Island Conservation
Island Conservation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1994 that removes invasive species from islands worldwide to prevent extinctions, serving island communities, national parks, and partner NGOs in the Pacific, Latin America, and the Caribbean through drone, AI, and eDNA-enabled restoration programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersSanta Cruz, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Island Conservation does
Island Conservation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1994 and headquartered at 630 Water St., Santa Cruz, California. Its mission is to prevent extinctions by removing invasive species from islands and accelerating the recovery of native plants and animals. The organization works across the Pacific, Caribbean, Latin America, and select Atlantic locations, operating in countries including Ecuador (Galápagos), Chile (Juan Fernández), Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Cook Islands, Tuvalu, Palau, French Polynesia, New Zealand, Australia, Marshall Islands, and Hawaii. Its flagship service is holistic island restoration—scoping, planning, executing, and monitoring invasive-species eradications in partnership with local communities and government agencies such as the Galápagos National Park Directorate and the Tuvalu Department of Environment. Service delivery is free of charge to receiving communities as a charitable benefit.
The organization runs a multi-tool technology stack layered on top of its core field operations. It operates a Drone Program with AI-enabled cameras that has delivered a 400% reduction in operational costs and enabled restoration on six islands previously unattainable due to terrain, an eDNA (environmental DNA) detection tool that identifies invasive rodents within an hour from small water/soil samples, an AI-powered acoustic monitoring pipeline (70,000+ hours processed, 74 species calls identified via partner Conservation Metrics), hyperspectral imaging for terrain mapping, and social-attraction techniques (decoys, audio playback) that recruit seabirds back to restored islands. Data assets include the DIISE Database of Island Invasive Species Eradications (1,200+ attempts, ~87% success rate) and the Threatened Island Biodiversity Database (nearly 2,000 islands, 1,300 threatened species), co-developed with IUCN, BirdLife International, and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. The organization co-founded the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC) with Re:wild and UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography as a 50+ partner collective targeting 40 island-ocean ecosystems restored by 2030 (currently at 22).
Revenue comes exclusively from charitable sources: individual donations (one-time, monthly, stock, crypto, legacy via the Islands Forever Society), foundation and government grants (Packard Foundation, Lindblad Expeditions–National Geographic Fund, Blue Action Fund, Global Environment Facility, USFWS, NASA, USDA, NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade), and corporate sponsorships (Google, Apple, Lenovo, Boeing). The 2025 budget allocates 81% to programs, 12% to operations, and 7% to fundraising. Go-to-market is community-led: each engagement begins with conversations with local island stakeholders, followed by co-execution with regional Senior Directors for the Pacific and Latin America. The organization has earned a 2025 Platinum GuideStar transparency rating, 100% Charity Navigator score, NPR Planet Money's recognition as the most cost-effective conservation organization, and an IUCN Resolution (767 affirmative votes) supporting a UN Decade of Island Resilience.
Island Conservation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Island Conservation
- Legal name
- Island Conservation
- Website
- https://islandconservation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Island Conservation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1994 that removes invasive species from islands worldwide to prevent extinctions, serving island communities, national parks, and partner NGOs in the Pacific, Latin America, and the Caribbean through drone, AI, and eDNA-enabled restoration programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Island Conservation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Conservation Services
- akta.pro primary industry
- Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Invasive Species Control & Site Restoration (Pre/Post Planting) (AFAMACAN), Ecological Restoration Planning & Monitoring (Habitat, Wetland, Stream) (EUAHAHAF)
Keywords
Where Island Conservation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Cruz
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Island Conservation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: The organization accepts donations from individuals, with options for one-time gifts, monthly recurring donations, stock donations, cryptocurrency, and legacy gift planning through the Islands Forever Society.
- Foundation and Government Grants: Major funding from foundations including The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic Fund, Blue Action Fund, Global Environment Facility, and government agencies including USFWS, NASA, USDA, and New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
- Corporate Partnerships: Support from corporate donors including Google, Apple, Lenovo, Boeing, and others who provide funding and sponsorship.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Donation-based funding model |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Island Conservation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Island Conservation delivers holistic island restoration services that remove invasive species and accelerate native species recovery on islands worldwide. The organization executes end-to-end projects—from scoping and community engagement to eradication, monitoring, and ecosystem recovery—supplemented by proprietary technology including drones, AI-enabled acoustic and camera monitoring, and environmental DNA detection tools. Services are provided free of charge to partner communities and funded through donations, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorships.
Product overview
Island Conservation operates as a single, unified conservation service focused on holistic island restoration rather than a traditional software product company. Their core offering is removing invasive species from islands and accelerating the recovery of native plants and animals. The service portfolio includes the Floreana Ecological Restoration Project as a flagship initiative, the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC) as a global collaborative program, and supplementary tools including a Drone Program for field operations, eDNA environmental DNA monitoring for species detection, the DIISE database for tracking invasive species eradications, the TIB database for threatened biodiversity data, and the GBIRd program exploring gene drive technology.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Holistic Island Restoration Services End-to-end conservation services that remove invasive species and accelerate native species recovery on islands worldwide. Each project begins with community engagement and proceeds through scoping, eradication, monitoring, and ecosystem recovery, delivered free of charge to partner communities and governments.
- Floreana Ecological Restoration Project Flagship restoration project on Floreana Island in the Galápagos that eliminates invasive species, restores native habitats, and reintroduces endemic species including giant tortoises and the Floreana Mockingbird, intended as a global model for island restoration.
- Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC) Global coalition program co-founded with Re:wild and UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography that restores at least 40 island-ocean ecosystems from ridge to reef by 2030 through a collective of 50+ partners.
