Environmental Organizations, Sustainable Events, and Resources for Environmental Advocacy in Marin County

Skip to a Section: Announcements and Sustainable Events Reuse Services Animal Guardians Food and Health Renewable Energy Parks and Open Space Land use and Native Plants Bay, Creek, and Watershed Management Ocean and Coastal Management Air Quality Management Government and Elected Representatives Volunteer Opportunities Environmental Education Environmental Youth Organizations Spiritual Community Service Organizations Peace and Social Justice Organizations Alternative Transportation/Fuel Other Sustainable/Environmental Organizations Other Environmental Resources

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Announcements and Sustainable Events

• Marin residents have a BIG ecological footprint:

Ecological Footprint Comparison

Source: Redefining Progress, Sustainable Sonoma County, Worldwide Fund for Nature, as quoted in the Marin Countywide Plan, adopted November 6, 2007.

 

To see how your footprint compares, take the Ecological Footprint quiz.

• Treat yourself to guilt-free electricity - Go Deep Green! Marin Clean Energy is offering a 100% renewable energy option for all Marin residents and businesses. Two ways to sign up: call 888-632-3674 or register online. Have a large energy bill? Consider installing solar panels and taking advantage of MEA's Net Energy Metering (read this before leasing).
• The eye-opening "Portrait of Marin", commissioned by the Marin Community Foundation, is now available. It reports on the large discrepancies in lifestyles within Marin.
• The push for Safer Consumer Products is moving forward at the state level (learn more)!
• Not sure how to recycle or safely dispose of something? Check out the Marin Sanitary's great recycling directory.
• If you own a business in Marin, consider becoming a Green Business.
• Marin residents throw away 138 million bags annually; these end up in our landfill, streets, and parks. Marin BYOBag promotes a county-wide ordinance that would ban merchants from offering plastic bags and place a fee on paper bags at all retail locations in Marin.
• Sustainable Events
  • Marin.org Environmental Events Calendar
  • EECoM Events Calendar
  • Ecology Center EcoCalendar
  • SPAWN Events
  • Craigslist North Bay Events
  • Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy Calendar
  • IndyBay Calendar
  • Marin County Open Space Volunteer Days and Activities
  • California Native Plants Society-Marin Chapter-Calendar of Events
  • Angel Island Events
  • Environmental Forum of Marin-Workshop Schedule
  • Hawk Hill-Best Times to Visit
  • The Marine Mammal Center Events
  • Marin Audubon Society Field Trips
  • Best Birding Times and Locations in Point Reyes
  • Transition Mill Valley Events
  • Wildcare Classes
  • Save the Bay Volunteer Days (Restoration)
  • Audubon Canyon Ranch Visitor Schedule and Volunteer Opportunities
  • Events Listed at Bicycle Trails Council of Marin
  • Bay Area Discovery Museum Calendar
  • Spirit Rock Meditation Center Calendar
  • Marin County's Farmers Markets
  • Marin Green Drinks (select Mill Valley or other local town)
  • Pacific Gas and Electric Energy Efficiency Classes
  • Other Volunteer Opportunities

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Reuse Services

• The Away Station (donate/buy used construction and gardening material - located at Fairfax Lumber)
• Renew Computers (donate/buy used computer and electronic equipment - San Rafael)
• Marin Computer Resource Center (donate used computers and related equipment - goes to non profits, school libraries and low income families - Novato)
• Thrift and Consigment Stores
• St. Vincent De Paul (donate food and other items - San Rafael)
• flipswap (donate/sell used electronics (free shipping) - re-used or recycled)
• Craigslist (buy/sell used items)
• Garage Sales (listings of dates/locations)
• Freecycle in Marin provides a way to find a new home for stuff that is no longer useful to you
• Ebay and Amazon (buy/sell used or refurbished items)
• Home Cares (donate gently used durable medical equipment and unused home health care supplies - provided to low income families)
• Earth911.com and CalRecycle (find out where to recycle various items in your area)

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Animal Guardians

• If you see a wild marine mammal that may be in distress, call 415-289-SEAL (24 Hour a Day Rescue Line run by the Marine Mammal Center).
• If you find injured wildlife, call 415-456-SAVE (Rescue Line run by WildCare).
• All Creatures Animal Caring Society
• Animal Charities of America
• Audubon Canyon Ranch
• Golden Gate Raptor Observatory
• Humane Farming Association
• The Hungry Owl Project
• In Defense of Animals
• The Institute for Bird Populations
• The Marin Humane Society
• The Marine Mammal Center
• Monarch Waystation Program
• National Audubon Society - Marin
• Persian & Himalayan Cat Rescue of Northern California
• The Point Reyes Bird Observatory
• Sea Stewards
• Sea Turtle Restoration Project
• WildCare

