Environmental Resource Guide
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: Mercer Botanic Gardens (MBG) seeks to establish and maintain a versatile botanical facility for Houston and the greater Gulf Coast region, serving the general public, the horticulture industry, and the scientific community. MBG strives to improve quality of life and inspire greater appreciation for the essential value and beauty of the plant world.…
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: 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: Levy Park is a six acre public green space in the Upper Kirby District which recently reopened after a $15 million renovation for the purpose of creating an entertainment and recreation destination for the immediate community and for the people of Greater Houston. The Upper Kirby Redevelopment Authority in partnership with the Upper Kirby District Foundation, funded the renovation and Levy Park’s many public amenities.…
Purpose: The HAUS Project was formed in late 2010 to provide affordable, sustainable, cooperative housing in the accessible, urban core of the Houston region within close proximity of Houston’s growing light rail transit system. Our goal is to open 5 green coops in 5 years.
The mission of HAUS Project is to
Provide affordable housing operated cooperatively by residents.…
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 Dedicated to the advancement of architecture, urban design, and the built environment in the Houston region through educational programs, the publication of Cite, and active programs to initiate physical improvements. By sponsoring lectures, seminars, symposia, exhibits, and tours, RDA seeks to involve the public.
Volunteer Opportunities: Docents needed for house tour, gala, and other events.…
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 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: The Last Organic Outpost generates healthy communities and establishes a local food economy in Houston’s under-served neighborhoods through urban farming and farm-based art & education. They empower communities through sustainable agriculture that teaches residents to produce safe, healthy and accessible food for all. They envision growing ‘Food Everywhere’ and seeding an Urban Agricultural District that cultivates our region’s food and supports local farmers to thrive despite economic, environmental, health and social challenges.…
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: The Gulf Restoration Network (GRN) is a network of environmental, social justice, and citizens’ groups and individuals committed to restoring the Gulf of Mexico to an ecologically and biologically sustainable condition. Within this vision, we see the mission of GRN as one of uniting and empowering people to protect and restore the resources of the Gulf Region for future generations.…
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.…
Purpose: Founded in 2004, the CTC is an all-volunteer grassroots transportation advocacy organization. The Citizens’ Transportation Coalition advocates for a broad-based public educational and planning process to identify neighborhood aspirations, influences projects to achieve the best transportation options, and engages our communities in designing a complete multimodal transportation system that serves us all.
Dexter Handy, Chair
drhandy@aol.com
Carol Caul, Advocacy Chair
Ed Browne, Science and Technology Chair
Purpose:Â Serving Texas wildlife and its habitat, while protecting property rights, hunting heritage, and the conservation efforts of those who value and steward wildlife resources.
History: The Texas Wildlife Association was formed in 1985 by a group of ranchers, wildlife managers and hunters dedicated to the conservation, management, and enhancement of wildlife and wildlife habitat on private lands.…
SPLASh (Stopping Plastics and Litter Along Shorelines) educates grades 5-12 on marine debris & trash pollution in the Houston-Galveston coastal ecosystems. We facilitate TEKS-supported, interactive lessons virtually or in-person and offer off campus trash clean ups and data collection activities! Contact splashtx@abcbirds.org for more information!
Purpose:Â 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 (“Greenprintsâ€); 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.…
Purpose: To promote, develop, maintain, and enhance the Energy Corridor District through implementation of projects, services, and initiatives in the realm of public safety, transportation and mobility, infrastructure, streetscape, and economic development. Through active leadership, advocacy, and collaborative efforts, the District works to accelerate area improvements for long-term economic vitality.
Meetings: Second Friday of each month in ECD office 14701 St.…
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.…
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