- Drone Program Drone-based operations for invasive species eradication and ecosystem monitoring, including AI-enabled cameras that have reduced operational costs by approximately 400% and enabled restoration on six islands previously unattainable due to terrain.
- eDNA Environmental DNA Monitoring Tool Environmental DNA monitoring service that detects invasive species within an hour using small water or soil samples and documents native biodiversity over time as islands recover from conservation interventions.
- DIISE Database (Database of Island Invasive Species Eradications)
Quantifiable outcome
- 5000% increase in native trees on Palmyra Atoll after invasive rat removal
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Island Conservation
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Island Conservation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature8 records
Island Conservation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Re:wildcoreCo-founder of the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge (IOCC), a catalytic global initiative to restore 40 island-ocean ecosystems by 2030. The partnership brings together diverse partners to benefit islands and oceans through holistic restoration.
- UC San Diego Scripps Institution of OceanographycoreCo-founder of the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge, providing scientific expertise in oceanography and marine ecosystem research to support ridge-to-reef restoration efforts.
- Galápagos National Park DirectoratecoreLead agency for the Floreana Ecological Restoration Project, the largest and most ambitious conservation initiative in the Galápagos. Co-executes restoration projects with Island Conservation.
- Tuvalu Department of EnvironmentcoreLead agency for invasive rat eradication projects in Tuvalu, including the Niulakita project. Island Conservation provides technical support for holistic ecosystem restoration.
- IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist GroupcoreCollaborative partner in the DIISE database of island invasive species eradications, providing IUCN expertise on invasive species management.
- BirdLife InternationalcorePartner in the TIB database and IOCC collective, bringing global bird conservation expertise to island restoration efforts.
- Conservation MetricsmajorAI partner that helped process over 70,000 hours of wildlife acoustic recordings, training algorithms to recognize 74 species calls.
- Conservation X LabsmajorNew partner joining the IOCC collective to bring innovation and technology solutions to island restoration challenges.
- Galápagos ConservancycoreKey partner in Floreana restoration, with Roger McDonough explaining the process behind raising hybrid tortoises for reintroduction.
- The Nature ConservancymajorMajor conservation organization partner in collaborative restoration efforts and marine protection initiatives.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Island Conservation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Re:wild: Global wildlife conservation organization (formerly Global Wildlife Conservation) co-founded the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge with Island Conservation and Scripps. Operates a similar model of species-focused conservation partnerships and shares overlapping programs on island restoration.
- BirdLife International: Global partnership of national bird-conservation organizations and a co-partner in the TIB database and IOCC collective. Brings overlapping seabird-focused conservation mission and island-site expertise.
- Galápagos Conservancy: Direct partner in the Floreana restoration project and other Galápagos initiatives. Focuses on invasive species, native species reintroduction, and habitat restoration in the same operating geography as Island Conservation's flagship work.
- Predator Free 2050: New Zealand government-backed initiative with the same core mission of removing invasive predators from islands and mainland sanctuaries. Shares comparable technology-driven methodology and is a logical geographic peer.
Broad incumbents
- The Nature Conservancy: One of the world's largest environmental nonprofits with island and coastal restoration programs globally. A listed IOCC partner, TNC offers overlapping biodiversity and ecosystem restoration capabilities but at a much broader geographic and thematic scale.
- National Geographic Society: Provides funding and media support to Island Conservation via the Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic Fund. Operates broader exploration, conservation, and science programs but with shared focus on species and ecosystem preservation.
- World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Large-scale conservation organization with overlapping island and species programs globally. Operates from a much broader mandate but addresses many of the same invasive-species and biodiversity challenges Island Conservation targets.
- Conservation International: Global environmental nonprofit focused on biodiversity hotspots, marine protection, and nature-based climate solutions. Shares overlap with Island Conservation's island-ocean ecosystem work and global donor base.
Emerging players
- IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group: Specialist volunteer network within IUCN focused on invasive species management and a collaborative partner on the DIISE database. Operates in adjacent technical/standards-setting capacity rather than as a direct field operator.
- Conservation Metrics: AI and acoustic-monitoring technology partner that helped Island Conservation process 70,000+ hours of wildlife recordings across 6 islands. Represents a closely adjacent technology vendor in the conservation-data stack.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat7 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Island Conservation social profiles
Digital presenceIsland Conservation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Island Conservation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles18 records
Island Conservation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Island Conservation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Island Conservation
What does Island Conservation do?
Island Conservation delivers holistic island restoration services that remove invasive species and accelerate native species recovery on islands worldwide. The organization executes end-to-end projects—from scoping and community engagement to eradication, monitoring, and ecosystem recovery—supplemented by proprietary technology including drones, AI-enabled acoustic and camera monitoring, and environmental DNA detection tools. Services are provided free of charge to partner communities and funded through donations, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorships.
Is Island Conservation a public or private company?
Island Conservation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Island Conservation founded?
Island Conservation was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Island Conservation based?
Island Conservation is headquartered in Santa Cruz, United States, in the North America region.
How does Island Conservation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are foundation and Government Grants and corporate Partnerships.
Who are Island Conservation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Re:wild, BirdLife International, Galápagos Conservancy and Predator Free 2050. Broad incumbents are The Nature Conservancy, National Geographic Society, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Conservation International. Emerging players are IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group and Conservation Metrics.
Does Island Conservation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Island Conservation.
What industry is Island Conservation in?
Island Conservation's product category is Conservation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAA, Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation, with a secondary code of BPAGAGAE, Marine & Freshwater Conservation.