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The Piedmont Environmental Council works to safeguard the landscape, communities and heritage of Virginia's Piedmont by involving citizens in related public policy and land conservation. PEC's service area encompasses nine counties of the Piedmont. Our work integrates four mutually interdependent goals and programs:   *Better Define the Piedmont- PEC is creating a sense of place in our communities through engaging activities and the identification and support of our unique assets and history.  * Protect What Can Be Protected: Land Conservation & Watershed Protection - We are protecting threatened land and natural and cultural resources as efficiently as possible through an aggressive and multi-tiered land conservation program.  *Respond to the Forces of Change: Land Use and Transportation- We consistently promote good planning to reduce threats to our region, address issues of local importance, and surmount individual pressures on our historic landscape.  *Direct Growth to the Right Places - We are helping visualize a better future by presenting positive solutions to the problems caused by poorly planned development. These concrete principles recognize that growth is inevitable, but that we can effectively manage the population and economic growth coming to this region and create healthy communities to live, work and play.  PEC also provides direct assistance to those working on parallel missions in neighboring counties. PEC is a founding member and fiscal sponsor for the Coalition for Smarter Growth, an organization extending a parallel mission in Washington DC. PEC also serves as fiscal sponsor for the Shenandoah Valley Network. Additionally, PEC coordinates with many partners across the Commonwealth to address regional issues that affect the Piedmont directly.

The mission of the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden is to inspire people to grow through immersion in a world of natural outdoor wonder to nourish mind, body and spirit. The Garden is already setting an example of stewardship by transforming 460 acres of abandoned mining property. The Pittsburgh Botanic Garden (PBG) holds a renewable $1/year 99 year lease from Allegheny County on the land, 20 minutes west of downtown Pittsburgh, next door to Settler's Cabin Park. The PBG is moving forward on two fronts. The first and long-term front involves the middle and southern portion of the site which is under a complete reclamation program. Even as that work continues, we will begin to develop the display and educational gardens in this area, including the first and only Mr. Roger's Garden of Make Believe, the Orangery and an amphitheater. The PBG's second front is focused on the 60 acres on the northern part of the site which features forested ridges and some meadows. Restoration of the Woodlands was started in 2010 and, to date, more than 20 acres of invasive species were cleared, over 5,200 native trees, shrubs and perennials planted, three miles of trails built including one mile of ADA accessible trails, several children's play & discovery stations were constructed, and a polluted pond was restored to life. The Woodland Gardens are adjacent to a historic homestead, recently added by the County to the Botanic Garden lease. The Pioneer Farmstead provides the front door for the Garden while reclamation continues. The 1870s barn is under renovation to serve as the Bayer Welcome Center and the 1784 log cabin, namesake for the nearby Settlers Cabin County Park, will be used for programming. A Heritage Apple Orchard, Pioneer Three Sisters Garden and other amenities will also grace the area. The Woodlands of the World Garden and the Pioneer Farmstead will open to the general public in the summer of 2014. Tours of the site are available. Education and volunteer programs are underway - for all ages. It is a grass-roots project, built by many volunteers and supported by individuals from the tri-state area. The Garden demonstrates the interdependence of plants, animal and man and our reliance on the natural environment, while fostering an understanding of basic botany and ecology.

End ocean plastic pollution and build thriving, inclusive economies

They are a Student-Led Organization focused on educating communities on plastic pollution, creating a connection between people and the ocean through water sports, and raising more awareness on the state of the oceans through educational art installments.

A Coalition Of Independent Programs Working To Protect The Waters Of The Chesapeake And Coastal Bays. Waterkeepers Chesapeake Inc. Amplifies The Voices Of Each Waterkeeper And Mobilizes These Organizations To Fight Pollution And Champion Clean Water.

The BlueLab Preservation Society is an interdisciplinary, impact-driven, eco-philanthropic 501c3 seeking to reconcile us with the water world. We mobilize leading minds and operate worldwide to find executable third-millennium solutions to second-millennium blunders, including overfishing, plastic pollution, irresponsible tourism, aqua-floral disbalance and... the shortage of ocean-based art.

W.A.T.E.R. is working to address the global plastic crisis. They have prepared a locally-focused petition asking Siskiyou County retailers to make available and sell a wider variety of items that are neither made of plastic nor packaged in plastic.

Heal the Ocean focuses on wastewater infrastructure – sewers and septic systems – as well as ocean dumping practices that have contributed to ocean pollution. They are focused on Santa Barbara County, but their methods are now serving as a model for other coastal communities across the country.

The Clary Lake Association is a 501 c(3) non-profit corporation dedicated to preserving, protecting, and enhancing the natural beauty, and quality of Clary Lake and its watershed. These objectives are accomplished through a variety of activities which include education programs, water quality monitoring, and pollution abatement.

MCAN fights the climate crisis one town at a time, with the help of local MCAN chapters – and you! MCAN’s role as a facilitator of municipal-level action is unique among Massachusetts environmental groups. We empower our local chapters by enhancing communication, promoting town-level projects that improve communities, decrease climate change-causing pollution, and reduce development time for those projects. MCAN speaks on behalf of all chapters to improve Massachusetts energy and climate policies and programs.