Vermont Center for Ecostudies

What Vermont Center for Ecostudies does

Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation research organization founded in 1989 in Norwich, Vermont, that advances wildlife conservation across the Americas through long-term monitoring, applied research, and community engagement. Its core products are a portfolio of community science monitoring programs rather than commercial software: the Vermont Atlas of Life (an iNaturalist-integrated biodiversity data platform), the Vermont Loon Conservation Project, the Vermont Forest Bird Monitoring Program (running since 1989), Mountain Birdwatch (~800 monitoring stations across the northeastern United States), the Second Vermont Butterfly Atlas, and the Vermont Vernal Pool Monitoring and Atlas (~5,000 pools mapped). Technical infrastructure includes iNaturalist, eBird, Motus automated radio telemetry, Wildlife Acoustics SM4 acoustic recording units, and a centralized data lake that has produced 172 peer-reviewed publications and over 1 million research-grade biodiversity records.

VCE serves a hybrid audience: (i) individual community scientists and volunteers (~900+ active) who collect field data under standardized protocols; (ii) state and federal agencies — notably Vermont Fish & Wildlife, U.S. DoD Legacy Resource Management Program, NPS, Green Mountain National Forest — that consume its monitoring outputs to inform listing decisions and land management (VCE data underlay both the Eastern Whip-Poor-Will and Eastern Meadowlark state-Threatened listings); and (iii) partner conservation NGOs and academic institutions (Audubon chapters, The Nature Conservancy, Native Plant Trust, Canadian Wildlife Service, University of Vermont) collaborating on co-developed research such as the Native Plant Ecotype Experiment.

Revenue is generated entirely on a non-commercial basis through donations from individuals and corporations, foundation grants (Davis Conservation Foundation, Lintilhac Foundation, TechFoundation), and government contracts. The organization employs 1-10 staff — including a co-founder Executive Director (Chris Rimmer), Director of Conservation Science (Ryan Rebozo), conservation biologists, a data manager, and a postdoctoral researcher — supplemented by an extensive volunteer workforce. There is no pricing model; all programs, datasets, and educational resources are provided free of charge.

Name

Vermont Center for Ecostudies

Legal name

Vermont Center for Ecostudies

Website

https://vtecostudies.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Nonprofit conservation research organization based in Vermont that operates long-term community science monitoring programs for birds, pollinators, amphibians, and wildlife across the northeastern United States, serving state and federal agencies, conservation NGOs, and 900+ volunteer community scientists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation research
• Community science monitoring
• Biodiversity data platforms
• Avian population studies
• Habitat conservation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwich

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The organization relies on donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations to fund conservation programs. The website includes a 'Donate' button and mentions tax-deductible giving (tax ID 51-0639429).
2. Grants and Foundation Funding: VCE receives funding from various foundations and grant programs including TechFoundation, U.S. Department of Defense Legacy Resource Management Program, and multiple conservation foundations listed in their FBMP partners section.
3. Government Contracts: Partnership with Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and other state/federal agencies for species monitoring and conservation projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

VCE advances wildlife conservation across the Americas through research, monitoring, and community engagement. It operates a portfolio of long-running community science programs (bird, butterfly, loon, vernal pool, and bee monitoring) and maintains the Vermont Atlas of Life, an online biodiversity data platform integrated with iNaturalist. Outputs include peer-reviewed publications, conservation recommendations, and landowner stewardship resources.

Product overview

The Vermont Center for Ecostudies operates as a conservation science organization offering a portfolio of community science monitoring programs and biodiversity data platforms rather than a single product. The core offering is the Vermont Atlas of Life (VAL), an online biodiversity database integrated with iNaturalist for citizen science data collection. Supporting programs include bird conservation initiatives (Vermont Loon Conservation Project, Vermont Forest Bird Monitoring Program, Mountain Birdwatch, Eastern Whip-Poor-Will Monitoring, Eastern Meadowlark Conservation, and Bicknell's Thrush Conservation), invertebrate monitoring (Second Vermont Butterfly Atlas, Vermont Vernal Pool Monitoring), ecological research (Native Plant Ecotype Experiment, Upper Valley Backyard Tick Project), and landowner engagement (Grassland Bird Outreach Program). All programs engage community volunteers through structured protocols, with data flowing into centralized databases for research and conservation planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vermont Atlas of Life (VAL) Comprehensive online biodiversity database and mapping platform serving as a central library of knowledge on Vermont's animals, plants, and fungi, featuring real-time data, distribution maps, and photographs accessible to scientists, policymakers, and citizen naturalists.
• Vermont Loon Conservation Project Long-term monitoring and conservation program for Common Loons in Vermont, involving volunteer-based LoonCount and LoonMonitor surveys, nesting raft deployment, and public outreach. Has contributed to increasing nesting pairs from 7 to over 115.
• Second Vermont Butterfly Atlas A five-year survey conducted every 20 years with volunteer community scientists documenting butterfly abundance and distribution across Vermont to understand population changes and guide conservation actions.
• Vermont Vernal Pool Monitoring and Atlas A community science program engaging volunteers to map and monitor vernal pools across Vermont, documenting amphibian breeding habitat and ecosystem health, with nearly 5,000 pools identified to date.
• Vermont Forest Bird Monitoring Program Long-term forest bird monitoring initiative conducting surveys across 31 Vermont forest sites twice yearly in June to track population trends of breeding songbirds over nearly 30 years of continuous data.
• Mountain Birdwatch Community science program monitoring high-elevation bird populations across the northeastern United States, with volunteers surveying approximately 800 stations along mountain routes in June to track spruce-fir forest bird communities including Bicknell's Thrush.
• Eastern Whip-Poor-Will Monitoring Survey program to understand habitat characteristics and estimate population size of the state-Threatened Eastern Whip-Poor-Will, which was listed as threatened in Vermont in 2011 due to documented population declines.
• Eastern Meadowlark Conservation Conservation program tracking remaining Eastern Meadowlark populations in Vermont, including the 2021 Eastern Meadowlark Blitz partnership with NH Audubon and ongoing monitoring to guide grassland habitat protection.
• Native Plant Ecotype Experiment Community-based garden experiment assessing how plant provenance (seed source origin) influences plant phenology, flower resources, and pollinator support, involving nearly 1,100 plants from three ecoregions planted in six public gardens.
• Upper Valley Backyard Tick Project Research project investigating the effectiveness of backyard tick spraying and its unintended consequences for pollinators and other insects, surveying 245 private properties over two summers using standardized tick and invertebrate sampling methods.
• Bicknell's Thrush Conservation 34-year research, monitoring, and conservation initiative for Bicknell's Thrush, VCE's flagship species, including Mount Mansfield population monitoring, Caribbean winter habitat research, and Motus tower tracking of migratory movements.
• Grassland Bird Outreach Program Landowner engagement and habitat management program focused on declining grassland birds including Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark, providing resources for delayed mowing schedules and grassland ambassador training.

