#regeneration — Public Fediverse posts

The Reason Many People Don’t Volunteer (It’s Not Time)

Last week I was sat in a room filled with a load of really passionate people who had come together to discuss creating a Community Newspaper. The ideas were flowing. The questions were flying about and the enthusiasm was there. But when it came to the crunch; “Hands up who wants to be part of the initial steering committee?” all that momentum came crashing to a halt. The hands did not come up.

It’s easy to think “Nobody has the time” and that’s the problem, but there is a bigger issue that holds people back. People don’t like to let other people down. Not wanting to let people down is perhaps a bigger barrier to getting people to volunteer than time.

This morning I got a very similar response talking to a gentleman about a regeneration project in my local park. He was initially reluctant to sign up because he just didn’t know if he could commit the time needed to the project. When I explained that he wasn’t obligated to come to every event and he could pick the ones that suited him, he was happy to sign up.

This is not a new observation to anyone working in this field. It’s called “commitment anxiety” or “anticipatory guilt.”: the fear that saying yes means taking responsibility for others’ expectations. When people worry about letting down their neighbours, friends, or community members who are counting on them, the social cost of failing outweighs the benefit of contributing.

On top of this there are a few other dimensions to this problem.

Social Risk vs. Practical Constraint: The “no time” explanation is socially safer. It’s concrete and feels less personal. Admitting fear of disappointing others would mean admitting vulnerability. So “time” becomes the convenient public reason while the real barrier sits beneath the surface.

Diffused Responsibility Paradox: Ironically, the stronger the group enthusiasm, the harder it can be for individuals to commit. When everyone seems passionate and capable, each person may think “someone else will take this lead.” The momentum of collective excitement can actually suppress individual action because nobody wants to stand out or fail publicly. This feels very much like what I experienced in the Community Newspaper meeting.

Perfectionism in Community Projects: Community initiatives carry emotional weight beyond transactional tasks. People worry they’ll damage relationships if the project struggles, not just that a deadline might be missed. That stakes-raising makes the ask more daunting than a typical volunteer opportunity.

So, is there anything we can learn from this? Are there any tips or tricks to get people to volunteer that sidestep these issues?

Small, time-bound trial commitments: EG “It’s just for 6 weeks, then we reassess” This lowers the perceived risk and gives people a really clear escape route, after 6 weeks. And then they can say “I don’t have time…” Instead of “join the steering committee,” try “come to one planning session next Thursday.” Each micro-commitment builds identity alignment and people start seeing themselves as someone who shows up. Once that self-image forms, larger commitments feel like a natural extension rather than a leap.

Making roles modular rather than monolithic: Let’s people contribute pieces without owning outcomes. Let’s people decide what they do, and when, so they feel like they are in control. Instead of giving people a task, ask them “What do you want to do?” and invite them to commit on their own terms. Also in an established organisation you can create a Shadowing Option so people can understand the scope before committing, offering a “shadow” role first.

Explicitly naming the fear: “I know saying yes feels daunting right now but…” This can reduce its power. Make it clear that quitting in 12 weeks is better than contributing nothing at all. Normalise exit on-ramps. Make leaving frictionless and guilt-free from the outset. Something like: “Anyone who joins the steering committee can step back at any point, no explanation needed.” When people know the door swings open both ways, commitment feels less like a trap. The irony is that making it easy to leave often makes people stay longer.

So that’s it. I wish I had all that in my head last week! For my Regen project simply getting people onto a mailing list is the big thing. Allowing people to passively sit in the background as potential volunteers until the day comes when they are in a position to volunteer pays off.

RE: https://scicomm.xyz/@mustapipa/117137230074004940

If economics can be said to speak, it needs to shout LOUDLY about proper green regeneration (rather than plant-a-tree make-work): “Scientists found that natural #forest regeneration delivered substantial carbon and #biodiversity benefits and could be up to 96% cheaper than traditional tree-planting programs.” 🌳🪾🌲🌴🎄

Fabulous news - thanks so much for sharing! 😀🙏🏻

#regeneration #forestRegeneration #costBenefit #carbonSink #RoI

Astrozyten könnten sich nach Hirnverletzungen gezielt erneuern: Forschende der Universität Zürich beobachteten bei Mäusen, wie neue Zellkerne entlang regenerativer Astrozyten-Fortsätze in die geschädigte Region wandern. 🧠🔬 Fortschritt im Verständnis von Reparaturmechanismen—und potenziell neue Therapieansätze. #Neurowissenschaften #Hirnforschung #Regeneration #Medizin #NatureNeuroscience https://www.nau.ch/news/forschung/astrozyten-erneuern-geschadigtes-hirngewebe-67162323

Wow, at the beginning of Destiny of the Daleks Part 1, Romana is trying on different bodies for her #Regeneration. Though the brunette form she had in the previous episode is much more interesting 😺 So, yes, apparently I'm surveying all of the companions of #ClassicWho as part of my own cycle.

