Feel Good Friday - Center for Biological Diversity

Today is Endangered Species Day, an annual observance held every third Friday of May to celebrate the protections afforded by the Endangered Species Act and the conservation work keeping vulnerable wildlife from disappearing forever. That makes today a great time to spotlight the Center for Biological Diversity.

Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, the mission of the Center for Biological Diversity is "to secure a future for all species, great and small, hovering on the brink of extinction.” They do this by using science, law and creative media, with a focus on protecting the lands, waters and climate that species need to survive.

The Center was born from a scrappy act of defiance. Three wildlife surveyors in New Mexico discovered a rare Mexican spotted owl nest in an old-growth tree slated for logging and reported it to the U.S. Forest Service. They were ignored so they went to the media instead, saved the tree, and decided to keep going. That same relentless approach defines the Center today.

Their primary tool is the law. With a staff of more than 170, including over 40 attorneys, the Center files petitions and lawsuits to compel government agencies to act on their legal obligations under the Endangered Species Act. Their track record is remarkable: a 93% success rate in litigation and protections secured for more than 700 species of wildlife and plants, along with the designation of 713 million acres of critical habitat. Just this week, the Center reached a legal agreement to advance protections for the Crater Lake newt in Oregon.

But legal work is only part of the picture. The Center also runs creative campaigns to shift public awareness, publishes The Revelator, an independent environmental news outlet, and engages its 1.8 million members and online activists in grassroots action on issues ranging from wolf recovery and climate policy to pesticide regulation and ocean protections.

You can support the Center for Biological Diversity in many ways. Become a member, make a donation, and amplify their message on social media. Follow the Center on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and share their stories of hope and healing with your network.

Happy Endangered Species Day! 🐺🦋 

Feel Good Friday - Earthjustice

With Earth Day just around the corner on April 22nd, this week's Feel Good Friday highlights Earthjustice, the organization fighting to protect our planet in the courts.

Founded in 1971 and headquartered in San Francisco, the mission of Earthjustice, is "to wield the power of law and the strength of partnership to protect people's health, to preserve magnificent places and wildlife, to advance clean energy, and to combat climate change." Originally established as the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund, the organization became fully independent and rebranded as Earthjustice in 1997 to better reflect its identity as a legal advocate for the broader environmental movement. They represent not just big national groups, but communities on the frontlines of pollution.

What makes Earthjustice unique is its core promise: they represent all clients completely free of charge! That's because they operate on the simple, powerful premise that the earth needs a good lawyer. With more than 220 attorneys working across 15 regional offices, Earthjustice takes on the biggest, most precedent-setting environmental cases in the country. Their clients range from big organizations like the Sierra Club and the World Wildlife Fund to small community groups fighting pollution in their own backyards.

The work of Earthjustice spans four major areas: clean air and healthy communities, climate and clean energy, healthy oceans and wildlife, and the preservation of wild places. In recent years, they’ve won landmark cases resulting in historic limits on industrial polluters, secured a settlement in Hawaii requiring the state to transition its transportation system to zero emissions, and fought back against efforts to reopen protected oceans to oil and gas drilling. 

Since January 2025 alone, they have filed more than 150 new pieces of litigation in direct response to sweeping attacks on environmental protections. The good news is they have an 85% win rate for their cases. Mother Earth has some good representation!

If you’d like to support Earthjustice you can do so by making a donation, shopping for sustainably sourced apparel and gear at their store, and amplifying their message on social media. Follow Earthjustice on Bluesky, Instagram, or LinkedIn and share their stories of legal victories for people and the planet.

Happy Earth Month! 🌎

Feel Good Friday - Women's Earth Alliance

Today, in honor of Women's History Month, I'm spotlighting Women's Earth Alliance, an organization whose work embodies this year's theme, "Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.”

Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Berkeley, California, Women's Earth Alliance (WEA) catalyzes women-led, grassroots solutions to protect our environment and strengthen communities from the inside out. Their model is built on a powerful truth: women are disproportionately impacted by climate crises, yet their leadership remains one of the most underfunded forces for environmental change on the planet. This short video gives an overview of the problem and solution.

