Environmental Groups
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ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS UT's Annual Texas-Size Garage Sale GENERAL PURPOSE At the beginning of the Fall Semester, the University Austin Sierra Club of Texas Campus Environmental Center holds its an- nual Trash to Treasure garage sale. The gym floor of P.O. Box 4581 the RECSports Building (3 basketball courts in size) is Austin, TX 78765-4581 covered with used furniture, appliances, clothes, com- Contact: Chris Lehman 444-4495 puter gear, and all manner of sundry items. In 2009, 40 E-mail: [email protected] tons of goods were recycled, netting the CEC $12,500 to Net: www.texas.sierraclub.org/austin pursue its other environmental projects. Purpose: The Austin Sierra Club is the local arm of one of America’s oldest and largest environmental organizations. Our mission is to explore, enjoy and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote the responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems and resources; to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives. The Austin Group of the Sierra Club is well known for immensely popular group outings to enjoy wild places throughout the U.S. and for local environmental activism. Our current campaigns are for water and air quality, as well as anti-sprawl efforts. We hope to convince citizens and public officials to support land-use planning policies that will protect Central Texas from the impacts of uncontrolled urban sprawl. These include traffic congestion, long com- mutes, deteriorating air and water quality, higher taxes, and loss of greenspace. flexibility to pursue a wide range of projects, so long as Projects/Activities: Hiking, campouts, bicycling, en- there are students interested in leading them. vironmental conservation/service projects, social activi- ties. Projects/Activities: Projects include student run re- cycling, annual litter cleanups, campus gardening, and Meetings: 1st Tuesday of each month at 6:30 PM at the lectures and films. Major events include Trash to Treasure Texas State Teachers Association located at 316 W. 12th Street (a Texas-size garage sale), and Earth Day. in downtown Austin. (Visit our Web site to confirm.) Meetings: Every Thursday at 7 PM (places change, see Volunteer Opportunities: There are active committees Web site). for everyone’s interests, fun, or service: Outings, Conser- vation, Environmental Education, Singles, Fundraising, Volunteer Opportunities: Committee positions are Membership, Population, Water Quality Monitoring, and available in education, publicity, outdoors, events, Web the “Cool Cities Campaign.” site, and several subject-focused committees. The groups assist with access for intern positions. Newsletters/Publications: Monthly Austin Sierran news- letter; semi-annual Lone Star Chapter newsletter; quarterly Newsletters/Publications: CEC and Environmental National Sierra Club magazine. Events in Austin – two weekly e-newsletters covering uni- versity and city-wide events. Dues: $39/year; $24/Students, limited income & se- niors. In This Section... Campus Environmental Center Building ............................................................................. 2 c/o UT Student Government Education .......................................................................... 3 P.O. Box 7580, Facilities Services Energy ................................................................................ 4 Austin, TX 78713 Environmental Justice ..................................................... 5 Contact: Karen Blaney 232-7840 Food.................................................................................... 5 FAX: 475-7775 Fundraising ....................................................................... 8 E-Mail: [email protected] Grassroots Organizing ..................................................... 8 Net: www.UTenvironment.org Parks ................................................................................. 10 Purpose: The Campus Environmental Center (CEC) is an Politics ...............................................................................11 agency of UT Student Government which seeks to improve Recycling ......................................................................... 12 campus sustainability through education and projects. The Special Purpose .............................................................. 13 CEC works in key relationships with faculty and staff, as Transportation ................................................................ 16 well as with the administration, to change campus policies. The CEC also works with other environmental groups on Trees & Plants ................................................................. 17 campus in collaborative efforts to host events or coordinate Water ................................................................................ 19 projects. By acting as a resource center, the CEC has the Wildlife ............................................................................ 21 Environmental Groups - General 1 Environmental Defense Fund – Texas Office BUILDING 44 East Avenue, Suite #100 Austin, TX 78701 Contact: Chris Smith 478-5161 Center for Maximum E-mail: [email protected] Potential Building Systems FAX: 478-8140 8604 FM 969 Net: www.edf.org Austin, TX 78724 Purpose: Environmental Defense Fund is a leading Contact: Gail Vittori 928-4786 national non-profit organization representing more than FAX: 926-4418 500,000 members. Since 1967, we have linked science, Net: www.cmpbs.org economics, and law to create innovative, equitable and Purpose: The Center for Maximum Potential Building cost-effective solutions to society’s most urgent environ- Systems, established in 1975, is a non-profit sustainable mental problems. planning, design and appropriate technology firm. The Guided by science, Environmental Defense Fund evalu- group is recognized for its perspective of the built envi- ates environmental problems and works to create and ad- ronment, and is a founding partner of the City of Austin’s vocate solutions that win lasting political, economic and Green Builder Program. The Center undertakes private social support because they are nonpartisan, cost-efficient, and public sector building projects that establish new per- and fair. formance benchmarks in the areas of energy, water, carbon dioxide reduction, and regional resources. Founded in 1990, our Texas office works within the na- tional mission of Environmental Defense Fund. Our staff Projects/Activities: Activities include partnership with scientists, economists, attorneys, and other professionals Texas A&M University for the 2007 Solar Decathlon entry; look for innovative solutions to the most urgent environ- sustainability planning with Verano Land Development mental problems. We help Texans breathe cleaner air, group in San Antonio; and convener of the Green Guide for combat global warming, protect endangered wildlife, and Health Care (www.gghc.org). The Center provides consul- work to restore healthy fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico. tation services for integrated planning and design, LEED® certification, and lectures and workshops. Recent projects Newsletters/Publications: Solutions, quarterly. include: Block 21 (Stratus), Mueller Airport Redevelopment Dues: Begins at $35/Individual. (Catellus), and the Dell Children’s Medical Center. An Open House tour of the Center occurs monthly, generally Travis Audubon Society on the first Friday of the month. Call for dates and times. 3710 Cedar Street, Box 5 Volunteer Opportunities: Construction site, landscap- Austin, TX 78705 ing, and office assistance. A limited number of internships Contact: Nancy Manning 300-2473 are available, some qualify for college credit. E-Mail: [email protected] Net: www.travisaudubon.org Newsletters/Publications: Office brochure, publication list, research briefs available on request and on Web site. Purpose: Travis Audubon Society (TAS) is a local non- profit chapter of National Audubon Society and is com- posed of over 2,000 volunteers dedicated to promoting the Design~Build~Live enjoyment, understanding, and preservation of birds, other P.O. Box 49381 wildlife, and their habitats in Central Texas. Our general Austin, TX 78765-9381 meetings host programs with topics related to wildlife, Contact: Gayle Borst 478-9033 conservation issues, and travel. TAS owns and operates Email: [email protected] three sanctuaries in the Austin area that preserve habitat Net: www.designbuildlive.org and endangered species. Purpose: Design~Build~Live (DBL), a 15-year-old orga- Projects/Activities: TAS provides opportunities for nization that evolved from Austin’s Sustainable Building group birdwatching activities, public environmental aware- Coalition, exists to share, practice, promote and nurture ness education, and informed environmental action. TAS natural building and sustainable living. We serve as a maintains an alert system at its Web site with information vehicle for discovery, learning and integration of sustain- about rare bird sightings, field trips, and meetings. The able and regenerative life practices based on natural, Christmas Bird Count for the Austin region is in mid- organic, local/regional materials, methods and services; December. Birdathon each spring. Permaculture and related holistic practices; and human Meetings: Monthly meetings, open to public, are on the equity and honor. 3rd Thursday of each month (except June through August, Projects/Activities: DBL’s goal is to