Hope for a wilder Britain with George Monbiot.
"For me, the driver has always been love. It's been a love of thriving nature, it's been a love of rich and interesting landscapes and it's been this despair at seeing so few of them in our own country."

Reading George Monbiot's book 'Feral' a decade ago opened Ben Goldsmith's eyes to the truly dire state of nature in #Britain, and to the notion that #rewilding.
#Nature #Regeneration
https://pocketcasts.com/podcast/rewilding-the-world-with-ben-goldsmith/ede9e000-c766-013b-f42e-0acc26574db2/hope-for-a-wilder-britain-with-george-monbiot/adcedc44-5aa9-4dfc-9ac3-c4758355ca0f

You can now access all replays of the International Festival Of Wild & Kind Ideas from May 2026 - hosted by #MoragGamble - in exchange for your email and an optional financial contribution:

https://permacultureeducationinstitute.org/festival-2026/

Soo many important & inspiring talks, people and ideas ✨🌱

#rewilding #permaculture #ecology #kindness #wilderness #future #regeneration #culture #humanity

Added a mini-gallery of our interdisciplinary work for water here: https://natasonni.me/vodama

#art #mastoart #science #water #nature #rewilding #river #sustainability #regeneration

Life on the 'worst street' in Anfield where people 'keep their blinds shut'
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/life-worst-street-anfield-people-34386070
People living next to empty land told the ECHO they are in "dire straits" #LFC #YNWA #LiverpoolCouncil #Regeneration #LiverpoolFC #Anfield

Sacred Sites As Refuges For Native Plant Diversity In An Urbanized Tropical Landscape [Madagascar]
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https://doi.org/10.1038/s44284-026-00489-x <-- shared paper
--
H/T @nicolas Salliou | Senior scientist at ETH Zürich
“When [the authors] investigated the potential for blue-green infrastructures for the capital of Madagascar,… a large team surveyed plant communities along a rural-urban gradient.
They found that 12 Malagasy "sacred" hill settlements, situated in the core of a pre-colonial kingdom, are particularly precious as they host a high diversity of native plants. A key insights when one considers that Madagascar is a unique hotspot for biodiversity and human cultures…”
--
“In fragmented and intensively managed remnant urban green spaces, enabling natural regeneration is crucial to sustain ecosystem functioning and associated services. Natural regeneration therefore offers an important lens into ecological resilience in human-modified landscapes. Here [the authors] present one of the most comprehensive field-based assessments of urban plant diversity in the Afrotropics, comprising over 25,000 naturally regenerating woody plant individuals of 206 species (39% native) across 329 vegetation patches in Antananarivo, Madagascar. Landscape-level native species diversity declined with greater building complexity, density and socio-economic development, whereas exotic species showed no consistent associations with determinants of urban characteristics. Native species richness was highest in ‘sacred’ forest fragments, many of which contain historic remains dating back to pre-colonial times. Notably, seven of the ten most species-rich patches were located in such sites. [Their] findings highlight the potentially important role of these sites in sustaining native species diversity and indicate how socio-cultural factors can present both opportunities and barriers for tropical urban conservation and restoration...”
#sacredsites #antananarivo #madagascar #vegetation #nativeplant #urban #greenspace #tropical #hillsettlements #spatialanalysis #survey #ecosystem #biodiversity #ecology #regeneration #humanimpacts #GIS #spatial #mapping #afrotropics #forest #forestfragments #precolonial #sustainability #diversity #native #sociocultural #restoration

How Elephant and Castle risks becoming London’s gentrification ‘patient zero’
By Phillip Inman and Sarah Butler

New £500m town centre welcomes its first tenant this month, but displaced traders say promises that they could return have been broken

https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2026/jul/20/elephant-and-castle-london-gentrification-patient-zero

#Gentrification #London #Hospitalityindustry #Retailindustry #Housing #Regeneration #Communities #Society #UKnews #Cities #Business #TheGuardian #PhillipInman #SarahButler

Severed #seacucumber appendages don't seem to die
Scientists have discovered bits of tissue removed from a species of sea cucumber called Psolus fabricii can keep on living indefinitely if they’re left in ordinary seawater.
While sea cucumbers can easily regrow these legs and arms, they don’t have whole-body #regeneration like flatworms and some starfish do. Their severed bits don’t grow into new sea cucumbers. But it turns out they don’t die, either.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2026/05/severed-sea-cucumber-appendages-dont-seem-to-die/

Do you think hemp could help solve some of today's challenges? 🤔🌿

From nutritious food and natural fibres to building materials, skincare, wellness products and healthier soils, hemp is one of nature's most versatile crops.

