to tap into the environmental inclinations and concerns of the baby boomer generation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, recognizing the potential of older adults to contribute their time and talents to environmental stewardship, created the Aging and Environment Initiative to promote programming for older adults as well as intergenerational programming opportunities.

Pillemer, Fuller-Rowell, Reid, and Wells (2010) conducted a comparison study of adults in the Alameda County Study from the 1974 and 1994 cohorts who volunteered in general areas with those who specifically did environmental volunteering. They found that the group that did environmental volunteering had better ratings of self-reported health, fewer depressive symptoms, and greater levels of physical activity at the 20-year mark, after controlling for other variables. Engagement in environmental sustainability initiatives may be of particular interest to older adults living in small towns and rural communities because of their affinity to the land and outdoor living.

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