Point Blue Conservation Science

What Point Blue Conservation Science does

Point Blue Conservation Science is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation science organization founded in 1965 as the Point Reyes Bird Observatory and rebranded under its current name in 2006. Headquartered in Petaluma, California, it employs 160 conservation professionals who apply ecological science to address climate change, habitat loss, and biodiversity decline across the Americas, with active operations from Alaska to Chile including the Farallon Islands, Sierra Nevada, Central Valley, San Francisco Bay, and Sonoran Desert. The organization generates and applies science through long-running field research stations (Palomarin since 1965, Farallon Islands science partnership since 1968), keystone ecological datasets spanning 60+ years, and over 2,000 peer-reviewed publications, with flagship programs covering oceans, shorelines, working landscapes, restoration, and education.

Point Blue's core technology and methodology stack includes proprietary long-term bird and seabird monitoring datasets, a Climate-Smart Restoration Design methodology that accounts for future climate scenarios, micro-technology songbird tracking via sub-1-gram geolocators and GPS tags, a Rangeland Monitoring Network framework, and decision-support tools including the COMMONS spatial planning tool for compost application and farmOS Conservation Planner. The organization distributes all science, tools, guidance, and educational materials free of charge; it does not sell products or services commercially.

The business model is that of a donation- and grant-funded nonprofit. Revenue streams comprise individual donations and planned giving (Give Today, Give Monthly, legacy giving, Stewards of Palomarin and Farallones programs), foundation grants, and government funding (e.g., a 2023 California Department of Food and Agriculture award of $154,800), supporting specific restoration, education, and monitoring programs. Point Blue monetizes its science indirectly through partnerships that amplify donor impact (USFWS Farallon Islands, NOAA Whale Alert, WRI Initiative 20x20, IUCN membership, California Biodiversity Network, NRCS, Central Valley Joint Venture). Customer segments span government agencies, K-12 schools and educators (via the STRAW program, 38,000+ participants), ranchers and farmers, marine conservation stakeholders, and individual donors; engagement is community-led and event-driven through restoration days, film screenings, speaker series, the Science for a Blue Planet blog, and international forums.

Name

Point Blue Conservation Science

Legal name

Point Blue Conservation Science

Website

https://pointblue.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Point Blue Conservation Science is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1965 that employs 160 conservation professionals generating long-term ecological data and science-based restoration solutions for government agencies, schools, ranchers, and individual donors across the Americas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Ecological Restoration Planning & Monitoring (Habitat, Wetland, Stream) (EUAHAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Avoided Conversion & Ecosystem Protection (REDD+, Blue Carbon Conservation) (EUABABAC), Nature, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation (BPADALAE)

Keywords

• Conservation science research
• Ecological monitoring services
• Habitat restoration design
• Wildlife population studies
• Environmental education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Petaluma

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Point Blue is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that relies on individual donations, major gifts, and planned giving (legacy giving) from supporters. The organization runs direct donation campaigns including Give Today, Give Monthly, and legacy/planned giving programs.
2. Grants and Government Funding: Point Blue receives grants from government agencies and foundations, including participation in California state initiatives (CA Biodiversity Network, 30x30), UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration commitments, and World Resource Institute's Initiative 20x20 as a Technical Partner. Funding supports specific restoration, conservation, and education programs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Point Blue Conservation Science is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that conducts long-term ecological monitoring and applies the resulting science to habitat restoration, climate adaptation, working-lands stewardship, and environmental education. It delivers these outcomes through field research programs, science-based restoration design, education programs such as STRAW, and publicly available conservation tools and datasets for government agencies, ranchers, schools, and conservation partners.

