Niagara is bursting at the seams with environmental organizations, experts and businesses.

Good luck finding the one you want, however.

There is no green 411 telephone line for local eco-agencies, no green pages book for regional environment-minded enterprises.

That may be about to change. Last week, a group of Niagara volunteers launched NEST, the Niagara Environmental Sector Team.

“We want to be a hub for information on environmental groups in the region,” said Niagara College’s Paula Simion, an administrator for the new web portal.

“We want to make it easier for all organizations to connect, to find each other and share information, to pool resources and expertise.”

In a nutshell, website organizers hope to cultivate a “one-stop shopping” portal for local green groups. The site allows organizations to post details about their group, upcoming events and resources for others to use and peruse.

You can search for organizations by name, location or ecocategory, or check out the calendar for upcoming events.

The team was founded by academic and non-profit groups, but anyone who thinks green can sign up, Simion said.

Green retailers and contractors. School groups and community organizations. Charities and advocacy groups.

“The more groups we have working together, the better,” said Melissa Hellwig, a website founder from the Niagara-on-the- Lake Sustainability Network. “We’re stronger when we connect and co-operate … right now, we’re an environmental sector that doesn’t know it’s a sector.”

Life is typically tough for a small environmental group, Hellwig said. You have to find and keep volunteers. Get the word out on a tight budget. Fundraise in an increasingly competitive nonprofit market.

The green organizing drive has already benefited from a provincial Trillium Foundation grant and the work of students and staff from the college’s Niagara Research division.

What it really needs, however, is you.

“We can’t be an empty nest,” Hellwig said with a laugh.

To check out the NEST site or add your group, visit

http://nest.niagararesearch.ca.