WEA delivers funding, training, and networks of support to women who are already established community leaders, equipping them to scale their environmental solutions and connect with a global alliance of peers and mentors. Their programs span water access, food and agriculture, conservation, clean energy, and climate justice, working at the intersection of gender, Indigenous, racial, economic, and environmental justice.

Their flagship U.S. Grassroots Accelerator for Women Environmental Leaders  is a year-long program that has supported 88 women leaders across the country, helping them to deepen their strategies, build alliances, and scale solutions for environmental protection and climate resilience. Globally, WEA has a presence in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Indonesia. Sponsored programs range from restoring coral reefs in Indonesia to advancing reforestation in Kenya that sequesters an average of 19 million pounds of carbon per year, while also building women's income through tree nursery micro-enterprises.

WEA has had remarkable impact. In 2024 alone, they trained 6,812 women and girls in environmental solutions across 13 countries, reaching 665,442 people with life-saving climate solutions. Since they began, WEA has trained more than 52,000 women leaders in 31 countries!

If you'd like to support Women's Earth Alliance, there are many ways to do so. You can make a one-time donation, join their Seed Bank as a monthly giver, or amplify their message on social media. Follow WEA on Facebook, Instagram  or LinkedIn and share their stories of women leading the way.

Happy Women's History Month! 🌿

Feel Good Friday - NDN Collective

Monday is Indigenous Peoples' Day in the United States and a perfect time to learn about today’s Feel Good Friday organization, NDN Collective.

Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Rapid City, South Dakota on Oceti Sakowin Territory, NDN Collective is “an Indigenous-led organization dedicated to building Indigenous power.” Their mission is to “build the collective power of Indigenous Peoples, communities, and Nations to exercise our inherent right to self-determination, while fostering a world that is built on a foundation of justice and equity for all people and Mother Earth.” 

The actions they take to create sustainable solutions include “organizing, activism, philanthropy, grantmaking, capacity-building and narrative change.” This one-minute video manifesto encourages people to come not from a place of fear, but from a place of power to do this work.

Grants are awarded to Indigenous-led organizations, Tribes, groups, projects and individuals whose work, goals and intentions align with the NDN mission, values, core principles and strategies. Examples include the Radical Imagination Arts Grant which provides resources to visual and performance artists, filmmakers, writers and storytellers; the Community Action Fund which supports direct actions and organizing efforts; and the Environmental Justice Thriving Communities grant which will deploy $600 Million to disadvantaged communities across the country.

NDN Collective also has a lending an impact investing arm called NDN Fund which works to increase Indigenous Peoples’ access to capital by providing loans to Native Nations, Tribal Enterprises, Native nonprofits, and Native-owned businesses.

Other work being done by NDN includes leading campaigns such as stopping mining in the Black Hills, returning public lands back to the Lakota, and freeing Native American activist Leonard Peltier, and community development projects to build affordable housing and share know your rights information.

If you’d like to help NDN Collective achieve their mission, there are many ways to do so. Take an action like joining a campaign, or getting involved in creative resistance. You can also show your support by shopping for merch, making a donation and spreading the word on social media. Follow NDN Collective on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky or LinkedIn and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Feel Good Friday - Roots & Shoots

As you’ve likely heard, Dr. Jane Goodall passed away this week at the age of 91. To honor her memory, today’s Feel Good Friday is highlighting the organization Roots & Shoots.

I first profiled Roots & Shoots in celebration of her 80th birthday in April, 2014. Time for a refresh on the organization and what they’ve accomplished.

Roots & Shoots is the Jane Goodall Institute's youth program. It began in Tanzania in 1991 when a group of teenagers approached Dr. Jane about concerns for their community and she encouraged them to take action. Inspired by their work, she shared their stories and Roots & Shoots chapters started to spread around the globe. This one-minute video explains the origin story and current state.

