Environmental Resource Guide
The Environmental Resource Guide is a searchable, web-based resource that includes information about all organizations in the Greater Houston Area conducting environmental work. This guide is a one-stop-shop for any resources or connections you may need, and is updated often to ensure you have access to the newest information.
Scroll through the guide, view a list of all organizations, or view all categories of organizations below. At the very bottom of the page is an archive containing older versions of the printed guide available for download.
If you have any questions, would like to make edits to a current listing, or would like to add or remove an organizations, please reach out to us.
Purpose: Houston Wilderness is a broad-based alliance of business, environmental and government interests that acts in concert to protect, preserve and promote the unique biodiversity of the region’s precious remaining ecological capital from bottomland hardwoods and prairie grasslands to pine forests and wetlands.
Programs: Collaborative Access Program, Sam Houston Greenbelt Network, Collaborative Grant Organizing, Wilderness Passport, ecosystems services, and Get Out Here Houston.…
Purpose: To enhance, enable, and integrate sustainable use of land and water for the Houston area’s continued growth and economic vitality.
Maintaining the pace of growth and development in the greater Houston area requires that those with a vested interest adopt new ideas and employ new methods that will insure that growth can be sustained.…
Purpose: To accelerate the clean energy transition by incubating climatetech startups focusing on electricity, agtech + water, buildings, transportation, manufacturing, and resilience + adaptation. As the largest climatetech startup incubator in North America, Greentown Labs brings together startups, corporations, investors, policymakers, and many others with a focus on scaling climate solutions. Driven to provide startups with the resources, knowledge, connections, and equipment they need to thrive, Greentown Labs offers climatetech startups lab space, shared office space, a machine shop, an electronics lab, software and business resources, and a large network of corporate customers, investors, and more.…
Purpose: Houston’s leading health and clean air advocacy non-profit specializing in both the treetops and grassroots of environmental advocacy and organizing. Air Alliance Houston’s mission remains to reduce air pollution in the Houston region and to protect public health and environmental integrity through research, education, and advocacy.
Programs: Research, Education, and Advocacy, including Ozone Theater (air pollution education program with three curricula for grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8). Annual Earth Day Art Contest for grades 3-12, earthdayartcontest.org.…
Purpose:Â The SPARK School Program works with schools and neighborhoods to develop community parks on public school grounds. In the past 30 years, SPARK has built over 200+ community parks throughout the Houston/Harris County area. Each park is unique, with its design based on ideas and needs of the school and surrounding neighborhoods.…
Purpose: Bayou Land Conservancy is a community-sponsored land preservation organization to permanently protect land, with a focus on the 13 watersheds that feed Lake Houston. We preserve river and bayou corridors, other properties with significant wildlife habitat value, and places where family recreation can occur in harmony with nature.
Jill Boullion, Executive Director
jboullion@bayouland.org
Becky Martinez, Conservation Director
bmartinez@bayouland.org
Cherie Wilson, Office Administrator
cwilson@bayouland.org
Purpose: The Houston Community ToolBank is a nonprofit tool lending program that stewards an inventory of tools for lending to charitable organizations to increase the impact of their mission-related efforts in the community. With year-round access to an inventory of tools for use in volunteer projects and facility and grounds maintenance, the ToolBank provide resources to enhance the charitable sector’s capacity to serve, facilitating hands-on volunteerism in the greater Houston area.…
Purpose: The mission of The Nature Conservancy is to conserve the lands and water on which all life depends. With operations in all 50 states and 35 countries, and a staff of 3700 including 600 scientists, we are the world’s largest non-profit conservation organization. Since 1964, TNC in Texas has been protecting our state’s natural landscapes.…
Purpose: WCT was formed to care for injured, ill and orphaned wildlife through rehabilitation, public education and release in the Greater Houston / Upper Gulf Coast region. Each year the WCT cares for over 10,000 thousand injured or orphaned wild animals including over 300 different species. The WCT is Houston’s first trauma hospital that accepts all native injured, ill and orphaned wildlife.…
Purpose: To research and recommend policy that will lower electric bills, increase clean and renewable sources of energy, and combats greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global climate change by working to encourage city and state incentives for energy efficiency and to create incentives and mandates for more renewable energy.