Quantifiable outcome

• Loon population recovery from 7 pairs to 115 nesting pairs over 40 years
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Vermont Fish and Wildlife DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChief partner in loon recovery and conservation. Together with help from dedicated volunteers, they work to secure a future for Common Loons in Vermont. Co-publish annual reports on the status of Common Loons.
• Canadian Wildlife ServicesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating organization in the Vermont Forest Bird Monitoring Program, providing cross-border data and coordination for migratory bird research.
• Green Mountain AudubonsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating organization in Vermont Forest Bird Monitoring Program for bird conservation outreach and education.
• The Nature ConservancysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating organization in forest bird monitoring, providing land access and conservation coordination.
• University of Vermont Natural Areas ProgramsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing research collaboration and student involvement in forest bird monitoring.
• Green Mountain National ForestsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal land management partner providing access to national forest lands for bird monitoring activities.
• National Park ServicesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal partner providing access to park lands for bird monitoring and conservation research.
• Forest Ecosystem Monitoring CooperativesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding organization and data management partner for Mountain Birdwatch database hosting and maintenance.
• Native Plant TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary research partner on Native Plant Ecotype Experiment, collaborating on first-of-its-kind study assessing how plant provenance influences pollinator support.
• One Hive FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Native Plant Ecotype Experiment supporting research on native plants and pollinators.
• Arrowwood EnvironmentalsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner in Vermont Vernal Pool Monitoring and Atlas project, supporting mapping and conservation work.
• New Hampshire AudubonsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in 2021 Eastern Meadowlark Blitz coordinated to locate and document remaining Eastern Meadowlark populations during breeding season.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Operates eBird, a global community-science bird-observation platform, and conducts long-term bird population research. Directly comparable to VCE in community-science bird monitoring and biodiversity data collection, but at a much larger national/international scale.
• American Bird Conservancy: U.S. nonprofit focused on native bird and habitat conservation across the Americas, including research and policy. Closely comparable in mission to VCE's bird conservation work, though ABC emphasizes policy and hemispheric flyway protection over community-science data collection.
• Bird Conservancy of the Rockies: Runs the Rocky Mountain Avian Data Center and long-term bird monitoring programs using community scientists. Closely mirrors VCE's Mountain Birdwatch model in a different region, making it a strong direct operational peer.
• Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: National nonprofit protecting invertebrates and their habitats, with a strong pollinator-conservation program including community-science bumble bee atlasing. Highly comparable to VCE's Vermont Wild Bee Survey and pollinator work.
• Hubbard Brook Research Foundation: Supports long-term ecological research in the Northeastern U.S., including forest ecosystem monitoring analogous to VCE's FBMP. A direct peer in the regional long-term ecological research community.

Broad incumbents

• National Audubon Society: The largest U.S. bird and habitat conservation nonprofit, running community-science Christmas Bird Count, state offices, and policy advocacy. Overlaps with VCE on bird monitoring, volunteer mobilization, and Northeast chapter partnerships, but with a national footprint and broader advocacy mandate.
• The Nature Conservancy: One of the world's largest conservation nonprofits, with land acquisition, science, and policy programs. An active VCE collaborator on forest-bird monitoring; comparable in mission breadth and donor base, but vastly larger and oriented around land stewardship.

Regional players

• Mass Audubon: Massachusetts-based regional Audubon society operating sanctuaries and community-science programs analogous to VCE's. Comparable in scale, regional focus, and volunteer-driven monitoring model, but focused on Massachusetts rather than Vermont.
• New Hampshire Audubon: Active VCE partner on the 2021 Eastern Meadowlark Blitz and other bird projects. Comparable as a regional Audubon society running community-science monitoring, but focused on New Hampshire rather than Vermont.

Emerging players

• Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies: Northeast-based ecological research organization producing long-term data on ecosystems, including forest health. Comparable in long-term ecological monitoring and science-communications mission, but a research institute rather than a community-science nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/VCE14
• Facebookfacebook.com/56930912454
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vermont-center-for-ecostudies
• Instagraminstagram.com/vtecostudies
• Xx.com/VTEcostudies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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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 Vermont Center for Ecostudies