The mission of Roots & Shoots is “to empower young people to affect positive change in their communities.” Local chapters focus on projects that benefit the environment and improve the lives of people and animals. Examples of these youth-led projects include providing habitats for native pollinators such as monarch butterflies and rusty patched bumble bees, recycling used printer cartridges, and No Waste November, which encourages people to “mindfully notice and reduce daily waste”.

In 2024, there were 10,000 active groups in all 50 states and more than 75 other countries. In this one year alone 1,745,000 young people took part in programs and recorded over 420,000 hours of activities.

As they state on the website, by encouraging youth around the globe to use their voices and actions to help people, other animals, and the environment we share, “We are nurturing the compassionate leaders of tomorrow.” What a wonderful legacy for a wonderful human being.

If you’d like to get involved with Roots & Shoots and are under 16 years of age, you can become a member and create a project in your neighborhood or get started with some of these 1-click actions. 

The rest of us can support the work of Roots & Shoots by shopping for merch, making a donation to the Jane Goodall Institute and amplifying this work on social media. Sign up for the mailing list or follow Roots & Shoots on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel.

Feel Good Friday - GreenLatinos

National Hispanic Heritage Month begins on Monday, September 15th. Let’s get prepared by learning more about today’s Feel Good Friday organization, GreenLatinos.

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, GreenLatinos describe themselves as “an active comunidad of Latino/a/x leaders emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture united to demand equity and dismantle racism.” As a national non-profit, they confront both national and local environmental issues in the Latino community.

This includes advocacy around the following national issues: fighting for climate justice and clean air, preserving public land, creating sustainable communities, and ensuring water equity so that everyone has access clean, healthy, reliable, and affordable water for drinking.

In addition GreenLatinos runs several programs. The Latino Climate Justice Framework is a comprehensive framework for addressing the climate crisis and serving the needs of Latino/a/e communities across the country. It was created by 22 Latino/a/e organizations and is used as a blueprint by GreenLatinos partners. The Sustainable Cities Urban Greening Initiative is distributing $2,650,000 in grants to increase and revitalize green spaces in urban Latino/a/e communities across Los Angeles, Albuquerque, and Chicago. 

The Justicia Y Equidad Fund provides general operating support for small environmental, conservation, and climate justice organizations and programs serving frontline Latino/a/e communities. And finally, the Urban and Community Forestry program promotes tree equity in historically underserved and underrepresented communities, by focusing on tree planting, maintenance and restoration. There is also specific programming across New Mexico, Illinois, Texas, California and Colorado.

In 2024 GreenLatinos distributed over 25 million in funds through their various grant programs and continued to educate and advocate for initiatives that support the environment. You can read all the details in the 2024 Impact Report.

If you’d like to support GreenLatinos in their work, there are many ways to do so. Become an advocate or a member, make a donation and spread the word on social media. Follow GreenLatinos on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky and LinkedIn.

Feel Good Friday - International Volunteer HQ

For everyone who enjoys traveling after the summer season and volunteering while on vacation, you’re going to love learning about today’s organization, International Volunteer HQ.

Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Taranaki, New Zealand, International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ) is the world’s leading volunteer abroad organization. If you’re short on time, this one-minute video gives a great summary.

IVHQ provides a fully-hosted experience, which means you pick your destination, volunteer project and duration and they take care of airport pickup, accommodations and logistics. There are 334 projects in 50+ countries across Africa, Asia, South America, Central America, North America, Europe, the Caribbean, the Middle East and the Pacific.

The first step is to pick a destination and a project. You can make your decision by starting with the country you want to visit, or choose what type of organization you’d like to support. IVHQ partner organizations work with children’s education, animals, the environment, health and well being and community development. Specific examples of available trips include mentoring young women in Columbia, protecting and preserving endangered wildlife in Namibia, and working in a pediatric hospital in Cambodia.

