Air Alliance Houston
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.
Volunteer Opportunities: Various opportunities and internships available.
Speakers Bureau: Yes. We will visit classrooms for presentations. Call or visit website for booking.
Publications: Please visit our website,
http://www.airalliancehouston.org, for a complete list of our reports.
Air Alliance Houston is the result of the 2008 merger between Galveston-Houston Association for Smog Prevention and Mothers for Clean Air.
Dr. Bakeyah Nelson, Executive Director
bakeyah@airalliancehouston.org
Paige Powell, Director of Operations
paige@airalliancehouston.org
Corey Williams
Research and Policy Director
corey@airalliancehouston.org
Leticia Ablaza
Community Outreach Director
leticia@airalliancehouston.org
Juan Flores
Community Outreach Coordinator
juan@airalliancehouston.org
Paula Torrado
Community Outreach Coordinator
paula@airalliancehouston.org
For general inquiries, contact: info@airalliancehouston.org
Native Prairies Association of Texas
Purpose: The Native Prairies Association of Texas (NPAT) is a non-profit membership organization and land trust dedicated to the conservation, restoration, and appreciation of native prairies, savannas, and other grasslands in Texas. NPAT protects over 2000 acres of native Texas grassland, including over 100 acres of endangered/threatened tallgrass prairie. In 2010, NPAT started its first local chapter in Houston to allow members in the metro area to meet and discuss local and regional projects and raise awareness for the organization in the Texas Gulf Coast region.
Programs: Presentations for landowners about land conservation methods in Texas; Educational presentations and field trips designed for children and adults; land restoration education and support; development of regional land restoration guides; performed a 95 county survey locating remnant native prairies in Texas.
Publications: Quarterly newsletter, Texas Prairie News; periodic e-mail updates. Back issues are available at http://www.texasprairie.org.
Meeting Times: 4th Wednesday of each month except November and December; Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet, Houston, TX 77074.
Lan Shen, President
NPAT Houston Chapter
http://prairiepartner.org/group/hnpat
HNPAT@texasprairie.org
Vegan for Life
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. Some measures of success are the number of people who choose to be vegan, and the accommodation of vegans in restaurants, stores, and other institutions. In addition to outreach and educational efforts, Vegan for Life selectively conducts lawful actions towards preventing practices that harm non-human animals.
Events and Actions: Outreach campaigns; helping students form new vegan organizations; Guided discussions, presentations, and guest speaker engagements; activist training and educational programs; community building.
Volunteer Opportunities: Vegan for Life needs vegan interns or volunteers to maintain documentation and web presence, assist in event preparation, and handle such communication tasks as invitations and follow-up phone calls. Any creative vegan with dedication and professionalism can have opportunities to turn good ideas into effective actions.
Michael Battey, President
michael@vegan-for-life.org
Virginia Miller, Vice President and Treasurer
virginia@vegan-for-life.org
Urban Harvest
Purpose: Cultivating thriving communities through gardening and access to healthy, local food.
Programs: Every year, Urban Harvest conducts more than 100 classes on a variety of subjects ranging from canning vegetables to living sustainably through permaculture principles. We offer advice, education, and services to provide parents, teachers, and administrators with information to build and maintain a successful and sustainable school garden program. The Urban Harvest Farmers Markets bring the bounty of the garden to Houstonians several times a week year round, rain or shine. Urban Harvest supports more than 130 community gardens planted with a variety of goals. Urban Harvest provides gardening advice through classes, programs, books, and extensive resources online.
Major Events: Fruit Tree Sale.
Volunteer Opportunities: Volunteers are essential for Urban Harvest to fulfill its mission. Whether as a Farmers Market assistant or volunteering at a school garden build, we need your help!
Publications: Quarterly Planting Guide; Monthly Newsletter; Book: Year Round Vegetables, Fruits, and Flowers for Metro Houston by Bob Randall, Ph. D.
Janna Roberson, Executive Director
Ext. 1013
janna@urbanharvest.org
Libby Kennedy, Director of Strategic Partnerships
Ext. 1021
libby@urbanharvest.org
The Trust for Public Land
Purpose: The Trust for Public Land conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come.
Programs: Conservation Vision (“Greenprints”); Conservation Finance (public funding); Conservation Transactions (easement and fee acquisitions); Texas Water Protection and Parks Intiative; ParkScore; Parks for People. TPL is active in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston/Galveston and Austin/San Antonio regions.
Major Events: Earth Day Dallas.
Publications: Land & People, a semi-annual national magazine; The Trust for Public Land – Texas, a state newsletter; TPL Near You, an electronic newsletter.
Robert Kent, State Director
Robert.kent@tpl.org
Mike Lange, Senior Project Manager, Texas Coast
Mike.lange@tpl.org
Marlon P. Connley, Houston Program Manager
Tel: (832) 627-7688
U.S. Green Building Council – Texas Gulf Coast Region
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.
Programs: USGBC offers educational programs to the building industry and public at large, in order to grow both local expertise and the green building market. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria.
Major Events: Texas Energy Summit
Volunteer Opportunities: Representing almost 1000 individuals, more than 2000 LEED APs, and more than 200 companies, the Texas Gulf Coast Region is based in Houston with a branch in Montgomery County (Piney Woods). The region has many volunteer opportunities – visit the website for details.http://www.usgbctexasgulfcoast.org
David MacLean, Chair
dmaclean@sebesta.com
(713) 857- 6499
Maria Perez, Vice President
maria_perez@gensler.com
(713) 356-1330
Caroline Kostak, Secretary
caroline.kostak@gmail.com
(832) 215-3885
BikeHouston, Inc.
