How Local Environmental Stewardship Diversifies Democracy.

Although recent studies have suggested that environmental participation may be a countertrend to decreasing civic engagement in the United States, there are very few empirical studies that test these claims. This paper studies participation in local environmental stewardship as such a countertrend. Using data collected from participants in the Watershed Stewards Academies (WSA) of Maryland to assess how these organizations are successful in mobilizing individuals to be environmentally and civically engaged in their communities. The WSA training programs appeal to citizens who are either already civically engaged or who wish to be more involved in their communities. In doing so, locally embedded organizations like the WSAs represent a countertrend to diminishing rates of civic engagement by offering citizens what a "paper-membership" cannot: the chance to lead their own environmental restoration projects, create tangible change in their communities, and network with other like-minded individuals. Programs like the WSAs often have hybrid structures that combine non-profit and private infrastructures with state and foundation funding. These environmental programs serve as a model for diversifying civic engagement at the local level, a model that can be translated and adapted to different geographies, contexts, and governance arrangements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]