Lexi Merchent, Maine Clean Communities Fellow, highlights the wide-ranging benefits of outdoor volunteering, including improvements in physical and mental health, enhanced environmental awareness, and the preservation of green spaces. Through physical activities like gardening and trash collection, volunteers boost their well-being while fostering a deeper connection to nature. The experience also raises environmental consciousness, inspiring sustainable habits. Outdoor volunteering contributes to the community by preserving natural areas for future generations.
Volunteering outdoors offers a range of benefits that extend beyond the immediate impact of the service work. From enhancing physical and mental well-being to fostering a deeper connection with nature, outdoor volunteering provides a unique and enriching experience. As an AmeriCorps member involved in various service projects inside and out, I’ve seen firsthand how outdoor volunteering benefits both individuals and communities.
Physical Health and Well-Being
One of the best benefits of outdoor volunteering is the positive impact on physical health. Working outside often involves physical activity, whether it’s planting onions in Wolfe’s Neck Farms organic garden, building tables for plants at the Wild Seed Project, or picking up trash around Portland. These activities are a great excuse to get outside and move. For many volunteers, outdoor work is a welcome break from a more sedentary office working environment. Regular outdoor movement has been linked to better sleep patterns and increased energy levels. Additionally, sunlight triggers the production of Vitamin D which helps your body improve bone health, muscle function, and your immune system (1). All movement is good movement, especially when it is outside!
Oona, Morgan, and I finish one of the garden tables we built during our day of service at the Wild Seed Project.
Mental Health and Stress Reduction
Volunteering outdoors also has significant mental health benefits. Time spent in natural environments has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. There is a bacterium in the soil, Mycobacterium vaccae, that has recently been shown to increase the production of serotonin, the feel good chemical in the brain (2). Activities like taking a walk in nature, gardening, or eating freshly harvested vegetables and fruits provide a dose of this bacterium. This can help lower anxiety and depression and improve resilience to stress.
Working outdoors provides an opportunity to reconnect with nature. On the Wolfe’s Neck Farm service day, I noticed a marked improvement in my happiness after taking a break from working in front of my computer to working outside on the farm. The combination of physical activity and exposure to nature can help to foster a sense of peace and mental clarity, making outdoor volunteering a powerful tool for mental wellness.
The Fellow’s plant organic onions on Wolfe’s Neck Farm in Freeport, ME.
Enhancing Environmental Awareness
Engaging in outdoor volunteer work also raises awareness about environmental issues and promotes sustainable practices. When volunteers get involved in activities like picking up trash, they become aware of the trash all around them that maybe they wouldn’t have noticed before. This increased awareness can inspire volunteers to adopt more environmentally friendly habits in their own lives. Additionally, with small educational messages throughout the service activity, participants can gain an increased understanding of how small things can make a big difference on a large scale.
Recently, we volunteered with Rubbish Project to pick up 80+lbs of trash from Washington Ave area in Portland. After the trash pickup, the project leaders connected our local effort to global ocean pollution and mentioned how the trash we picked up today would have ended up in the ocean. Picking up trash that day made me more conscious of all the trash that I walk by every day. Now, I make an effort to pick it up. Through this service project, we contributed to the protection of natural resources and learned more about the small changes that make life more sustainable.
Ensuring the Preservation and Legacy of Green Spaces
Finally, outdoor service leaves a lasting impact on the community by enhancing and preserving natural, green spaces. Volunteering doesn’t just improve accessibility, functionality, and aesthetics of natural areas, it also ensures their longevity. Having natural spaces where people can come relax and recreate is a positive contribution to the overall quality of life in communities.
One of the more intense volunteering experiences was our trip to Little Chebeague island with the Maine Island Trails Association (MITA). We took a boat to the island and spent the day picking up debris and contributing to trail and facilities maintenance. Little Chebeague has no full time residents but has many recreational visitors. The high volume of visitors can have a negative impact on wild spaces, but MITA works hard to keep the island beautiful and open for the people who recreate here. Dealing with human impact means that maintaining trails and facilities is critical to ensure that Little Chebeague is a green and wild space that people can enjoy for generations.
Jenna moves lumber next to the newly constructed privy.
Embracing the Outdoors for Community Impact
Incorporating outdoor volunteering into community service efforts enriches both the volunteers and the communities they serve. From improving physical and mental health to fostering environmental stewardship and building stronger community bonds, outdoor projects offer incredible benefits. As an AmeriCorps member, I’ve witnessed the transformative power of outdoor volunteering. Whether you're serving for an hour or for a day, these experiences provide invaluable rewards that extend far beyond the immediate task. As I conclude my AmeriCorps service with GPCOG, I look forward to continuing outdoor volunteer service to contribute to a healthier community and a healthier me. By embracing outdoor volunteer opportunities, you can contribute to a healthier, more connected, and more sustainable community.
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About Lexi
Lexi was born in Michigan and received her BS in Biology from Central Michigan University. After graduation, she worked for an environmental nonprofit in Los Angeles, CA. The experience working with communities around the issue of sustainability drove her to pursue her Masters in Sociology at UNH. There she focused on Environmental Sociology and wrote a thesis on the homesteading or back-to-the-land movement in Maine. She fell in love with the east coast and now calls Dover, NH home. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and making craft cocktails. Lexi is excited to be a Resilience Corpse Fellow because it combines her environmental and philanthropic interests in a state she loves, Maine.
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