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.
Programs: Offer a free bike safety class to teach people how to ride bikes, how to ride safely in traffic, and how to drive safely.
Major Events: Houston Moonlight Bicycle Ramble, Bike Month and Bike to Work Day in May; Effective Cycling (adult safety/skills) classes.
Volunteer Opportunities: Volunteers are welcome to join any aspect of the organization, especially the Moonlight Bicycle Ramble and other rides.
Joe Cutrufo. Executive Director
info@bikehouston.org
Coalition for Environment, Equity, and Resilience (CEER)
Purpose: To raise awareness of the connections between pollution, place and the public’s health. CEER envisions a region that is equitable, environmentally sustainable and economically strong; where residents have the opportunity to live, work, learn, play, and pray free from environmental hazards. CEER advocates for public and private investment in protecting communities by cleaning up hazards that contaminate air, water, and land. At the same time, these investments must prevent or reduce flooding.
CEER is a coalition that brings together 25 organizations and their expertise, resources, and tools to meet the needs of communities. They work with communities impacted by environmental pollution, hazards and climate change.
Programs: CEER hosts candidate forums, town halls, workshops, trainings and calls to action connected to its advocacy campaigns. Advocacy campaigns are organized around CEER’s 8 Point Plan.
- Embrace Transparency
- Focus on Air
- Focus on Land
- Focus on Water
- Focus on Resource Recovery and Recycling
- Focus on Displaced People
- Embrace Resiliency
- Focus on Equity
Publications: Creating Lasting Change in a Climate Altered Future; Eyes on the Future, Connected to the Past: Climate Justice in Northeast Houston; Our Local Vision of Just Recovery; Community Conservation.
Planned Parenthood of Houston & SE Texas
Purpose: To ensure the right and ability of all individuals to manage their sexual and reproductive health by providing health services, education, and advocacy. Founded in 1936.
Programs: Teen and Family/Community Education on sexuality and relationships. HIV education and medical services: affordable, preventive reproductive health services provided at 10 health centers in Houston and SE Texas; call (800) 230-PLAN or visit
http://www.ppgulfcoast.org.
Major Events: Luncheon to commemorate the Roe vs. Wade decision, January.
Volunteer Opportunities: Assistance is needed in health centers, administration, school programs, and public affairs. Contact Anitra Daniel, Director of Volunteers at (713) 831-6522 or Anitra.daniel@ppgulfcoast.org.
Speakers Bureau: (713) 522-6240 or
Publications: E-newsletter.
Melaney Linton, President and CEO
(713) 522-6240
Rochelle Tafolla, VP Communications and Marketing / Media/Press
(713) 831-6573
Rochelle.Tafolla@ppgulfcoast.org
Meryl Cohen, VP Education
(713) 831-6557
Meryl.cohen@ppgulfcoast.org.
Houston Tomorrow
Purpose: 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. Founded in 1998.
Meetings: Livable Houston Initiative: noon on the fourth Wed. each month. Houston Food Policy Work Group: 11:30 a.m. on the 2nd Wed of each month. Distinguished Speaker Series, quarterly.
Programs: Research on growth, development and innovations in the US and the world. Outreach: Public events, discussions, and working with public and private partners. Communication: Produce accessible, useful information.
Speaker’s Bureau: Contact office.
Publications: Free Biannual magazine, Tomorrow. Weekly E-mail newsletter.
David Crossley, Interim Chair
david.crossley@houstontomorrow.org
Alex Mossler, Deputy Director
Caitlin McNeely, Programs Director
caitlin.mcneely@houstontomorrow.org
Recipe for Success
Purpose: 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 Education™ and other initiatives to change the way they understand, appreciate and eat their food.
Major Events: Dress for Dinner, We’re Cooking Now! A Gala in Small Bites
Blue Plate Special Cafe Harvest Market & Awards Lunch, Open Kitchens Tour.
Volunteer Opportunities: RFS has dozens of opportunities for you to lend a hand in our fight against childhood obesity whether you have an hour, a day or want to perform a regular job. Register online.
Publications: Website and newsletter.
Gracie Cavnar – Founder and CEO
gracie@recipe4success.org
Molly Kaminski – Chief Operations Officer
molly@recipe4success.org
Environment Texas Research & Policy Center
Purpose: Protection of Texas’ air, water and open spaces. Improving the quality of our environment and our lives by using independent research and tough-minded advocacy to win concrete results for our environment.
Program Priorities: Clean Energy, Energy Efficiency, Green Building, Open Space Preservation, Clean Air and Water, Global Warming. Environmental Policy Development, Legislative Advocacy, Public Education, Media Outreach, Grassroots Organizing, Clean Air Act Enforcement.
Publications: Newsletter, Annual Report, Weekly Email Updates, Bi-weekly audio Podcast on iTunes, Policy Reports: http://www.environmenttexas.org/reports, Legislative Scorecard: http://www.environmenttexas.org/legislature/legislative-scorecard, Blog: http://www.environmenttexas.org/blog
Houston Events: Environmental Leadership Conference and Activist Training, Student Internship Program.
Volunteer and Internship Opportunities: Contact (512) 610-0084
Luke Metzger, Director
luke@environmenttexas.org
(512) 479-0388
John Rumpler, Senior Environmental Attorney
john@environmenttexas.org
(617) 747-4306
The CEC has a searchable, web-based version of the Environmental Resource Guide. You may also download older versions of the printed guide below.
Archived Resource Guides