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Food and Health

• Save the Bay lists Marin pharmacies that accept unwanted medications for proper disposal. This keeps the medications from getting into our waterways and harming marine life.
• Agricultural Institute of Marin
• Bay Area Vegetarians (Monthly Dinners in Marin)
• California Native Plant Link Exchange
• Californians for Pesticide Reform
• Environmental Health Network
• Farmers Market Schedule
• Grown in Marin
• Marin Beyond Pesticides Coalition
• Marin Community Food Bank
• Marin Open Garden Project
• Marin Organic
• Marin Vegan Dinner Club
• Zero Breast Cancer
• Marin Vegetarian Education Group
• Pesticide Watch -- fight pesticide use in California
• Marin Vegetarian Society - (415) 459-4668

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Renewable Energy

• Marin Clean Energy (Sign up for 100% Renewable Deep Green Energy Today - enrollment is open to all residents and businesses! Have a large energy bill? Consider installing solar panels and taking advantage of MEA's Net Energy Metering (read this before leasing))
• Marin Energy Freedom
• Marin Solar Program
• Northern California Solar Energy Association
• Resilient Neighborhoods
• Emerging Renewables Program Rebates -- cash rebates on eligible renewable energy electric-generating systems.
• Geothermal Education Office
• Women's Energy Matters

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Parks and Open Space

• Angel Island Association
• California State Parks -- register online for camping in Marin County's state parks: Angel Island, China Camp, Mount Tamalpais (Steep Ravine and Alice Eastwood Group Camp), Olompali, Samuel P. Taylor, Tomales Bay -- (800) 444-PARK.
• California State Parks Foundation
• County Parks -- McNears Beach, Paradise Beach, Stafford Lake, Civic Center Lagoon, Deer, Agate Beach, Tiburon Uplands Nature Preserve, Black Point Boat Launch, McInnis, Miller Boat Launch, Bolinas, White House Pool -- (415) 499-6387, Marin County Civic Center, Room 415.
• Golden Gate National Recreation Area
• Greenbelt Alliance
• Marin County Open Space District
• Marin County Parks
• MarinWatch.org
• Marin Trails
• Muir Woods
• Point Reyes National Seashore

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Land Use and Native Plants

• 10,000 Rain Gardens Project
• Bay Area Ridge Trail Council
• Bicycle Trails Council of Marin
• California Native Plant Link Exchange
• California Native Plant Society -- Marin Chapter
• Marin Carbon Project
• Marin Master Gardeners
• Marin ReLeaf
• Regenerative Design Institute

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Bay, Creek, and Watershed Management

• Save the Bay lists Marin pharmacies that accept unwanted medications for proper disposal. This keeps the medications from getting into our waterways and harming marine life.
• The Bay Institute
• Bay Model Visitor Center
• Baykeeper
• Friends of Corte Madera Creek Watershed
• Gallinas Watershed Council
• Friends of Glen Creek (Sausalito) -- (415) 331-1346
• Friends of Miller Creek (Terra Linda) -- (415) 472-4723
• Friends of Novato Creek
• Marin County Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program (MCSTOPPP)
• Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD is one of the first districts in the county to adopt a plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 15% from 1990 levels by 2020)
• Marin Water Coalition
• Mill Valley StreamKeepers
• North Marin Water District
• Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary
• SPAWN (Salmon Protection and Watershed Network)
• Save the Bay
• San Francisco Bay Joint Venture
• Tam Valley Watershed Group -- (415) 381-0875
• Tomalas Bay Watershed Council
• North Bay Trout Unlimited
• The Watershed Project (organization is located in Richmond but they need help developing programs in Marin)

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Ocean and Coastal Management

• Adopt-A-Beach
• California Coastal Commission
• Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary
• Farallones Marine Sanctuary Association
• The Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary

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Air Quality Management

• Drive Clean - Zero and Near-Zero Emission Vehicle Guide
• Spare the Air

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Government and Elected Representatives

• Email links for elected representatives:
  • President Barack Obama
  • U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein
  • U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer
  • U.S. Representative Lynn Woolsey
  • Governor Brown
  • State Senator Mark Leno
  • State Assembly Representative Jared Huffman
  • Marin County Board of Supervisors
  • City/Town Elected Officials:
    • City of Belvedere
    • Town of Corte Madera
    • Town of Fairfax
    • City of Larkspur
    • City of Mill Valley
    • City of Novato
    • Town of Ross
    • Town of San Anselmo
    • City of San Rafael
    • City of Sausalito
    • Town of Tiburon
• Association of Bay Area Governments
• Bay Area Decision Makers -- provides information on Bay Area counties, California State agencies and legislators, and U.S. Government Agencies and members of Congress for the Bay Area.
• California Resources Agency -- oversees and coordinates the activities of around 20 departments, commissions, conservancies and boards relating to conservation in California (links provided).
• Green Party of Marin
• Marin.org
• Marin County Government Web Site
• City of Belvedere
• Town of Corte Madera
• Town of Fairfax
• City of Larkspur
• City of Mill Valley
• City of Novato
• Town of Ross
• Town of San Anselmo
• City of San Rafael
• City of Sausalito
• Town of Tiburon