Once you find a project that works for your interest, schedule and budget you apply online. If accepted you secure your spot with a registration fee, and prepare for your trip. You’ll also need to pay a program fee, which covers accommodation, meals, airport pick-up, 24/7 in-country support, in-country orientation and discounts on local activities. Prices vary depending on your destination. This page of FAQs can answer all of your questions.

Since they began, IVHQ has helped connect over 152,000 volunteers to opportunities around the world where they have collectively spent 8 million hours doing volunteer work! In 2024 alone 11,678 volunteers representing 125 nationalities volunteered in 56 locations. Get all the details in this short impact video.

One of the best ways to let more people know about IVHQ is to go on a trip and tell people about it! Share your photos and videos on social media and tag IVHQ or write a guest blog on their website to share your volunteer story. You can also stay in the loop by following International Volunteer HQ on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn and subscribe to their YouTube channel. 

Feel Good Friday - TreePeople

As Earth Month comes to a close, we’re celebrating with another nature-related post, this one about TreePeople.

Initiated by 15-year-old camp counselor, Andy Lipkis and incorporated in 1973, the mission of TreePeople is “to inspire, engage, and support people to take personal responsibility for the environment, making it safe, healthy, fun, and sustainable.”

The Los Angeles region faces severe impacts from climate change, as we saw with the wildfires earlier this year. “TreePeople unites the power of trees, people and nature-based solutions to grow a more climate-ready city.” They are now one of the largest environmental organizations headquartered in Southern California, and in the last 50 years they’ve inspired over 3 million people to take action for the environment. They do this through several programs and focus areas.

The forestry program provides volunteers with the tools, plants, and education necessary to plant trees everywhere from the mountains, to the cities and schoolyards. School greening involves not only planting trees, but also removing asphalt and educating students in the participating schools on environmental awareness and sustainability. In addition there are Environmental Education programs that help students, teachers and community members gain skills in environmental and climate literacy.

TreePeople also conducts research, provides publications and advocates for nature-based public policy solutions in Southern California. They oversee more than 3,000 acres of land in the Santa Monica Mountains as part of the TreePeople Land Trust and they maintain and operate Coldwater Canyon Park, where you can go for a hike on your own or join one of their eco tours.  

Since they began, TreePeople has planted and cared for more than 3 million trees; developed the nation’s largest environmental education programs which have educated hundreds of thousands of youth; helped drive hundreds of millions of dollars in public funding towards climate solutions; and stewarded and protected over 3,000 acres of wilderness.

If you’re interested in helping TreePeople grow a more climate-ready SoCal, there are many ways to get involved. Those of you in and around the Los Angeles area can volunteer your time. All of us can shop for merch, make a donation and amplify their work on social media. Follow TreePeople on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky or LinkedIn and subscribe to their YouTube channel.  

Feel Good Friday - Sierra Club

April 22nd is Earth Day and what better way to prepare for it than learn about the Sierra Club.

Founded in 1892 and headquartered in Oakland, California, the Sierra Club is the largest and oldest grassroots environmental organization in the United States. Their original focus was on the conservation of California's Sierra Nevada mountains and they have since evolved into “an organization that works to advance climate solutions and ensure everyone has access to clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment.”

Their mission statement is focused on three areas. “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.”

From legal challenges to direct actions, the Sierra Club works with partner organizations, non profits and campaigns to achieve their goals. They also mobilize volunteers from chapters in all 50 states to take action to protect the climate, conserve the environment and help people gain equal access to the outdoors. In fact, each year Sierra Club volunteers lead over 15,000 trips to bring people outside where they can enjoy nature.

In the 130+ years the Sierra Club has been active, they have protected over 10 million acres of wilderness, retired 382 coal plants, and established 467 parks and monuments. Their goals for 2030 include protecting 30% of US lands and water, ensuring an additional 50 million people can exercise their human right to connect with the outdoors and replacing fossil fuels with clean energy. You can read details on this 2030 Strategic Vision page.

