Vermont Institute of Natural Science

What Vermont Institute of Natural Science does

Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental education organization founded in 1972 and headquartered in Quechee, Vermont, where it operates a 47-acre Nature Center along the Ottauquechee River. Its core offerings divide into three streams: (1) on-site visitor experiences at the Nature Center, including raptor enclosures, a songbird aviary, the ADA-accessible Forest Canopy Walk reaching 65 feet above the forest floor, indoor exhibits, daily live animal programs, and special events such as Fairy Hunts and Treetop Golden Hour; (2) formal education delivered as field trips, animal outreach programs to schools and libraries, teacher professional development, NGSS-aligned teaching kit rentals, and portable assets such as the 22-foot StarLab planetarium and Emriver Stream Table; and (3) wild bird rehabilitation, where VINS operates the largest avian rehab facility in Vermont, treating over 1,000 injured, orphaned, and ill birds annually from Vermont and New Hampshire.

The underlying technology is predominantly physical infrastructure and programming IP rather than software: live animal ambassador collections, raptor handling expertise, and curriculum aligned to Next Generation Science Standards. Digital touchpoints are conventional — a website (vinsweb.org), membership and booking forms (via Veevart), a live Eagle Cam webcam, social channels, a Constant Contact newsletter, and a mobile application — alongside long-running community science projects including Kestrel Box Monitoring, Monarch Watch, GLOBE forest monitoring, and NestWatch.

Revenue is generated through a mix of earned and contributed income: visitor admissions and annual memberships (subscription recurring), per-student and flat-rate field trip and outreach fees (e.g., $13.50-$15.50 per student, $200 per virtual field trip, $250-$400 per outreach program), $50 teaching kit rentals, summer Nature Camp fees across four age tiers (Peeps, Fledglings, Falcons, Eagles), donations, corporate sponsorships, and foundation grants. Customer segments span tourists and local families (SMB/consumer), K-12 schools and educators (mid-market institutional), afterschool programs and libraries, hospitality partners such as breweries hosting events, and a donor/supporter base alongside injured wildlife cases as a non-paying service segment. Geographic reach is concentrated in New England — primarily Vermont, New Hampshire, the Upper Valley, and adjacent Upstate New York outreach territory.

Name

Vermont Institute of Natural Science

Legal name

Vermont Institute of Natural Science

Website

https://vinsweb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1972 that operates a 47-acre Nature Center in Quechee, Vermont, delivering environmental education, avian wildlife rehabilitation (treating over 1,000 birds annually), and community science programming to schools, families, and visitors across Vermont, New Hampshire, and adjacent regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education and Wildlife Rehabilitation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Rehabilitation & Release Centers (Public Viewing/Education) (THAAAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC), Wetlands, Rivers & Freshwater Nature Tours (THAJAIAH)

Keywords

• Environmental education
• Wildlife rehabilitation
• Nature center visits
• School field trips
• Avian conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Quechee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Visitor Admissions & Memberships: General admission to the Nature Center, annual memberships offering unlimited visits and store discounts, and special event tickets.
2. School & Group Programs: Field trip fees (in-person and virtual), school program partnerships, teacher professional development, and outreach program bookings to schools and community events.
3. Teaching Kit Rentals: Classroom teaching kit rentals aligned with Next Generation Science Standards, including beaver, bird, and water quality testing kits. Rental fee of $50 per kit.
4. Donations & Grants: Charitable contributions from individuals, corporate sponsorships, spring appeals, and dedicated programs like adopt-an-ambassador.
5. Wild Bird Rehabilitation: Wild bird rescue and rehabilitation services for injured and orphaned birds from throughout Vermont and New Hampshire, treating over 1,000 birds annually.
6. Nature Camp: Summer nature camp programs for children across multiple age groups (Peeps, Fledglings, Falcons, Eagles), with scholarship support available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

VINS operates a 47-acre Nature Center in Quechee, Vermont that delivers environmental education programs, live animal exhibits, and visitor experiences for families, tourists, and school groups. It also runs the largest avian rehabilitation center in Vermont, treating over 1,000 injured, orphaned, and ill wild birds annually from Vermont and New Hampshire. Educational offerings span NGSS-aligned K-12 field trips, mobile animal outreach visits, teacher professional development, classroom teaching kit rentals, a StarLab planetarium, an Emriver Stream Table, summer nature camps, and community science research projects.