Programs: Policy programs in are climate change, promoting clean government, fighting dirty energy, advancing energy efficiency in Texas, advancing renewable energy in Texas and student organizing.…
Purpose: Houston Urban Gardeners’ mission is to create an informed active gardening community of people growing their own vegetables, fruits, and herbs year-round in Metro Houston. They do this through programs on all aspects of growing food.Â
Programs:Â Monthly meetings on topics such as:
- leaving a legacy of better soil
- eating organic wholesome food with a known history
- getting more production with less time and having more fun
- getting to know like-minded people and sharing what you know with others
- restoring respect for the earth and the environment
- forming a gardening support network/community
- feeling good because you can share food with hungry people
- supporting our local Houston economy by buying supplies from local vendors
Meetings: HUG meets on the second Monday of the month at 6:30pm at the West Gray Metropolitan Multi-Service Center (1475 W Gray St, Houston, TX 77019) in the Montrose/River Oaks area near Waugh Drive.…
Purpose: Vegan for Life’s mission is to educate the public about the benefits of a plant-based diet, including the prevention of unnecessary killing and mistreatment of animals, protection of the environment, and good health. Vegan for Life aims to increase recognition of veganism as an effective approach that individuals can take to help save the planet and spread compassion.…
Purpose:Â To preserve 2,500 acres of vanishing coastal prairie, hardwood forest and bayou wilderness habitat and wildlife refuge; to give opportunities to experience and understand the remaining natural ecosystem; to reconnect people with nature.
Programs: Year–round adult, child, and family programs including Third Sundays in Nature Series, FREE to the public; Eco-Exploration pontoon boat and canoe trips; guided day and night hikes; Eco-Camp summer and holiday camps; Great Texas Birding Trail Site 81; Teachers can receive SBEC credit for classes.…
Purpose: Founded in 2009, our mission is to reduce the amount of reusable material in Houston’s landfills, to promote environmental awareness, to stimulate creativity, and to provide opportunities to create recycled art.
Programs: Divert reusable clean scrap from Houston’s solid waste stream and make it available at low cost to educators and non-profits in the Greater Houston area.…
Purpose: Engage. Educate. Empower. Providing opportunities for young people to learn about our environment and 21st Century Stewardship through engaging them, and providing knowledge and skills that empower them. Â
Programs: Conservation projects, scout merit badges, science teacher training, afternoon story time, hands-on student ecosystem lessons in the one-acre Don Greene Nature Park.…
Purpose:Â Provide environmental education, quality recreational facilities, and a variety of nature-related activities.
Programs: “Nurture Nature Series†a family program on the first Saturday at 10 a.m., each month is a different topic; Preschool thru high school education programs; Scout badge workshops; outreach; Spring Break, Winter Break and Summer camps; birthday parties; self-guided tours; teacher workshops; birding and wilderness trails.…
Purpose:Â To provide education and outreach to local governments and citizens on the impacts of land use on watershed health and water quality.
Major Events: Workshops, Seminars, Conferences, Courses, and Classes.
Volunteer Opportunities: Restoration Projects, Conservation Projects, Landscape Installation Projects, and Wetland Workdays.
Publications:Â Â
- Can Houston Feed Itself?
…
Purpose: To protect and restore the integrity of our bayous, rivers, streams, and the bays through advocacy, education, and action. Bayou City Waterkeeper (formerly Galveston Baykeeper) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization working to ensure that every waterway is swimmable, fishable, and drinkable from Lake Livingston through the Bayous of Houston down to Galveston Bay.…
Purpose:Â To foster a thriving democracy by engaging all people in the political process through nonpartisan information sharing, passionate civic engagement, and providing opportunities to participate in the democratic process.
Meetings: Meetings discuss various policy issues. Visit lwvhouston.org for upcoming meetings dates and events.
Volunteer Opportunities: Assist with Voters Guide, voter registration, serve on committees, online newsletter e-voter.…
Purpose:Â Recipe for Success Foundation was launched in 2005 by Gracie & Bob Cavnar to lead the way in hands-on nutrition education aimed at preventing childhood obesity and encouraging long term health. In just a few years, it has grown to the largest outreach of its kind in the nation, empowering over 4,000 children each and every month with its signature Seed-to-Plate Nutrition Educationâ„¢ and other initiatives to change the way they understand, appreciate and eat their food.…