COLUMBUS ORGANIZATIONS 

 

As the winner of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) first-ever Smart City Challenge, Columbus was awarded $50 million in grant funding and the designation as America’s Smart City. We’re “becoming smart” by embracing the reinvention of transportation to accelerate human progress. And with it, taking on the coveted job of teaching cities as they evolve similarly around the world. We have a vision that starts with the reinvention of mobility, which will lead us to a future beyond what anyone has yet imagined.

 

Embrace The Change:
Smart Columbus will help shift travel patterns. Even more, we want to shift people’s thought patterns and behavior. This means inspiring policy makers and influencing people’s preferences. We will partner with others to create programs, introduce new solutions and promote adoption. Once our city understands what’s possible, everybody should be able to get on board. 

 

Help Power The Future:
Want to support Smart Columbus? We’re looking for volunteers who are as committed and passionate as we are about our city’s future. Get Involved.

 

Visit Our Playbook:
As we journey toward becoming a smart city, we have organized our learnings and best practices into a Playbook for other cities around the world. These playbooks are portfolios of work that will develop throughout the grant period – first as inspiration. Then as a fully-fledged digital marketplace of resources and information. Read the Playbook.

 

Email: smartcolumbus@columbus.gov
Twitter: @Smart Cbus
Instagram: @smartcbus

 

Sustainability is a large value for The Columbus Zoo! The zoo has various projects including: composting, reducing their energy footprint, utilizing green building practices, prioritizing waste diversion, and using geothermal energy!

 

Email: barbara.revard@columbuszoo.org
Twitter: @ColumbusZoo
Instagram: @columbuszoo

 

Columbus GreenSpot inspires, educates, and recognizes households, businesses, community groups, and neighborhoods that adopt sustainable practices. It is free to join and members choose from a menu of actions they can take to live a little (or a lot) more green. 
Students who rent or live in dorms are eligible to join!
Benefits of joining include: gaining access to an eDashboard where they can track your successes and change your commitments, GreenSpot decal, access to discounts and special tours for members, and the more GreenSpot members lets the city know sustainability is important to the community. 

 

Email: DRCelebrezze@columbus.gov
Twitter: @GreenSpotCbus

 

FLOW (Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed) was formed as a non-profit 501c3 in August 1997. Our mission is to keep the Olentangy River and its tributaries clean and safe for all to enjoy, through public education, volunteer activities, and coordination with local decision-makers.
As FLOW changes to meet the environmental and social challenges of the 21st century, we are excited about the possibilities for action that lie ahead. The opportunities for communication that exist today are unprecedented and filled with potential. FLOW aims to use these to reach a larger audience, in order to instill a common regard for the resources on which we all depend.

 

Email: info@olentangywatershed.org
Twitter: @flowcolumbus

 

The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is a trusted leader and environmental steward using innovation, quality service and public involvement to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all Ohioans. Ohio EPA’s goal is to protect the environment and public health by ensuring compliance with environmental laws and demonstrating leadership in environmental stewardship.

 

Emergency Response Hotline
To report an emergency environmental situation, please call 1-800-282-9378
Non-Emergency Calls: 1-800-686-2330

 

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is “your source for outdoor recreation at state parks, forests, wildlife areas, and nature preserves. Hunting and fishing licenses, boat registrations, camping reservations. ODNR also regulates minerals, oil and gas, and water resources for the benefit of all Ohioans.

 

Email: jason.fallon@dnr.state.oh.us

 

Mission
To create healthy communities through food education, access, and advocacy.
Vision Statement for 2020
We will have created systemic, food-related change across diverse population and community settings
Long Term Vision
Equitable access to a sustainable food system and a world free of food-related chronic disease

 

Email: info@local-matters.org
Twitter/Instagram: @LocalMattersOrg

 

Formed in 1979, the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) cultivates a future in which sustainable and organic farmers thrive, local food nourishes our communities, and agricultural practices protect and enhance our environment.

 

Email: oeffa@oeffa.org
Twitter: @OEFFA
Instagram: @ohioecological

 

Green Columbus is a volunteer-driven nonprofit dedicated to promoting sustainable living, environmental education, and community involvement.
Building on the success of the first Earth Day Columbus in 2007, Green Columbus has engaged the Central Ohio community to contribute more than 100,000 hours of green citizen service. Earth Day Columbus is growing every year and is a staple in community engagement and beautification for Columbus.
Every month, Green Columbus organizes Central Ohio Green Drinks, an informal meetup of local residents who care about the environment. Green Drinks typically take place at a local restaurant and feature remarks from environmental and sustainability leaders and educators.

 

Email: contact@greencbus.org
Twitter/Instagram: @Green_Columbus

 

“Whether it’s connecting people to community activities, making friends from group bike rides, allowing families to spend time together, improving our health, riding for a cause, or just simply taking time to enjoy our city’s unique neighborhoods and country roads; bikes can (and do) change people’s lives. If more people can experience the positivity that riding bikes brings, and if together we give people the opportunity to find their own ride, then we all move forward. That’s our goal.

 

We are proud of our roots in Columbus Ohio. We strive to be a role model in our community.  It’s our responsibility to give back, and our opportunity to pay it forward. By focusing on the individuals and the organizations that share vision. By reinvesting into the communities we serve.”

 

Email: hello@rollbicycles.com
Twitter/Instagram: @rollbicycles

 

Columbus Audubon was founded in 1913 and, with nearly three thousand members, is one of the largest chapters of the National Audubon Society. Our mission remains true to our original purpose while we address today’s challenges in a bipartisan way:
To promote the appreciation, understanding and conservation of birds, other wildlife and their habitats, for present and future generations.

 

Email: woodstock.fagan@gmail.com
Twitter/Facebook: @ColumbusAudubon

 

“We believe sustainable electricity is an essential tool for managing the company’s carbon emissions and reducing the broader global carbon footprint. We are evaluating business risks and potential new opportunities, from the boardroom to the customers’ side of the meter. AEP’s sustainability goals reflect our strategy to transition to a cleaner energy economy and our commitment to transparency as we move forward.”

 

Email: educate@aep.com

 

Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks (Metro Parks) is a public agency serving the citizens of Central Ohio by providing a regional system of clean, safe, natural area parks. Metro Parks features 19 outstanding natural area parks with more than 230 miles of trails and over 27,700 acres of land in seven Central Ohio counties.

 

Email: info@metroparks.net
Instagram: @cbusmetroparks

 

Our mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.

 

Email: mgoldman@audubon.org
Twitter: @GrangeAudubonOH
Instagram: @grange_audubon

 

Go Sustainable Energy is an energy-efficiency and sustainable energy consulting firm. We provide accurate, unbiased information on energy-efficiency and energy to our clients. We do not sell products, provide design services, finance projects, or install equipment – allowing us to be true owner advocates when exploring energy efficiency opportunities and conducting analysis.

 

Email: info@gosustainableenergy.com

 

At Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) we believe a life outdoors is a life well-lived.
We believe that it’s in the wild, untamed and natural places that we find our best selves, so our purpose is to awaken a lifelong love of the outdoors, for all.
Since 1938, we have been your local outdoor co-op, working to help you experience the transformational power of nature. We bring you top-quality gear and apparel, expert advice, rental equipment, inspiring stories of life outside and outdoor experiences to enjoy alone or share with your friends and family. And because we have no shareholders, with every purchase you make with REI, you are choosing to steward the outdoors, support sustainable business and help the fight for life outside.

Read more about our collective impact in our stewardship report.
REI offers a variety of training workshops at their locations in order to help you live more sustainably and become more aware about the environment around you!

 

Email
Twitter/Instagram: @REI

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