The first step is to identify the “ecosystem” of organizations near you. Some may have a policy component to their work, and others may be amenable to the idea. There is no comprehensive directory of local environmental groups, but the Social Rules Project has found the following strategies to be useful.
Candid maintains an extensive directory with profiles of nonprofit organizations searchable by location. You can access more extensive descriptions if you ally with educators, who are given free access, or simply use the organizations’ names as a starting point for a web search to learn more.
Within Google maps, enter your town and keywords corresponding to the environmental issues you care about. Examples of keywords include conservation, toxics, sustainable or organic agriculture, biodiversity, climate change, water, open space, alternative energy, social justice, sustainability, clean air, environmental health, or green business.
Meet with people “in the know” in your area, including leaders of the above groups; journalists who have written about environmental issues in your town; and city planners or other officials with a demonstrated commitment to sustainability. Environmental leaders in the government, business, and nonprofit/community spheres too often work in isolation from one another, but each can provide valuable insights on the issues facing your community and opportunities to get involved.
As you familiarize yourself with the local organizational ecosystem, you may find a good match for your interests and/or you may decide to get some training and perhaps start your own group.