Children’s Nature Retreat

What Children’s Nature Retreat does

Children's Nature Retreat Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization operating a 20-acre animal sanctuary and farm in Alpine, California, approximately 40 minutes outside San Diego. Founded in 2006 by Agnès Barrelet, who continues to serve as Executive Director, the organization houses 200+ animals across 25 species and 69 breeds, primarily rescued animals acquired from owners who could no longer care for them. Core operations center on direct animal interaction experiences for families, educational field trips for schools, and corporate retreat hosting, with the sanctuary serving over 15,000 guests and 4,000 field trip participants annually. The organization maintains a 4.9 Google rating across 416 reviews.

The revenue model combines multiple streams: single-day admissions ($25-$40 per visitor), annual memberships ($85-$325 across adult, child, and family tiers), week-long children's camps at $495-$695, premium add-on experiences including founder-led Behind the Scene Tours ($495) and Be a Keeper for the Day programs ($195), birthday party packages, and wellness retreats at $222 per person. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the organization's website and on-site sales, supported by partnerships with San Diego Humane Society, FACE Foundation, Americas Finest Charter School, SDG&E, and The Sun & her Moon Collective. A proprietary Hydroponic Fodder System produces over 900 pounds of sprouted barley weekly using only 175 gallons of water, reducing feed costs and environmental footprint.

Beyond the San Diego sanctuary, the foundation operates an international program in Sapone, Burkina Faso, established in 2012, supporting preschool education for 178 children and providing 40 annual secondary education scholarships. The organization runs seasonal events (Easter Egg Hunt, Pumpkin Patch) and an annual fundraiser gala, with donations captured through Zeffy and AmazonSmile channels. The sanctuary reopened in September 2020 after successfully evacuating and returning over 120 animals during the Valley Fire, demonstrating operational continuity.

Name

Children’s Nature Retreat

Legal name

Children's Nature Retreat Foundation

Website

https://childrensnatureretreat.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Children's Nature Retreat is a 501c3 nonprofit operating a 20-acre animal sanctuary in Alpine, California, serving families, school groups, and corporate clients through admissions, camps, premium experiences, and donations, with a secondary education program in Burkina Faso.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Sanctuary and Educational Farm Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Education & Community Programs (Junior Ranger, Citizen Science, School Programs) (THAAAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education & Community Outreach (Responsible Pet Ownership) (BPAGAIAK), Recreation & Activity Services (Hiking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing—Guided/Authorized) (THAAAGAF), Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

Keywords

• Animal sanctuary services
• Nature education programs
• Children's wildlife camps
• Guided farm tours
• Animal interaction experiences

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Admission Fees: Single day passes for visitors including adults ($40), children ($25), with free admission for under 2 years. Group discounts available for 12+ visitors.
2. Annual Memberships: Recurring membership revenue from adult ($149), child ($85), and family memberships ($269-$325). Provides free unlimited admission for one year plus perks.
3. Children's Camps: Week-long children's camp programs at $695/week (5-day) or $495/week (3-day). Shadow animal keepers from 9am-5pm for hands-on experience.
4. Premium Experiences: Add-on experiences including Be a Keeper for the Day ($195/person), Guided Tours ($250 for up to 5), Behind the Scene Tours ($495), and Up-close encounters ($35/person/enclosure).
5. Birthday Parties: Birthday party bookings with regular admission plus add-ons for goat visits ($75) and special presentations ($100).
6. Wellness Events: Flow with Nature wellness retreats at $222 per person, including guided tour, yoga, sound healing, and plant-based lunch.
7. Donations: Tax-deductible donations through Zeffy platform. 501c3 nonprofit with EIN 20-4859019. Symbolic animal adoptions starting at $50.
8. Special Events: Annual fundraiser gala tickets at $175 per ticket ($250 VIP), Easter egg hunt with $10 per basket, and other community events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Children's Nature Retreat Foundation operates a public-facing 20-acre animal sanctuary and educational farm in Alpine, California, providing hands-on animal interactions, nature education programs, children's camps, guided tours, birthday parties, wellness retreats, and corporate team-building experiences. Revenue is generated through single-day admission tickets, annual memberships, premium add-on experiences (such as Be a Keeper for a Day and Behind The Scene Tours), special seasonal events, and tax-deductible donations supporting the 501c3 nonprofit mission.