If you’d like to help the Sierra Club achieve their future vision there are many actions you can take. Volunteer with your local chapter, sign a petition, or join a virtual monthly action hour. You can also shop for merch, make a donation and amplifying their message on social media. Follow the Sierra Club on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or LinkedIn and subscribe to their YouTube channel. Happy Earth Day!

Feel Good Friday - Second Chance Toys

With the Christmas and Hanukkah holidays coming up and birthdays happening every year, toys are on my mind. What a great time to learn about Second Chance Toys.

Founded in 2006 by Sasha Lipton and headquartered in Springfield, New Jersey, Second Chance Toys (SCT) “keeps plastic toys out of the landfills by donating them to children in need.” Here’s why.

According to information on the SCT website, “toys can enhance a child’s development by helping promote socialization, creativity, emotional security, motor skills, and learning.” All that and they’re a lot of fun. However, with 11 million children in 2023 living in poverty in the United States, not every family can provide toys for their children. That’s where Second Chance Toys comes in.

Twice a year, SCT collects unwanted plastic toys and donates them to organizations that care for children in need. Because plastic toys often show little signs of wear, passing them on to other children diverts them from becoming waste in a landfill while also giving those children toys they might not otherwise have. This one-minute video gives a great overview: A Second Chance Toys Story.

The toy collections are held twice a year by SCT. First during April for Earth Week and then again in November and December for the holidays. Their demand for toys now exceeds 1,000,000 so let’s talk about ways you can help.

Donate any toys you no longer need. If you have toys that are plastic and clean with no small or missing parts, check this map for locations where you can drop them off. If you’d like to increase your impact, contact family, friends, or local businesses and schools to pool donations. Once you collect and prepare these toys, you can make arrangements with one of the eligible organizations to drop them off. If you really want to make a difference, get media coverage for your toy drive. Check out these resources such as flyers explaining what toys can be donated and posts for social media.

If you work at an organization that cares for children in need, or know someone who does, fill out this toy recipient registration form to find out if you’re eligible to receive some of the gently used toys from SCT.

Since they began, Second Chance Toys has collected and distributed 443,105 toys, which has kept over 1.5 million pounds of plastic out of landfills!

Finally, if you don’t have any toys to donate but still want to help, you can. Volunteer your time, make a monetary donation, and spread the word on social media. Like the Second Chance Toys Facebook page and follow them on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Feel Good Friday - Nadace Partnerství (Partnership Environmental Foundation)

Another Feel Good Friday from the Czech Republic, this time highlighting Nadace Partnerství, the Partnership Environmental Foundation.

Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Brno, Nadace Partnerství is the largest environmental foundation in the Czech Republic. The name translates to Partnership Environmental Foundation because their work helps create partnerships between people and nature.

The vision of Nadace Partnerství is seeing the world as “an open society of free people caring for the environment.” To achieve this, they financially support, educate and empower people and communities that manage the effects of the climate crisis.

First, let’s talk about the adaption measures Nadace Partnerství takes to build resilient cities and healthy landscapes. Examples of projects they support in this category include Cyclists Welcome, a website with routes and resources for cyclists traveling in the Czech Republic and Sázime Budoucnost, a group that has planted over 4.3 million trees and won’t stop until they reach 10 million. Nadace Partnerství also holds an annual contest to identify the best solutions to the climate crisis in the Czech Republic and Austria. Award categories are focused on landscapes, residential areas and buildings.

Nadace Partnerství also maintains the Open Garden located in Brno. It provides a place to relax in the middle of the city and learn about the agricultural cycle from farm to table, or as their website says “from soil to fork”. There are also spaces in the garden that the public can rent for meetings and corporate events, or parties, celebrations and weddings.

Since Nadace Partnerství began over 30 years ago they have awarded 4,897 grants that have supported projects in 3,663 communities across the Czech Republic. You can also support this partnership between people and nature. Make a donation to Nadace Partnerství and amplify their message on social media. Like their Facebook page, follow them on Instagram or LinkedIn, and if you understand Czech, subscribe to their YouTube channel.