From Cleanups to Advocacy: How to Support Nature and Green Spaces in Dallas-Fort Worth

North Texas may not be the first place people think of when they imagine wild green spaces but look closer and you’ll find miles of trails, lakes, and preserves that prove otherwise. Whether you hike, bike, paddle, or birdwatch, our region is full of places to recharge. But these places don’t maintain themselves, consider giving back and supporting nature!

If you’ve ever wanted to give back, whether by your time or your dollar, this article is for you! Joining organizations that support nature will benefit both you, the trails and green spaces of North Texas, and even civic society.

Join or Die – The Movie

We recently watched a documentary on Netflix called Join or Die, and it got me thinking about how it applies to nature and how volunteering outdoors is also a powerful form of civic engagement. The film is based on the work of Robert Putnam, a social scientist who studied what makes societies healthy and successful.

What he discovered was surprising: the usual suspects like wealth or education weren’t the real “secret sauce.” What truly made the difference was civic community, which includes things like participation, social trust, and a spirit of reciprocity.

While his early research focused on Italy, the trend holds in the United States as well. Membership in civic organizations like churches, PTAs, Rotary Club and other service groups has been steadily declining. People are joining fewer groups and becoming more isolated.

That decline has real consequences. With fewer opportunities to connect across differences, polarization grows, trust weakens and many feel disconnected. Putnam argues this unraveling of our social fabric is fueling today’s bitter political climate. And it’s not just politics, our health suffers too when we lose the shared purpose and connection that comes from working together.

So what does this have to do with trails and nature? Quite a lot. Those trails and green spaces don’t maintain themselves. They exist because of dedicated volunteers. Joining these efforts doesn’t just protect our natural spaces; it also creates civic community and gives you the same sense of purpose and connection Putnam found to be so vital.

Why Joining Things is Good for You

I get it, joining things is hard these days. Work rarely ends at 5 p.m., our phones keep us permanently on call, and parents spend evenings shuttling kids to practices, parties, and events. And when there’s finally downtime? It’s tempting to just sink into the couch and binge the latest show.

And while there is no harm in doing that sometimes, joining groups like ones that get you outside, has huge benefits for your health, your happiness, and your community.

Physical Health Benefits: While hiking and biking on the trails can help you hit your fitness goals, participating in trail clean-ups or trail building exercises different muscles as you lift, bend and haul things. Plus it’s social, so it doesn’t always feel like work.

Mental Health and Social: Time in nature lowers stress, reduces anxiety, and even helps regulate blood pressure. Doing it with a group adds another layer: human connection. Experts warn that loneliness has become a public health crisis, with impacts as serious as smoking. Joining a group can counter that by creating new friendships, a sense of purpose, and the simple joy of working alongside like-minded people.

Education: People tend to be lifelong learners, and being a well rounded person on various topics helps us avoid stagnation and keeps our brains limber. Many of the groups below incorporate an educational component, expanding your knowledge of the world around you. Keep your brain young and engaged!

Community and Civic Benefits: This is where Robert Putnam’s research in Join or Die comes in. He found that societies with strong social ties build healthier civic life. Outdoor groups are a perfect example: you may show up to restore a greenbelt, but you’ll also cross paths with city staff, local businesses, and neighbors from all walks of life. Those connections ripple out, strengthening both the community and your own sense of belonging.

Opportunities for Every Interest and Schedule

There are so many opportunities to get involved. And they can take as much or as little time as you have to spare. Some ways to get involved include:

