Overview

For ten years, the Urban Ecology Institute (UEI) and its community and educational partners have been improving the health of urban ecosystems through environmental education, action, and advocacy programs. Extending out from our home in Boston, our programs reach more than 30,000 people throughout Massachusetts and beyond. Our mission is to help urban communities build healthy, vibrant cities by educating residents about their environment, connecting them to each other, and engaging them in the transformation of their neighborhoods into places where people love to live.

Our Education Program Division...

serves students grades 2-12, teachers, and youth development professionals throughout the state and region. We provide scientific, instructional, and technological training and tools in urban ecology field studies and youth development, helping students become socially and ecologically engaged and prepared to succeed in a sustainable economy.

Our Sustainable Cities Division...

partners with community organizations, local and state government agencies, scientists and public policy experts to transform neglected urban lands and restore the urban forest to create safe, ecologically healthy neighborhoods.

Together, these programs connect UEI with more than 500 individual volunteers each year, involving community leaders in neighborhood planting projects, working with environmental youth crews, urban forest inventories, and many other groups and activities. Partnership is at the core of UEI's theory of change and critical to our success. In Boston, UEI has long-standing partnerships with the Boston Public Schools and community educational organizations such as Boston After School and Beyond. UEI has helped create networks focused on urban forestry (Boston's Urban Forest Coalition), neighborhood sustainability (Sustainable Neighborhood Network), and environmental careers (the Environmental Network).

UEI's core programs harness the potential of young people and the power of citizen groups to create physical and social transformations in the most neglected communities. We are proud of our record of improving urban environments and continue to grow. Please join us in bringing the environmental movement into the city through donating, partnering or volunteering!

Get Involved In Our Work

Contact a Staff Member

Read About Our Recent Successes

Check For Upcoming Events

Shop Our Store