Product overview

Children's Nature Retreat operates as a nonprofit animal sanctuary and farm offering visitor experiences centered around animal interaction and environmental education. The core product is the Single Day Pass providing access to the 20-acre San Diego Animal Sanctuary and Farm, home to 200+ animals across 25 species. The experience is supplemented by premium add-on modules including Up-Close and Personal animal encounters, Guided Tours, Keeper for the Day programs, Behind the Scene Tours with the Founder, and Birthday Party packages. The organization also operates seasonal offerings such as the Pumpkin Patch (October) and Easter Egg Hunt events. Membership programs (Annual Memberships at various tiers) provide recurring revenue and benefits. Children's Private Camp offers week-long day camp experiences for children ages 7+. Additional offerings include Flow with Nature wellness retreats, Corporate Retreat packages with seminar facilities, and Symbolic Animal Adoption donation programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Single Day Pass Single-day admission ticket providing access to the 20-acre animal sanctuary and farm, allowing visitors to explore enclosures from the outside, interact with 200+ animals, use picnic areas, and receive free parking. Adults $40, children (ages 2-12) $25, free for under 2 years; groups of 12+ receive 15% off; military, first responders, veteran families, teachers, and Alpine residents receive 10% off.
• Annual Membership Year-long recurring membership offering unlimited free admission, 10% off boutique purchases, free parking, monthly newsletter subscription, and one complimentary single day pass. Available as Adult ($149/year), Child ($85/year), or Family ($269/year for 1 adult + 2 children; $325/year for 2 adults + 1 child; additional adults $129, additional children $75 each).
• Up-Close and Personal Experience Premium animal encounter allowing visitors to enter enclosures and physically interact with animals, priced at $35 per person per enclosure. Available enclosure options include Barnyard Alley, Tortoise Landing, Mini horses and goats, Sheep and mini donkeys, Mini Trio, Judi's Little Zoo, Big horses, Bird room, and Reptile room.
• Guided Tour 90-minute guided tour led by an animal keeper who introduces visitors to each enclosure, sharing animal stories, dietary information, species details, and individual animal backgrounds. Priced at $250 for up to 5 people; admission not included.
• Be a Keeper for the Day Full-day immersive experience from 9am to 5pm shadowing experienced animal keepers, assisting with daily animal care duties including feeding, cleaning enclosures, and animal interactions. Priced at $195 per person; admission not included; minimum age 7 years.
• Behind The Scene Tour Exclusive three-hour private tour conducted personally by Founder and Executive Director Agnès Barrelet, limited to two guests for an intimate experience with access to each enclosure and up-close animal interactions. Priced at $495.
• Birthday Party Packages Birthday celebration package including standard admission with optional add-ons such as goat visits at the table ($75) and special presentations at the enclosure ($100).
• Children's Private Camp Week-long day camp (Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm) where children ages 7+ shadow animal keepers, help with daily duties, feed animals, and learn about animal care. Limited to 3 children at a time. Available as 5-day week ($695) or flexible 3-day week ($495).
• Pumpkin Patch Seasonal autumn event held October 1-31 where families can pick pumpkins directly from the vines in the on-site garden, which grows 300-400 pumpkins annually.
• Flow with Nature Wellness Retreat Monthly wellness retreat held every 4th Saturday, co-hosted with The Sun & her Moon Collective. Includes guided tour with Founder Agnès Barrelet, yin yoga, sound healing, meditation, reiki, aromatherapy, and plant-based lunch. Priced at $222 per person.
• Corporate Retreat Packages Private corporate retreat services offering exclusive use of the Wellness Center with 750 sq ft seminar space (seating up to 40), projector, and laptop for team building, planning sessions, and meetings, combined with animal encounters and on-site amenities.
• Symbolic Animal Adoption Virtual animal adoption program starting at $50 that funds specialized care for individual animals. Includes a one-year valid adoption certificate, animal personality information, and favorite treats details.
• Easter Egg Hunt Annual Easter event featuring egg hunts with 900 eggs hidden daily, held over 4 days with multiple hunt times per day. Regular admission applies.
• Field Trip Programs Educational field trip experiences for school groups including guided tours, animal feeding opportunities, and learning about animals and their habitats, serving 4,000+ field trip participants annually.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,000+ field trip participants annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• San Diego Humane SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for events and educational programs. San Diego Humane Society participates in CNRF events including book releases with adoptable animals.
• FACE FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnimal care resources partner for community events. FACE Foundation provides animal care resources at CNRF events.
• Americas Finest Charter SchoolminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducational institution that conducts staff retreats and team building events at the retreat. Over 80 staff attended professional development event.
• SDGE (San Diego Gas & Electric)minorOthersUtility company partner acknowledged in partners section. Logo displayed on website partners page.
• The Sun & her Moon CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWellness collective that co-hosts monthly Flow with Nature wellness retreats at the retreat venue.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Helen Woodward Animal Center: Large nonprofit humane/animal welfare organization in Rancho Santa Fe (near San Diego) offering adoption, education, and pet-centric experiences. Overlapping donor pool and San Diego regional audience with comparable 501c3 fundraising operations.
• SeaWorld San Diego: Major animal-themed theme park in San Diego with marine exhibits, animal encounters, and educational programming. Competes for regional family visitation and corporate/school group outings, though at much larger commercial scale.
• San Diego Zoo Safari Park: Major accredited zoo/safari park in Escondido (same San Diego region) with wildlife conservation, field-trip, and behind-the-scenes programming that competes for the same family and school segments though at vastly larger scale.
• Birch Aquarium at Scripps: Public aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla offering educational marine exhibits and programs. Comparable educational/experiential attraction competing for San Diego families, schools, and tourist visitors.
• San Diego Zoo: Iconic accredited zoo in Balboa Park with a focus on conservation, education, and animal exhibits; competes for family visitors and school field trips in the greater San Diego market and dwarfs CNR on institutional scale.

