Environmental and sustainability clubs at UCLA

48 groups in this directory list "Environmental" as a registry category, and UCLA Sustainability's own list of student groups runs past 40. They do very different things. Some put you outside with a shovel or a pair of binoculars, some run campaigns, some build clean-energy hardware, and some are selective consulting teams. UCLA also runs official programs that give students credit or funding for sustainability work on campus. This guide sorts them by what you would spend your time doing.

Gardens, restoration and wildlife

These groups are the easiest to join and the most physical. Dig looks after the student garden on the Mesa Lawn at Sunset Canyon Recreation Center, with workshops Sundays from noon to 1:30 pm for every level of experience. The Ecological Restoration Association restores damaged habitat and does citizen science, meeting Mondays from 4 to 5 pm at Stone Canyon Creek; its GroupMe has updates.

For animals, Bruin Birding Club is UCLA's student Audubon chapter and welcomes undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs, faculty and staff alike. Bruin Beekeepers keeps hives on campus and in the community as a satellite of the California Master Beekeeper Program, and posts meetings and certification chances on its Slack. Heal the Bay at UCLA organizes beach cleanups and tidepool bioblitzes with the nonprofit Heal the Bay.

Food systems

Several groups work on food waste and local food. Bruin Dine recovers untouched food from the dining halls and serves it to students who need it, at events on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights in the SAC basement; members join through a general member application. The Farmers Market at UCLA is run by students in Bruin Plaza and takes its organizing team by application. Westwood Food Cooperative sells CSA shares of local produce, picked up Sundays from 3 to 4 pm, and lists member applications on its Linktree. The Alt Protein Project promotes education and research on alternative proteins such as plant-based and cultivated meat; you join through its Slack.

Advocacy and campus policy

If you want to change policy, start with the open groups. SWC Earth, part of the student government's Student Wellness Commission, runs sustainable-living projects and meets Mondays at 3:30 pm at Janss Steps; anyone can come. CALPIRG, a statewide student advocacy group, trains students to run campaigns and holds open core meetings Mondays from 6 to 7 pm in Math Sciences 5117. Environmentalists of Color Collective centers Black, Indigenous and other environmentalists of color, and you join with its general member form.

Environmental Student Network is a good general starting point: its Slack and newsletter cover volunteer days, hikes and socials for any major, and its mentorship program takes mentees and mentors by application. Two groups are more selective. The USAC Facilities Commission pushes for sustainable campus facilities and hires staff by application. International Urban Sustainability Student Coalition works as a student think tank comparing Los Angeles with cities abroad, and opens new member applications in week 0 of fall. On the Hill, the On-Campus Housing Council has a Director of Sustainability elected by residents and runs a sustainability initiative called Team Green.

Clean energy, engineering and careers

Engineering students have project work to choose from. The Renewable Energy Association runs student projects in wind, biodiesel and renewable natural gas; you join its Slack and newsletter. SoCET is open to any major and runs speakers, tours and hackathons, with a separate interest form for its Climate Tech Exploration Series. Bruin Supermileage builds very efficient vehicles for the Shell Eco-marathon, and Engineers Without Borders lets anyone join a project team, including its Mid City Garden team. The tech and engineering guide covers more teams.

The career-focused groups mostly select. Clean Consulting advises companies on sustainability and took fall 2026 applications until October 5. SAGE trains students to push for sustainable practice inside companies, by application, with a newsletter open to all. Net Impact does social impact consulting and needs no consulting experience. Sustainable fashion has two groups, Unravel and RefineLA, which puts on an upcycled runway show; both take members by application. The selective clubs guide explains how these recruiting cycles run.

Getting outside

The outdoors clubs pair trips with care for the places they visit. Backpacking Club runs camping and backpacking trips most weekends of the quarter and asks only that you join its Slack. Excursion Club goes hiking, camping, surfing and skiing across the West; membership was $5 for 2026-27, paid by Venmo, which gets you into its GroupMe.

Graduate and professional students

Graduate groups sit inside their schools. Law students have the Environmental Law Society, the Journal of Environmental Law and Policy and Law Students for Climate Accountability. The Graduate Student Water Resources Group, based in the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, is open to any graduate student or postdoc working on water. At Anderson, the Energy and Cleantech Association covers energy and climate careers. See the graduate student guide for how school clubs work.

UCLA's own sustainability programs

Sustainability Action Research is the main way to do research on campus sustainability for credit. It is run by students through the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability. In fall it offers a talk series, Environment 185A. Students apply in fall to join a team for winter and spring, and each team has two co-leaders and four to five members working with a campus stakeholder. Leaders take a 3-unit course and members a 2-unit course. UCLA Sustainability says the program brings together more than 70 undergraduates a year, on topics from food waste to biodiversity.

The Green Initiative Fund, TGIF, is UCLA's green fund. It gives students money for sustainability projects on campus. For 2026-27, Main Fund applications are due at 11:59 pm on Wednesdays of weeks 2, 4, 6 and 8 of each quarter, and Capital Fund applications are rolling until week 8 of spring. Its committee holds fall 2026 office hours on Zoom, Thursdays from 6 to 7 pm.

The Institute of the Environment and Sustainability also points students to volunteering with the UCLA Sustainability office, including on committees and task forces (write to sustainability@ucla.edu). UCLA Sustainability has a Living Lab application for class and master's projects that study the campus. It says UCLA holds a green jobs fair and career panels each year. The Sustainable LA Grand Challenge runs an Undergraduate Scholars Research Program, but its page said it was not taking applications when we checked.

UCLA Sustainability's list also includes groups that this directory's registry data does not have this year, among them the Surfrider Foundation Club, the UCLA Bicycle Coalition and LEED Lab. Its page gives contacts for most of them.

Where to start

Join one open group's channel in week 1: ESN's Slack, SWC Earth's Monday meeting or a Dig workshop.
If you want a selective team, note its fall deadline. Most close in the first two weeks.
In fall, look up the Sustainability Action Research application if you want credit for winter and spring.
Once you have a project idea, bring it to a TGIF office hour before a Main Fund deadline.

The service guide covers other volunteer work, and clubs without an application lists more groups you can join today. Search sustainability in the directory for the rest.