Product overview

Point Blue Conservation Science is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of conservation science programs and tools rather than a unified software product. The organization provides field research programs (Farallon Islands Research, Palomarin Field Station, California Current Group, Sierra Nevada Group), data products (Keystone Datasets with 60+ years of scientific data), education programs (STRAW engaging 38,000+ students), restoration programs (Working Lands, Roots Program), and software tools (COMMONS spatial planning tool, farmOS Conservation Planner). These offerings are distributed across research stations, grant programs, and online resource libraries, reflecting a mission-driven conservation organization rather than a commercial SaaS platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Keystone Datasets Long-term scientific datasets spanning more than 60 years of bird population monitoring, seabird behavior studies, and ecosystem health indicators collected at Palomarin Field Station, the Farallon Islands, and additional locations. The datasets are used by researchers, government agencies, and conservation practitioners to detect ecological trends that cannot be identified over shorter time horizons.
• Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge Research Program Ongoing day-and-night scientific monitoring of seabirds, marine mammals, and ecosystem health on the Farallon Islands for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, with continuous refuge presence since 1968. Outputs inform refuge management decisions such as northern fur seal recovery (from first pup in 1996 to over 1,000 individuals) and seabird conservation.
• Palomarin Field Station Longest-running avian ecology field station west of the Mississippi River, conducting nearly 50 years of songbird population research including micro-technology geolocator tracking of migratory connectivity.
• California Current Group
• Working Lands Program Program supporting climate-resilient management of working landscapes including farms, ranches, rangelands, rice fields, and grasslands in California, with a focus on soil health, carbon sequestration, and native grassland recovery. Includes the Rangeland Monitoring Network that connects scientists and ranchers across California's 21 million acres of private working lands.
• Sierra Nevada Group
• STRAW (Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed) Education program combining classroom environmental science with hands-on habitat restoration projects in partnership with K-12 schools and community groups across the San Francisco Bay Area. The program has engaged 38,000+ students and community members and restored 32+ miles of streamside and wetland habitat through 500+ restoration projects since 1992.
• Whale Alert Program Smartphone-based system that crowdsources whale sightings from mariners and alerts commercial ships in real time to slow or change course, reducing lethal ship strikes on endangered whales. Over 4,200 users have downloaded the app and contributed 482+ whale sighting reports.
• Roots Program (Restoration Grants) Grant program that allocates funds to habitat restoration projects across California counties, supporting restoration crews, native plant installations, and multi-benefit climate-smart implementation on the ground.
• Migratory Shorebird Project (MSP+) Long-term research program studying 22 Pacific Flyway shorebird species over a decade to deliver population trend data that supports shorebird conservation across the West Coast and Pacific Flyway.
• Rangeland Monitoring Network Network-based scientific monitoring framework that connects scientists and ranchers to assess soil, water, vegetation, and wildlife response to grazing management on California's 21 million acres of private working lands.
• COMMONS Spatial Planning Tool Collaborative spatial planning tool developed with partners that guides compost application to maximize soil health and carbon outcomes on working landscapes.
• farmOS Conservation Planner Community-designed open-source software tool for streamlining conservation planning on agricultural lands, with modules developed using diverse social science approaches.
• Conservation Tools & Guidance Online resource library providing conservation tools and guidance for farmers, ranchers, land managers, researchers, and educators across five categories: Farming & Ranching, Management, Nature Stewardship, Research, and Teaching.
• Science for a Blue Planet Blog Point Blue's primary science blog featuring cutting-edge work, discoveries, and challenges from scientists, partners, and the broader conservation science community, with 240+ pages of archived content spanning oceans, shorelines, working lands, restoration, education, climate change, and biodiversity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 72% increase in native perennial grass coverage on TomKat Ranch after implementing planned grazing management (within 3 years)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Point Blue became an official member of IUCN in 2024, joining a network of 1,400+ institutions. Membership enables Point Blue to contribute to IUCN Red List assessments, participate in voting on IUCN resolutions, and bring global conservation benchmarks including the Nature-based Solutions Standards to its work. Point Blue will attend the 2025 World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi (October 9-15, 2025).
• World Resource Institute (WRI) Initiative 20x20coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Point Blue became a Technical Partner for WRI's Initiative 20x20 in 2021, a country-led effort seeking to change the dynamics of land degradation in Latin America and the Caribbean. This partnership supports Point Blue's international restoration commitments under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
• CA Biodiversity NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Point Blue's CEO and Chief Science Officer participate in the CA Biodiversity Network, which directly informs California's 30x30 efforts and broader biodiversity goals under Governor Newsom's Executive Order aligning the state with the global 30% planet conservation target by 2030.
• NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries — West Coast Regional OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Point Blue collaborated with NOAA's West Coast Regional Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and Conserve.IO to develop the Whale Alert app and pilot program, using smartphone reports of whale sightings to alert commercial ships to slow or change course and reduce lethal ship strikes on endangered whales.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) — Farallon Islands National Wildlife RefugeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1968Point Blue has served as the science partner for the Farallon Islands National Wildlife Refuge since 1968, providing a continuous day and night scientific presence on the islands under a unique agreement with USFWS. Point Blue conducts ecological monitoring of seabirds, marine mammals, and the returning northern fur seal population, contributing to USFWS refuge management decisions.
• The Nature Conservancy (TNC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoint Blue partners with The Nature Conservancy on multiple restoration projects, including the Upper Pajaro River corridor restoration where TNC owns the Gonzales Ranch property. TNC and Point Blue co-designed climate-smart restoration approaches and collaborate on connecting wildlife corridors across private and protected lands.
• United Nations Decade on Ecosystem RestorationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoint Blue supports and contributes to the UN's Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), aligning its own strategic objectives for climate-smart restoration, ocean conservation, nature-based adaptation, soil health, and natural and working lands stewardship with the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
• Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training ProgramminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPoint Blue works with the Elkhorn Slough Coastal Training Program to lead workshops and train regional restoration practitioners and regulators in Point Blue's climate-smart restoration approach, extending Point Blue's methodology to a broader network of conservation professionals.
• Central Valley Joint Venture (CVJV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoint Blue participates in the Central Valley Joint Venture, a coalition of 21 state and federal agencies and organizations working to provide habitat for resident and migratory birds in California's Central Valley. Point Blue's Dave Shuford has been central to CVJV's population and habitat objectives for decades.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners in Restoration ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoint Blue collaborates with USFWS's Partners in Restoration Program as part of the Upper Pajaro River Watershed Partnership, combining resources to restore habitats on private and public lands across the watershed.
• NRCS Resource Conservation District in Benito CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoint Blue partners with the NRCS Resource Conservation District in Benito County as part of the Upper Pajaro River Watershed Partnership to coordinate restoration efforts on private agricultural lands.
• Santa Clara County Open Space AuthorityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoint Blue collaborates with the Santa Clara County Open Space Authority on the Upper Pajaro River restoration project, contributing scientific expertise and restoration design to the Authority's conservation holdings.
• TomKat RanchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTomKat Ranch, a 728-hectare (1,800 acre) cow-calf grass-fed beef operation near Pescadero, CA, partnered with Point Blue for scientific monitoring of the ranch's transition from continuous grazing to planned rotational grazing. Point Blue documented a 72% increase in native perennial grass coverage and provided the scientific basis for the ranch's conservation grazing approach.
• International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIFAW is a partner in the Whale Alert Program expansion, working with National Marine Sanctuaries and Point Blue to extend the whale reporting system to Oregon, Washington, and eventually the East Coast.
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoint Blue, along with NRCS, is working with ranchers to improve the health of California rangelands through the Rangeland Watershed Initiative and the Rangeland Monitoring Network, combining NRCS's conservation programs with Point Blue's scientific monitoring framework.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): USGS is the federal science agency that conducts long-term ecological monitoring and biological research across the country, frequently partnering with or alongside Point Blue on Pacific Flyway and California ecosystems. It is an adjacent government counterpart rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Ducks Unlimited: Ducks Unlimited is a large US/Canadian waterfowl and wetlands conservation nonprofit with overlapping work on Pacific Flyway shorebird habitat, Central Valley wetlands, and rice-field bird recovery. It is a broader incumbent in the same conservation science space but with a much larger fundraising footprint.
• The Nature Conservancy: TNC is one of the world's largest conservation nonprofits and an active collaborator with Point Blue (e.g., Upper Pajaro River). It is a broader incumbent working across the same habitat restoration, climate-smart conservation, and biodiversity domains but at vastly greater scale and with a global footprint.
• Wildlife Conservation Society: WCS is a major international wildlife conservation organization running field conservation programs globally. It overlaps with Point Blue's marine and terrestrial wildlife science but operates at much greater scale and with a broader zoo/field program portfolio.
• National Audubon Society: Audubon is the largest US bird conservation organization and overlaps heavily with Point Blue's bird monitoring, seabird, and Pacific Flyway work. It is a much larger, multi-state incumbent with a broader advocacy and chapter network, but shares the bird conservation science and policy mandate.

