Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory

What Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory does

Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) is an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) field research station founded in 1928 and located at 9,500 feet elevation in Gothic, Colorado, within the Gunnison National Forest. It operates under USDA Forest Service permit and provides research infrastructure, long-term ecological datasets, housing, laboratories, and permitting services to approximately 190 professional scientists and 60 graduate students annually conducting field studies on mountain ecosystems, climate change, watershed function, atmospheric processes, pollinator phenology, and mammal population dynamics. The organization maintains one of the world's most extensive collections of continuous ecological data, with weather records dating to 1910 and systematic research data spanning 50+ years, including the 60+ year RMBL Marmot Project (the second-longest study of individually identified wild mammals).

RMBL's revenue model is diversified across multiple streams. Approximately 10% of funding comes from federal grants (DOE, NSF, NOAA), with the remainder generated from tax-deductible individual and foundation donations, fee-based educational programs (Nature Camp, Science Camp, Project Eco-STEM at $550-$2,100 per session serving 750+ K-12 students annually), winter hut rentals ($250-$400/night), visitor center merchandise and tours ($188,860 YTD through July 2025, up 25% YoY), and interpretive wildflower hikes ($70-$75). The organization has increasingly diversified fundraising through creative channels including an OnlyFans 'OnlyMarms' account, a Marmot Tears IPA partnership with Irwin Brewing Co., and the inaugural Fat Marmot Week public voting competition launched in 2026.

In 2026 RMBL launched a significant digital platform expansion including the RMBL Data Hub (an AI-powered suite comprising a Spatial Data Platform Browser serving as a digital twin of the Gunnison Basin, a Knowledge Commons cross-document research discovery tool, and a Compute Hub for hosted scientific computing) and RMBL Flowercast for predictive wildflower bloom forecasting. Strategic core partnerships include Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory on the DOE Watershed Function Scientific Focus Area (since 2016), the DOE SAIL atmospheric campaign ($8M, 2021-2023), NOAA's SPLASH project, and UCLA's Marmot Project. Major foundation funders include the Clark Family Foundation and Chrest Foundation, with additional support from the Gunnison County Tourism and Prosperity Partnership.

Name

Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory

Legal name

Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory

Website

https://rmbl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory is an independent nonprofit field research station founded in 1928 in Gothic, Colorado, supporting ~190 scientists and 60 graduate students annually with century-long ecological datasets, AI-powered data platforms, and youth science education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biological Research Station Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity Baseline Studies & Long-Term Monitoring Programs (EUAHAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation & Research Lodges (Citizen Science, Field Stations with Guests) (THAAAHAJ), Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB)

Keywords

• Ecological field research
• Biological research station
• Long-term environmental monitoring
• Mountain ecosystem science
• Field science education

Headquarters

HQ city

Crested Butte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: RMBL receives tax-deductible donations from individuals, foundations, and organizations. The organization emphasizes that donations directly support long-term research infrastructure and programs.
2. Youth and Educational Programs: Revenue from summer camps (Nature Camp, Science Camp, Project Eco-STEM) and High School Introduction to Field Biology course. Programs range from $550-$2,100 plus fees. 2025 saw $188,860 in net sales from Visitor Center operations.
3. Facility Rentals and Hospitality: Winter hut rentals (Maroon Hut, Crystal Hut) at $400/night (Fri-Mon) or $250/night (Tue-Thu) plus tax. Also includes Gothic campus housing and RMBL 365 accommodations during summer season.
4. Grants and Federal Funding: Approximately 10% of funding comes from grants. Major funders include Department of Energy, NSF, and NOAA. Recent federal budget cuts have threatened marmot research funding.
5. Tours and Visitor Services: Daily townsite tours (suggested donation $20 adults, $10 children), interpretive wildflower hikes ($70-$75), and Visitor Center merchandise sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory operates an independent nonprofit field research station at 9,500 feet elevation in Gothic, Colorado, providing scientists with research infrastructure, housing, permits, and access to one of the world's most extensive collections of long-term ecological data. It also offers youth science education programs (Nature Camp, Science Camp, Project Eco-STEM, High School Field Biology), public tours, visitor center exhibits, winter hut rentals, and AI-powered data platforms (RMBL Data Hub, RMBL Flowercast).