Direct peers

• The Gentle Barn: Nonprofit animal sanctuary (Santa Clarula, CA and Missouri) focused on rescued farm animals with hands-on visitor programming, kids' camps, and symbolic adoptions. Same hands-on rescue-animal positioning, education-driven mission, and 501c3 fundraising model as CNR.
• Lions Tigers & Bears: Nonprofit big-cat and exotic animal sanctuary located in Alpine, CA, sharing the same backyard. Operates a similar rescue-and-visitor-experience model, relies on donations and admissions, and appeals to families seeking close-up encounters with rescued animals.
• Wildlife Learning Center: Educational wildlife and exotic animal facility in Sylmar, CA offering guided tours, animal encounters, birthday parties, and camps. Closely comparable in visitor-experience mix, school programs, and small-scale operations.
• Zoomars at Riverrock Farm: Family petting zoo and animal experience attraction in San Juan Capistrano offering animal encounters, birthday parties, and group visits. Comparable small-scale, family-oriented hands-on animal attraction serving Southern California.
• Farm Sanctuary (Acton, CA): National farm animal rescue nonprofit with a California sanctuary offering tours, school programming, and events focused on rescued farm animals. Very direct mission and business model overlap with CNR.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cnrfoundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC19UronL8FqCUUBD8qZt5Ag
• Facebookfacebook.com/childrensnatureretreat
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/c-r-insurance
• Instagraminstagram.com/childrensnatureretreat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Children’s Nature Retreat