Product overview

The Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) operates as an environmental education organization offering a unified portfolio of programs and services centered around its 47-acre Nature Center in Quechee, Vermont. The core offerings include the VINS Nature Center (featuring outdoor and indoor exhibits, including the Forest Canopy Walk and Eagle Cam), Wild Bird Rehabilitation services (Vermont's largest avian rehab center treating 1,000+ birds annually), and educational programming through Field Trips and Animal Outreach Programs. Supporting infrastructure includes Teacher Resources with rental Teaching Kits (e.g., Beaver Kit, Bird Adaptations Kit, Water Quality Testing Kit), the StarLab Planetarium, and Emriver Stream Table for hands-on learning. Additional programs include Nature Camp, Research Classroom Connection projects, Membership Program, and Adopt an Ambassador sponsorship. VINS also offers a mobile application alongside its digital platforms. The organization serves schools, families, and community groups through in-person experiences at the Nature Center, outreach visits, and classroom-based programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VINS Nature Center

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 injured, orphaned, and ill birds treated annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife RefugeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Water Quality Testing Kit is provided by the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, which covers 7.2 million acres along the Connecticut River. The Conte Connections Manual is included with the kit to support student investigation of the watershed.
• Lawson's Finest LiquidsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLawson's Finest Liquids provides beverages for the Treetop Golden Hour evening events on the Forest Canopy Walk.
• Vermont Mobile SpiritsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVermont Mobile Spirits provides beverages for the Treetop Golden Hour evening events on the Forest Canopy Walk.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Hawk Mountain Sanctuary: Pennsylvania-based raptor conservation sanctuary and education center with live raptors, public trails, and raptor ecology programs. Closely comparable to VINS's raptor ambassador and raptor education focus.
• Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research: Delaware-based avian wildlife rehabilitation center treating oil-contaminated and injured birds with research programs. Comparable core wildlife rehab mission, though specialized in oil response and Mid-Atlantic rather than New England.
• Center for Wildlife (Maine): Maine-based wildlife rehabilitation and environmental education center treating injured wildlife and providing public programs. Closely aligned with VINS's combination of wildlife rehab and public-facing nature education in northern New England.
• Earthplace: Connecticut nature center and wildlife sanctuary with live animal exhibits, nature preschool, and trails. Comparable suburban New England nature center model with similar dual education/wildlife mission.
• Squam Lakes Natural Science Center: New Hampshire-based nature center operating trail systems, live animal exhibits, and educational programs including raptor ambassadors and wildlife rehabilitation-adjacent programming. Most directly comparable to VINS in scale, offerings, and New England regional focus.
• Roger Tory Peterson Institute: Jamestown, NY-based nature art and education organization named after the famous field guide author, focused on bird and natural science education. Comparable in mission and bird-centric educational focus, though smaller and more museum-oriented.

Regional players

• Audubon Vermont: Vermont chapter of the National Audubon Society operating the Green Mountain Audubon Center with similar environmental education and bird-focused programming. Directly regional overlap with VINS within Vermont.

Broad incumbents

• New England Aquarium: Major Boston-based aquarium and marine animal rescue/rehabilitation organization with extensive education programming and visitor scale. Comparable in New England geography and nonprofit environmental education model, but vastly larger and aquarium-focused.
• Massachusetts Audubon Society: Large regional Audubon affiliate operating 60+ wildlife sanctuaries across Massachusetts with extensive environmental education, advocacy, and land stewardship. Much larger scale and broader footprint than VINS but overlapping mission in conservation education.

Emerging players

• Strawberry Hill Nature Center: Maryland-based nature center with wildlife exhibits, summer camp, and school programs. Comparable smaller-scale nature center operating model with environmental education focus, though at smaller scale and different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPf5MCe-CklVRyfMi3mqYUw/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/VINS.VT
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vermont-institute-of-natural-science
• Instagraminstagram.com/vinsraptors
• Xx.com/VINS_Tweets

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Vermont Institute of Natural Science