Product overview

RMBL is a nonprofit field station offering a portfolio of interconnected data platforms, educational programs, and public engagement services. The core technology products include the RMBL Data Hub (with Spatial Data Platform Browser, Knowledge Commons AI, and Compute Hub components) and RMBL Flowercast for wildflower forecasting. Supporting services include youth science camps (Nature Camp, Science Camp, Project Eco-STEM, High School Field Biology course), visitor center and interpretive tours, and Fat Marmot Week public engagement events. Winter hut rentals provide year-round access. Major support provided by Clark Family Foundation, Chrest Foundation, and Gunnison County Tourism and Prosperity Partnership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RMBL Data Hub A suite of data tools designed to support environmental research and policy in the Gunnison Basin, including an AI-powered Knowledge Commons, a Spatial Data Platform Browser acting as a living digital twin of the basin, and a Compute Hub for hosted scientific computing. Available to researchers, policymakers, and the public.
• RMBL Flowercast Interactive wildflower bloom forecasting system predicting peak bloom timing for 14 common wildflower species in the Upper Gunnison Basin using long-term ecological data, community observations via iNaturalist, and satellite data. Targeted at visitors planning trips and researchers monitoring phenology.
• Visitor Center and Interpretive Tours The Weldon and Rosalie Weekley Visitor Center offers daily Gothic townsite tours and interpretive wildflower hikes at the Gothic campus, Snodgrass, and Judd Falls. Educational displays cover RMBL science and the area's history, plus merchandise, books, maps, and refreshments. Targeted at tourists and the public.
• Youth Science Camps (Nature Camp, Science Camp, Project Eco-STEM) Outdoor science education summer programs for K-9 students, including Nature Camp (K-2), Science Camp (3-5), and Project Eco-STEM (6-9) where students design and conduct their own field research projects under professional guidance. Targeted at K-9 students and families.
• High School Introduction to Field Biology Two-week intensive summer field biology course for high school students teaching biological research processes with access to scientific equipment and RMBL scientists. Offers high school and college credit options. Priced at $2,100 plus $25 registration for non-local students.
• Winter Hut Rentals Rental of backcountry hut accommodations (Maroon Hut and Crystal Hut Upper/Lower, each sleeping 8) for winter recreation access to the Gothic area with ski-in/skin-out terrain. Weekday rate $250/night plus tax; weekend rate $400/night plus tax. Targeted at backcountry skiers and winter recreationists.
• Fat Marmot Week Annual public voting competition celebrating yellow-bellied marmots' seasonal weight gain before hibernation, combining real science with community engagement. Inaugural event held in 2026 by the RMBL Marmot Project.

Quantifiable outcome

• RMBL scientists publish in high-impact journals including Science and PNAS, influencing global climate policy
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• UCLA (Daniel Blumstein Lab)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026UCLA professor Daniel Blumstein leads the RMBL Marmot Project, one of the world's longest-running studies of individually marked wild mammals (established 1962). Blumstein co-directs the project with University of Ottawa professor Julien Martin. The project faced funding threats in 2026, leading to creative fundraising via OnlyFans.
• Western Colorado UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Students from Western Colorado University collaborate on research projects including CHESS (Colorado Headwaters Ecological Spectroscopy Study) and Data Hub development. RMBL scientists serve as adjunct professors. The partnership supports graduate student training and provides RMBL with technical talent.
• U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021DOE funds the SAIL (Surface Atmosphere Integrated Field Laboratory) campaign, deploying a mobile atmospheric observatory with ~50 instruments at RMBL. The $8M deployment (2021-2023) studies atmospheric processes affecting mountain hydrology. DOE's ARM user facility oversees one of the largest research systems in the world with 17 national labs involved.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021NOAA funded the SPLASH (Study of Precipitation, Lower Atmosphere and Surface Hydrometeorology) project, deploying instruments to improve weather and water prediction capabilities in complex mountainous terrain. The one-year project complemented SAIL with additional atmospheric and surface measurements.
• USDA Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021RMBL operates under permit from the USDA Forest Service, Gunnison National Forest. The permit enables research activities on federal land and establishes regulatory framework for the field station's operations.
• Irwin Brewing Co.minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2021Partnership to release 'Marmot Tears IPA' as unconventional fundraising effort for the marmot research project following federal funding cuts.
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016LBNL's Watershed Function Scientific Focus Area (SFA) project is RMBL's core water research collaboration, focused on understanding how mountainous watersheds retain and release water, nutrients, carbon, and metals. Established in 2016, this partnership has brought significant DOE funding and integrated RMBL into one of the world's most comprehensive mountain ecosystem research programs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sevilleta Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER): University of New Mexico-operated LTER site in New Mexico with long-term monitoring of aridland ecosystems. Comparable model of hosting long-term NSF-funded ecological research with extensive datasets and infrastructure for visiting scientists.
• Konza Prairie Biological Station: Kansas State University-operated LTER site in the Flint Hills. Comparable as a long-term ecological research station with NSF LTER funding, visiting scientist programs, and decades-long continuous datasets.
• Mountain Studies Institute: San Juan Mountains-based independent mountain research institute in Colorado conducting ecological and water resource research. Comparable as a smaller-scale independent nonprofit mountain research organization with similar audience and funding model.
• Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies: Independent nonprofit research institute focused on long-term ecological research and ecosystem science. Operates similar model of conducting and supporting ecological research with permanent staff and visiting scientists, making it a strong comparable in scale and mission.
• Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest: Long-term ecological research site in New Hampshire operated by the USDA Forest Service with extensive watershed and forest monitoring data dating back to the 1960s. Highly comparable as a long-term ecological research station with continuous datasets.
• Niwot Ridge Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) station: University of Colorado-operated alpine research station in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Closest geographic and ecosystem peer, conducting long-term ecological monitoring including climate, snowpack, and biodiversity research in similar high-altitude environments.
• Toolik Field Station: University of Alaska Fairbanks-operated Arctic research station hosting long-term climate and ecological research. Comparable as a remote field station supporting diverse visiting scientists with research infrastructure and long-term datasets.
• H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest: Oregon State University-operated LTER site in Oregon's Cascade Range with long-term forest and watershed research dating to 1948. Directly comparable model of long-term ecological monitoring, visiting scientist support, and NSF LTER funding.

Broad incumbents

• National Geographic Society: Large scientific nonprofit supporting exploration, research, and education. Overlaps with RMBL in supporting field research and conservation science, though at vastly greater scale and with broader geographic scope.
• Denver Museum of Nature & Science: Major Colorado natural history museum offering citizen science, educational programming, and research. Overlaps with RMBL in nature education and youth programming, though much larger in scale and broader in scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rockymtnbiolab
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rocky-mountain-biological-laboratory/?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/rocky_mountain_bio_lab
• Xx.com/rmblgothic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory