What Wildlands Studies LLC does

Wildlands Studies LLC, founded in 1979 and based in Aptos, California, operates a portfolio of 16-20 annual field-based environmental study programs for undergraduate students across 15+ international and domestic locations, including Alaska, Australia, French Polynesia, Iceland, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, New Zealand, Thailand, Belize, Chile, Ecuador, Yellowstone, and the Channel Islands. Programs run for two weeks (5 quarter credits) or six weeks (15 quarter credits), with 12-16 students per cohort and 280 hours of direct instructor contact. Three integrated courses—Environmental Wildlands Studies, Environmental Field Survey, and Wildlands Environment and Culture—are delivered entirely in field settings using standard scientific methods (species identification, population monitoring, habitat assessment). Academic credit is conferred through a permanent accreditation arrangement with Western Washington University's College of the Environment, with transferable credits recognized by 100+ partner universities.

The company monetizes through one-time program fees: tuition ranges from $2,350 (Channel Islands 2-week) to $7,750 (French Polynesia 6-week), supplemented by in-country logistics fees of $775-$4,450 and a $150 non-refundable application fee. Total per-student cost ranges from roughly $4,075 to $15,300. Enrollment is direct-to-consumer via the Wildlands Studies website using CampBrain registration, with rolling admissions. Go-to-market relies on Field Studies Advisors visiting up to 30 campuses annually across the US and Canada, monthly Zoom information sessions, Instagram and Facebook social media, email newsletters, and referrals through university academic advisors and study abroad offices. Additional revenue support comes from a $150 alumni discount and need-based $400 scholarships awarded each season. The organization is privately held by Director Leslie Arutunian, who assumed ownership in 2007, with a small core staff of approximately 11-50 employees including an Associate Director, Student Affairs Manager, Outreach Manager, Office Manager, Campus Visit Coordinator, and field instructors. The company has no external institutional investment, no parent company, and is funded entirely through program fees.

Name

Wildlands Studies LLC

Legal name

Wildlands Studies LLC

Website

https://wildlandsstudies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wildlands Studies LLC is a privately held California-based environmental education company founded in 1979 that runs 16-20 immersive two-week and six-week field study programs annually for undergraduate students across 15+ international locations, conferring accredited academic credit through Western Washington University.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Field Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Experiential & Field-Based Study Abroad (Research, Field Schools, Practicums) (EDAIAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB)

Keywords

• Environmental field studies
• Academic study abroad
• Wildlife conservation education
• Experiential field learning
• Undergraduate field programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Aptos

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Fees (Academic Tuition): Tuition fees charged for field study programs. Two-week programs earn 5 quarter credits; six-week programs earn 15 quarter credits. Fees vary by program length and location (e.g., Channel Islands 2-week: $2,350; French Polynesia 6-week: $7,750).
2. In-Country Logistics Fees: Fees covering on-the-ground expenses including local transportation, camping/lodging, park fees, permits, study facilities, and group equipment rental. Varies by program (e.g., Channel Islands: $775; French Polynesia: $4,450).
3. Application Fees: $150 non-refundable application fee charged upon submission, securing spot in program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wildlands Studies runs 2-week and 6-week immersive, fully field-based environmental study programs for undergraduate students in over 15 international and domestic locations, conferring 5 or 15 quarter credits per program through Western Washington University. Each program integrates three field courses covering environmental science, field survey methods, and environment-culture relationships, with small cohorts of 12–16 students led by PhD/MS-credentialed instructors. Revenue comes from per-program tuition, in-country logistics fees, and a $150 non-refundable application fee.

Product overview

Wildlands Studies LLC offers a portfolio of field-based environmental education programs for undergraduate students. The core offering consists of two program formats: Short-Term Field Study Programs (2 weeks, 5 quarter credits) and Academic Term Field Study Programs (6 weeks, 15 quarter credits). Each program includes three integrated academic courses—Environmental Wildlands Studies, Environmental Field Survey, and Wildlands Environment and Culture—taught through immersive fieldwork. Programs operate across 15+ international and domestic locations including Alaska, Australia, Belize, Chile, Ecuador, French Polynesia, Iceland, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, New Zealand, Thailand, Yellowstone, and the Channel Islands. Academic credit is conferred by Western Washington University. Additional offerings include need-based Field Study Scholarships ($400 per season) and an Alumni Discount Program ($150 for returning participants).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Short-Term Field Study Programs (2 weeks) Two-week intensive field study programs offering 5 quarter credits through Western Washington University, focused on environmental science and ecological research in specific destinations (e.g., Channel Islands, Alaska, Yellowstone). Designed for undergraduate students seeking a short immersive experience with transferable credit.
• Academic Term Field Study Programs (6 weeks) Six-week immersive field study programs offering 15 quarter credits through Western Washington University, providing comprehensive hands-on environmental education across international locales (e.g., French Polynesia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand). Includes 280 hours of direct instructor-student contact.
• Channel Islands: Wildlife Recovery Summer field program studying island fox and wildlife recovery, bald eagle reintroduction, and ecosystem restoration on the California Channel Islands; offers 5 quarter credits, total estimated cost $4,075 (application fee $150, program fee $2,350, logistics $775, plus airfare and food).
• Alaska: Clean Air, Climate Change and Policy Summer field program examining clean air, climate change policy and environmental science in Alaska, offering 5 quarter credits.
• Yellowstone: Human-Wildlife Coexistence, Conflict and Conservation Summer field program examining human-wildlife coexistence, conflict and conservation in Yellowstone National Park, offering 5 quarter credits.
• French Polynesia: Marine Life, Warming Oceans and Rising Seas Summer field program investigating marine life, warming oceans and rising seas in Tahiti and Moorea (French Polynesia), offering 15 quarter credits; total estimated cost $15,300 (application fee $150, program fee $7,750, logistics $4,450, plus airfare and food).
• Australia: The Great Barrier Reef, Ancient Rainforests, and Unique Wildlife Field study program exploring tropical reefs, rainforests and endemic wildlife of Australia, offering 15 quarter credits.
• Iceland: Arctic Ecosystems, Climate Change and Carbon Cycles Field program studying Arctic ecosystems, climate change and carbon cycles in Iceland.
• Indonesian Islands: Island Biogeography, Vulnerable Wildlife, and Contrasting Landscapes Field study program examining island biogeography, vulnerable wildlife and diverse landscapes across Indonesian islands.
• Japan: Marine Biology of the Japanese Archipelago Fall field program focusing on marine biology across the Japanese archipelago from Hokkaido to Okinawa, offering 15 quarter credits.
• Nepal: Himalayan Habitats, Climatic Zones and Ecological Vulnerabilities Spring/fall field program studying Himalayan habitats, climatic zones and ecological vulnerabilities in Nepal.
• New Zealand: Island Ecosystems, Dramatic Landscapes and Endemic Species Spring/fall field program examining island ecosystems, dramatic landscapes and endemic species in New Zealand.
• Belize: Tropical Ecology, Wildlife and Coral Reefs Winter field program studying tropical ecology, wildlife and coral reef ecosystems in Belize, including the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.
• Chile: Patagonia, Land Stewardship and Conservation Strategies Winter field study program examining Patagonia ecosystems, land stewardship practices and conservation strategies in Chile.
• Ecuador: Equatorial Ecology, Biodiversity and Wildlife Winter field program studying equatorial ecology, biodiversity and wildlife in Ecuador.
• Thailand: Marine Ecosystems Winter field program studying marine ecosystems, reef resiliency and warming oceans in Thailand.
• Thailand: Human-Elephant Coexistence Field program focusing on human-elephant coexistence, wildlife recovery and stewardship in Thailand.
• Environmental Wildlands Studies Course Field-based course covering environmental problems affecting natural and human-impacted ecosystems, including the role of human interactions and environmental policy analysis. Taken as part of any 2- or 6-week program.
• Environmental Field Survey Course Field-based course conducting on-site examinations of environmental problems affecting wildlands and wildlife, teaching data collection techniques, field inventory methods, and environmental report writing. Taken as part of any 2- or 6-week program.
• Wildlands Environment and Culture Course Field-based course studying relationships among cultural groups and the environment, examining historical and current cultural and environmental uses of wildland communities. Taken as part of any 2- or 6-week program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 46 years of operation with thousands of alumni
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Western Washington University (College of the Environment)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1979Wildlands Studies courses are permanently approved through Western Washington University's College of the Environment, Environmental Science Department. Credits are conferred by WWU and appear on official university transcripts. This accreditation partnership is fundamental to the organization's academic legitimacy and credit transferability.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS): OTS is a consortium of universities running field-based tropical ecology courses with academic credit—highly comparable to Wildlands' tropical programs (Belize, Ecuador, Indonesia) in structure, target market, and academic-credit delivery.
• SIT Study Abroad (World Learning): SIT Study Abroad offers experiential, field-based study abroad programs with strong emphasis on research, field schools, and practicums—closely aligned with Wildlands' experiential learning model and accredited field-research offerings.
• Earthwatch Institute: Earthwatch runs citizen-science expeditions worldwide where participants contribute to environmental field research—a direct analog to Wildlands' field-research-driven academic programs in wilderness and conservation contexts.
• API (Academic Programs International): API is a multi-destination study abroad provider operating across multiple countries with environmental and field-based offerings—comparable to Wildlands in GTM motion (university partnerships, credit transfer) and geographic diversity, though with broader disciplinary coverage.
• Round River Conservation Studies: Round River offers field-based conservation study programs for undergraduates with academic credit at partner universities—a near-clone of Wildlands' model in scale, mission, and delivery.
• School for Field Studies (SFS): SFS is the closest direct competitor, offering accredited, field-based environmental study abroad programs with research components across multiple international sites. It mirrors Wildlands in mission, delivery model, and academic-credit partnership structure, though at a somewhat larger scale.
• Sea Education Association (SEA): SEA offers field-based ocean and environmental study abroad programs with academic credit, similar in structure to Wildlands' marine-focused offerings (French Polynesia, Thailand, Japan) and overall experiential credit-bearing model.

Broad incumbents

• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): CIEE is a major incumbent in study abroad with multi-country programs, including environmental and field-based offerings—broader scale than Wildlands but operates in adjacent academic-credit and university-partnership infrastructure.
• IES Abroad: IES Abroad is a large, established study abroad provider with a broader portfolio of disciplines but overlapping with Wildlands on environmental and field-study programs and academic credit infrastructure through university partners.

Others

• National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS): NOLS is an outdoor education and wilderness leadership school with field-based courses—comparable in immersive outdoor pedagogy but focused on outdoor skills and leadership rather than academic environmental science credit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Study_Wildlands
• Facebookfacebook.com/WildlandsStudies
• Instagraminstagram.com/wildlands.studies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wildlands-studies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Wildlands Studies LLC