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Volunteer Opportunities

• Bay Area Volunteer Information Center
• Volunteer Opportunities in Marin Country (maintained by the Marin Chapter of the California Native Plant Society)
• Volunteer Match (enter zip code)
• California Volunteers (enter zip code)
• Care2 VolunteerNetwork
• City of San Rafael Volunteer Program
• Women's Giving Tree (international support from home)

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Environmental Education

• The Bay Area Discovery Museum
• Bay Model Visitor Center
• Center for Ecoliteracy
• Earth Team
• Environmental Education Council of Marin
• The Environmental Forum of Marin
• Geothermal Education Office
• Golden Gate National Recreation Area
• Green MBA Program at Dominican University (program formerly at New College)
• Headlands Institute
• Marin Headlands and Point Reyes National Seashore Hostels
• Marin Master Gardeners
• Marin Vegetarian Education Group
• The Marine Mammal Center
• Point Reyes National Seashore Association
• Richardson Bay Audubon Center & Sanctuary
• SEED (School Environmental Education Docents)
• Slide Ranch
• Trips for Kids
• Walker Creek Ranch
• YMCA Point Bonita Outdoor & Conference Center

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Environmental Youth Organizations

• Alliance for Climate Education (ACE)
• Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
• Beat the Heat (Tamalpais High School)
• Conservation Corps North Bay
• Green Team (Miller Creek Middle School)
• Eco-Council (Marin Academy)
• Environment Club (San Marin High School)
• Environmental Action Club (Redwood High School)
• Environmental Club (Marin Catholic High School)
• Land Sustainability Club and Association (College of Marin)
• The School of Environmental Leadership (Terra Linda High School)
• SEA DISC (Drake High School)
• SEED (Dixie Elementary)
• Teen Environmental Education Mentorship (TEEM) (Headlands Institute of Marin)
• Teens Turning Green

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Spiritual Community

• Arts & Healing Network
• Spirit Rock Meditation Center

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Service Organizations

• Green Collar Works
• Marin Conservation Corps

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Peace and Social Justice Organizations

• Marin Environmental Housing Collaborative
• Marin Peace and Justice Coalition
• Roots of Peace
• The Ruth Group
• The Social Justice Center Of Marin

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Alternative Transportation/Fuel

• Bicycle Trails Council of Marin
• Biofuel Oasis
• Golden Gate Transit Buses and Ferries
• LC Biofuels
• Marin Airporter
• Marin Biofuel/Biodiesel
• Marin County Bicycle Coalition
• People's Fuel Cooperative
• Ridesharing or ongoing carpooling: craigslist or Rideshare 511.org
• Safe Routes to Schools Marin County
• San Anselmo Cycle Chic
• Yokayo Biofuels

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Other Sustainable/Environmental Organizations

• Californians Against Waste - learn about statewide recycling programs
• Council on Wireless Technology Impacts
• EarthSave International (local chapter in San Rafael)
• Environmental Action Committee of West Marin (EAC)
• Green New Deal
• Green Sangha
• Marin Conservation League
• Marin Economic Forum
• Marin Green Drinks (select Mill Valley or other local town)
• Marin Hazardous and Solid Waste JPA - Marin Recycles
• MarinLink
• Novato Live Well Network
• Resource Renewal Institute
• Sierra Club Marin Group
• Sustainable Fairfax
• Sustainable Marin
• Sustainable Mill Valley
• Sustainable Novato
• Sustainable San Anselmo
• Sustainable San Rafael
• Tamalpais Conservation Club
• Teens Turning Green
• Transition Mill Valley
• Zero Waste Marin

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Other Environmental Resources

• Bay Area Resources for Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling
• Casa Allegra Community Service
• CERES (California Environmental Resources Evaluation System) - Marin County
• EarthNews Podcast
• Green Fusion Design Center
• Marin County's Ecological Footprint
• Marin.org
• NRDC's Environmental Guide to the Bay Area
• Marin Green Business listings. Also California Green Business listings.
• Fernwood Cemetery offers eco-friendly burial sites in Marin.