Defending clean air, clean water, and the wild places that make Orange County home.
Orange Environment is a 43-year-old citizen watchdog and 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to a healthier, more resilient Hudson Valley — from the Wallkill River to the NY/NJ Highlands.
A holistic, science-based defender of the Hudson Valley.
Since 1982, Orange Environment has played a key role in defining and defending the natural character of Orange County and addressing its major environmental problems — from radon and lead pollution to landfills, sprawl, fossil-fuel plants, and the loss of pollinators.
We educate the public, train activists, produce technical reports, testify at public hearings, and run Permaculture and pollinator workshops — all powered by an all-volunteer board.
Read our story
Four pillars, one healthy region.
Climate Change & Environmental Health
Fighting greenhouse-gas emissions from CPV and Danskammer, urging local governments to lead on climate.
Sustainable Growth
Smart, ecologically friendly development that protects greenspace and farmland from sprawl.
Clean Air & Water
Watchdogging the Harriman STP, the Ramapo River, and decades of regional air-quality work.
Pollinators & Green Living
Leading the Hudson Valley Pollinator Project to restore biological connectivity, one yard at a time.
Where we're putting energy right now.
ReThink Rt. 17
Advocating for sustainable transportation instead of a $1B highway expansion through Orange & Sullivan counties.
Hudson Valley Pollinator Project
Mobilizing private landowners to convert lawns into a contiguous pollinator corridor.
Climate Change
Local action on emissions, energy, and adaptation in the Hudson Valley.
Harriman Sewage Treatment Plant
Monitoring proposed expansion that would discharge 9 million gallons/day into the Ramapo River.
CPV & Danskammer Plants
35+ years advocating for cleaner air against fossil-fuel power plants in Wawayanda and Newburgh.
Save the Caves at Mt. Lookout
Preserving Goshen's Dutchess Quarry Caves — one of the oldest sites of human activity east of the Mississippi.
The Hudson Valley Pollinator Project
Insect populations have collapsed 75–90% over the last 25 years. We're mobilizing private landowners across the Hudson Valley to convert turf lawns into a Contiguous Pollinator Corridor — restoring native meadows that bring monarchs, bees, and birds back to our backyards.
- Free milkweed giveaways
- Native plant propagation & sales
- Annual Pollinator Festival · June 6–7, 2026
With your help, we keep watch.
Your membership funds the technical reports, public hearings, and on-the-ground work that protect this region. Every cent goes to the mission — our board officers volunteer their time.