Emerging players

• Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: Xerces is a nonprofit focused on invertebrate conservation (pollinators, freshwater species) with similar field-monitoring and applied-science methods. It is an emerging/niche peer with thematic overlap on biodiversity and habitat health but narrower taxonomic focus than Point Blue.

Direct peers

• American Bird Conservancy: American Bird Conservancy is a nonprofit focused exclusively on bird conservation across the Americas, with programs that intersect Point Blue's Migratory Shorebird Project, Palomarin songbird work, and partner Flyway initiatives. It is a direct peer in scope though smaller in field-station operations.
• Earthwatch Institute: Earthwatch is a nonprofit that engages citizen scientists and volunteers in field research, directly analogous to Point Blue's STRAW program and volunteer-driven monitoring model. It is a direct peer in citizen-science-led conservation and community engagement.
• Manomet: Manomet (formerly Manomet Bird Observatory/Center for Conservation Sciences) is a similarly sized nonprofit conservation science organization with deep expertise in shorebird, landbird, and sustainable forestry science. It is the closest organizational analogue to Point Blue, with comparable headcount, nonprofit funding model, applied ecological monitoring, and working-lands focus.
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Cornell Lab is a leading ornithological research institution running long-term bird population monitoring programs (e.g., eBird, NestWatch) that closely mirror Point Blue's Palomarin and Farallon Islands bird population science. It is a strong direct peer in applied avian ecology and long-term datasets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pointblueconsci
• Facebookfacebook.com/pointblueconservationscience
• Instagraminstagram.com/pointblue_conservationscience
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pointblue-conservation-science

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Point Blue Conservation Science