Clean-Ups: Trash in our nature spots is a never-ending issue unfortunately. I hate when I’m walking through a space and see trash that others have left behind, or may have been washed up from a recent storm. Many trails offer clean-up events, and provide equipment necessary. You can often find those on ‘Friends of” websites, MeetUp, or other service organizations.
Trail Days: Organizations often need help with trail maintenance. It’s not just trash, it’s also ensuring that the trails remain clear and easy to follow. Removing privet, cutting back tree branches and ensuring that the trails are well marked requires volunteers. Greenspace in Dallas hosts many clean-up events.
Joining a Group: There are lots of groups that would love to have you join! They often have different requirements (your time, membership fees) and different focuses. If you enjoy native plants, you can join the Native Plant Society. If you are interested in learning all about local ecology, maybe the Texas Master Naturalists are your jam. Into birds, then Audubon Society or Sierra Club. Into mountain biking, then DORBA (Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association) or FWMBA (Fort Worth Mountain Biking Association) would welcome your support
Skill Sharing: Paired with joining a group, not every contribution has to be out in the field. You can support organizations with your knowledge of web design, fund-raising, event planning or social media expertise.
Donating: Can’t give your time? Financial support goes a long way. North Texas Giving Day is a great annual opportunity, but year-round donations help too. Even just donating a few dollars at the entrance to Cedar Ridge Preserve, ensures they can keep the site in good shape for the future.
Advocating: Local governments listen to their communities. Whether it’s emailing your council member, attending a parks meeting, or backing a bond measure, your voice helps ensure green spaces stay a priority.
Citizen Science: Want to support scientists? You can be the eyes and ears by capturing what you see and find in nature using iNaturalist or eBird. Your photos and data collection provide real data to support scientific findings. Join a bioblitz and participate in a group, or do on your own, either approach makes a difference!

DFW Nature Organizations You Can Join Today

Looking for ideas on what groups to join? Here are some options and brief descriptions. This is just a partial list, I’m not aware of every group operating in the area, so take this as a launching point! Full transparency, I’m a member of the Texas Master Naturalists and Friends of Bachman Lake.

Trail & Park Organizations

DORBA (Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association): Creates and maintains a huge number of mountain bike trails in Dallas and beyond.
FWMBA (Fort Worth Mountain Bike Association): Similar to DORBA on the Tarrant County side
“Friends of” Groups – There are so many. Friends of Katy Trail, Friends of Bachman Lake, For Love of the Lake (White rock), Friends of SOPAC Trail, Friends of Fort Worth Nature Center and many more. If you have a favorite outdoor spot, odds are there is a group supporting it.
Trinity Coalition: Focused on trails and river paddling access alongside the Trinity River
Twelve Hills Nature Center: Small preserve in Oak Cliff providing educational opportunities
Greenspace Dallas: Creating trails and nature areas along the Trinity River Corridor

Conservation & Restoration Groups

Texas Master Naturalists – Statewide program, with chapters at the county level, providing education, friendship and volunteer opportunities. I’m a member, it’s a great organization!
Native Prairies Association of Texas – Focused on conserving and protecting native prairies, very few of which remain
Native Plant Society of Texas – Learn about the native plants in the area, which are acclimated to our weather
Audubon Society: Runs several major preserves / centers in the area, and focused on conservation with an emphasis on birds
Texas Trees Foundation: Dedicated to improving and expanding trees, which have a beneficial impact on wildlife and reducing the heat island effect.
The Nature Conservancy: Group which purchases and preserves land for wildlife protection
Preservation Society for Spring Creek Forest: Group dedicated to the protection and care of Spring Creek Forest Preserve

Wildlife & Education

Audubon Society: Listed above, but do excellent work here as well especially for birds
Sierra Club: Dedicated to protect natural spaces through education, advocacy and events to promote love of nature
Monarch Watch: National group that you can join to help monitor and track Monarch Butterfly migrations
Rogers Wildlife Rehabilitation Center: Fantastic group who rehabs injured wild birds, and provides a home for those that can’t be released. Do education programs as well.

This is just scratching the surface, please list in the comments any organizations that you want to promote and support!

Your Greenbelt Needs You!

So no matter how much or little time you have, there are lots of ways you can support the groups that ensure natural spots remain for you to enjoy. Every little bit counts, no matter how small. Supporting your favorite greenbelt or nature trail has benefits that go well beyond what you do that day. It shows support to our policy makers that these spaces matter, it provides critically needed help in maintaining or expanding the current resources that we have, and it can be a lot of fun to get out with like minded people and do good. I’m not going to lie, there are days when I wake up and think, “ugh, why did I sign up to do X this morning”, but I always find myself refreshed and happy that I did it in the end.

So participate in a clean-up, attend a meet-up and learn something, donate to an organization of your choice, or formally join a group and make new friends while supporting a cause of your choice! Your greenbelt needs you, and you’ll get so many benefits in return by supporting it!