Built Environment — 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:Â Scenic Houston works to eliminate visual blight because all Houstonians are entitled to a green, uncluttered, visually appealing city. Scenic Houston promotes sign control, billboard reduction, freeway landscaping, scenic byway development, and enhanced design standards for public projects. Our success improves the quality of life for all Houstonians.
Major Events: Scenic Visionary Awards Dinner, October.…
Purpose: Transition Houston serves to build on the wisdom of the existing resources in Houston’s diverse community to inspire, network and train localized communities to consider and adapt Rob Hopkins’ transition model. Together we can unite pools of ingenuity and skills to unleash the collective genius of our own people in finding self-determined solutions.…
Purpose: Center for Houston’s Future (CHF) works to address matters of highest importance to the long-term future of the greater Houston region, by engaging diverse leaders, providing impactful research, and defining actionable strategies. The Center for Houston’s Future furthers the Houston region as a top global community in which to work and live.…
Purpose:Â To enhance the quality of urban life by providing safe, well-maintained parks and offering affordable programs for the community.
Major Events:
Jan – Arbor Day; Youth Tennis classes begin
Feb – Salt Grass Trail Ride; Adult sports leagues begin
Mar – Tour de Houston, Metal & Muscle Expo; Lake Houston Wilderness
Apr – Houston Children’s Festival, Japan ÂFestival, Houston International Festival
May – Challenge Day, Summer Pool Opening
June – Summer Food Program begins, Golf Tourn; Hershey Track & Field Meet
Jul – Freedom Over Texas; Houston Pops July 4th Celebration
Oct – Asian-American Festival; Wildflower seed planting
Nov – Via Colori
Dec – Heritage Society Candlelight Tour, Holiday Tree Lighting
Year round – Lake Houston Park Nature Center events
School year – After School Enrichment Program
Volunteer Opportunities: Oneika McCarthy
(832) 395-7030 oneika.peters@houstontx.gov
Publications: Activities Catalog – Winter/Spring Issue Dec 1, Summer Issue
Apr 1, and Fall Issue Aug 1.…
Purpose: The mission of BikeHouston is to promote safe bicycling and to improve the quality of life in the Houston area. Goals -secure equitable access to regional facilities, lands and roads -educate the public about rights and responsibilities of bicyclists -promote public awareness of the personal and community benefits of cycling Meeting Time: Varies, see website.…
Purpose:Â To reduce the risk of flooding in the Brays Bayou watershed. Meetings: Open meetings are held the third Monday of every month, 7:30 p.m., Conference Room, The Gathering Place, 5410 South Willow Drive, 77035 Major Events: Annual meeting in March.…
Purpose: The Houston Parks Board creates, improves, protects and advocates for parks for everyone. HPB is driven by the vision of thriving parks and communities for everyone forever.
Programs: Parkland and greenspace acquisition; park capital improvement projects; collaboration with other green groups; Neighborhood Partnership Program; 50/50 Park Partners Challenge; Volunteer Program.…
Barry Mandel, President and Park Director
Maria Aguirre, Executive Assistant
Purpose: To provide an uncommonly beautiful, urban green space in the heart of Houston that serves as a village green for our city, a source of health and happiness for our citizens, and a window into the incredible diversity of talents and traditions that enrich life in Houston.…
Purpose:Founded in 1992, Hermann Park Conservancy is a nonprofit citizens’ organization dedicated to the stewardship and improvement of Hermann Park, one of Houston’s largest and most loved urban parks, where more than six million visitors make memories each year. Beyond raising funds to improve and maintain the Park, the Conservancy oversees strategic planning for Hermann Park’s future as well as programs focused on visitor services, conservation and stewardship, tree care, and operations and maintenance of the McGovern Centennial Gardens.…
Purpose: To promote the evolution and implementation of Plan Houston as the basis for planning the City’s future. Blueprint Houston serves as a resource and catalyst for better long-term planning for Houston’s future growth and development.
Blueprint Houston was founded in 2003 to build community support for a coordinated planning process to make improvements to Houston’s quality of life.…
The Exploration Green Conservancy, Inc. (EGC) has been formed and incorporated to develop, preserve and protect the land known as Exploration Green (EG). This area was purchased by the Clear Lake City Water Authority (CLCWA) for use as a storm water detention area: the CLCWA created a Master Plan for the area and initially sponsored the formation of the EGC.…
Purpose:Â To enable the public to experience and learn more about healthy and energy, water, and material conserving design and construction; also known as Green Building.
Steven M. Stelzer, AIA, LEED AP, Program Director
steve.stelzer@houstontx.gov
Purpose:Â To promote the aesthetic, scientific, and practical efficiency of the architecture profession; to advance the science and art of planning and building; to coordinate the building industry and the profession of architecture; to ensure the advancement of the living standard of people and to make the profession one of ever-increasing service to society.…
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: Empowering Texans to fight pollution through sustained grassroots organizing campaigns that shift corporate and governmental policy. The TEC envisions a Texas free from pollution. As the largest environmental group in Texas organizing support through door-to-door canvassing, grassroots is both who we are and what we do. Programs: Advocates for local, state and national policies that hold manufacturers responsible for recycling the toxic products they create (such as electronic waste or “e-wasteâ€); works to strengthen environmental and health standards for Texas landfills; educates residents and builds grassroots support through a year-round neighborhood canvassing program; and works toward recycling for all Houstonians.…
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:Â The mission of Living Paradigm is to empower people by creating home ownership of shelters erected from reclaimed materials. These dwellings will be environmentally responsible and healthy places for those that inhabit them and will contribute to the culture, vitality, and individuality of the community.
Living Paradigm addresses the social, economic and environmental basis of sustainable living by building low-cost homes (under $50k), with volunteer or apprenticeship labor, using materials that would otherwise go to the landfill.…
Purpose: The chapter will accelerate the implementation of the best sustainable building practices for our region through collaboration, education and advocacy. Founded in 2003, the USGBC-Texas Gulf Coast Chapter is uniquely positioned to leverage green building industry knowledge with community needs related to the built environment. The chapter connects the built environment to community life indicators and offers the LEED Rating System as a measurement tool to vet whether or not a building is operating at high performance.…
Purpose:Â Houston Tomorrow is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for all the people of the Houston region through research, education, and discussion. Its vision is that on its 200th birthday, the Houston region will be home to the healthiest, happiest, most prosperous people in the United States.…
Purpose: The Houston-Galveston Area Council is a region-wide voluntary association of local governments in the 13-county Gulf Coast Planning region of Texas. H-GAC’s mission is to serve as the instrument of local government cooperation, promoting the region’s orderly development and the safety and welfare of its citizens. Key governmental services include transportation planning, disaster resiliency, cooperative purchasing, homeland security, workforce development, air and water quality planning, forecasting, and mapping.…