It won't solve everything on its own—but it's a powerful part of a more regenerative future.

What do you think?

#ClimateAction #OrganicHemp #Farmlife #Regeneration #LandJustice

#FollowTheMoney 🧵 98/n In my attempts to launch #RegenerativeAnthropology a bit, i am interacting with so many amazing, creative, brilliant people working in #Regeneration. It is nourishing, exciting, inspiring. But all of us, all of us, are scrambling around for sources of funding all the time. So little money in these spaces! This has made me think again about how money doesn’t go towards life, it goes towards death, dead things.
Or, to put it differently:

This morning, we had the privilege of educating young people on proper waste management and environmental responsibility. By empowering the next generation with sustainable habits, we are building cleaner communities and protecting our environment for the future. Every lesson shared today is a step toward lasting positive change.
#climate #environment #ecosystem #climatechange #nature #conservation #biodiversity #regeneration #ecology #afforestation #wastemanagement #sanitation #climatecrisis

We call them "invasive." Nature calls them survivors. Before we wage war on a plant, let's ask what pain the land is trying to reveal. A wounded Earth sends messengers, not monsters. Heal the soil, restore biodiversity, and life will find its balance again. Don't fight nature—listen to it. 🌍💚 #Regeneration #SoilHealth #Ecology #ClimateAction #Europe #Nature #Permaculture

We call them "invasive." Nature calls them survivors. Before we wage war on a plant, let's ask what pain the land is trying to reveal. A wounded Earth sends messengers, not monsters. Heal the soil, restore biodiversity, and life will find its balance again. Don't fight nature—listen to it. 🌍💚 #Regeneration #SoilHealth #Ecology #ClimateAction #Europe #Nature #Permaculture

#RegenerativeAnthropology 2/2

It is pretty telling that “profit” ever made it there, accepted by everyone for so long as equal to people and planet in importance. A more regenerative approach, I suggest, is to remove profit completely and put in PLACE instead: place-based thinking, thriving communities, bioregions, ecologies. #Regeneration #Bioregional #Sustainability

Match-day Walton pub set for big change as announcement made on its future
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/match-day-walton-pub-set-34255969
The Liverpool ECHO can confirm The Spellow pub has now been sold and its new owners have big plans for the site #EFC #Toffees #Liverpoolsoldproperties #propertynews #GoodisonPark #Regeneration #EvertonFC #Liverpool #Property #Walton

Liverpool FC 'asked for an inch but now want a mile' as road plan erodes trust
https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-fc-asked-inch-now-34231397
Liverpool Football Club said the proposal to permanently close parts of Anfield Road is based on security challenges, and believes pedestrianisation works better for the area #LFC #YNWA #LiverpoolCouncil #Anfieldstadium #Regeneration #LiverpoolFC #Liverpool #BreckRoad #RealLives #Anfield

‘I don’t just watch climate change happening’: the young Swedes being paid to make a difference https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/02/climate-change-yps-sweden-young-planetary-stewards-green-project-jobs #Conservation #Sweden #YoungPeople #Regeneration #Biodiversity #ClimateCrisis #Environment

US-Forschende zeigen: Säugetiere könnten Gliedmaßen regenerieren – nicht komplett „neu“, sondern verschüttet. Nach Amputation bei Mäusen lenkten sie mit FGF2 gegen Narbenbildung und mit BMP2 die Zellen zur Gewebe- und Knochenbildung. Spannend für künftige Regeneration 🧬🦶 #ScienceNews #Regeneration #Medizin #NatureCommunications https://t3n.de/news/studie-auch-bei-saeugetieren-koennen-gliedmassen-nachwachsen-1749629/

Via Ecosia: Wildfire recovery on land that belongs to no one – but serves everyone: https://blog.ecosia.org/portugal-wildfire-recovery-on-community-land/

#ecosia #Portugal #Serradaestrela #wildfires #regeneration #environment #trees #GEOTA #UNESCO