Mianus River Gorge

What Mianus River Gorge does

Mianus River Gorge, Inc. (MRG) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust founded on Christmas Eve 1953 in Bedford, New York, originally by Gloria Anable and a group of conservationists as the first land project of The Nature Conservancy and later designated America's first National Natural Landmark (1964). The organization permanently protects more than 1,200 acres within the Mianus River Watershed, including a 964-acre Preserve with 100+ acres of old-growth hemlock forest supporting trees over 400 years old, and a 21-acre Taylor Preserve in Stamford, Connecticut. Its core products and operations center on four pillars: (1) land protection through acquisitions and conservation easements (300+ completed projects, 98 parcels totaling 963 acres and 24 easements totaling 252 acres); (2) ecological consulting ($200 initial sessions plus follow-on engagements) for municipalities and land trusts covering bio-assessments, wildlife surveys, vegetation and water quality surveys, GIS mapping, and deer management plans; (3) an applied ecological research program built around 19–21 peer-reviewed journal articles, camera trap wildlife monitoring (the Gotham Coyote Project, a 10-year black bear survey), hemlock woolly adelgid treatment, and forest stewardship; and (4) a three-tier student mentorship pipeline (High School Mentorship, 10-week College Internship, multi-year Graduate Fellowship at $5,000/year) producing peer-reviewed publications and informing land management.

MRG is funded almost entirely through private contributions rather than public funding, with revenue streams spanning seven donor tiers (Friend at up to $250 through Leadership at $25,000+), corporate and foundation grants (Westchester Community Foundation, NYS DEC/Land Trust Alliance, TD Charitable Foundation, Bass Pro Shops & Cabela's Outdoor Fund, Athletic Brewing Company, AE Family Foundation), planned giving through The Anable Society, land gifts through the Land Society ($50,000+ land projects), Donor-Advised Fund grants, IRA QCDs, employer matching, Venmo, text-to-donate (MRG2025 to 44-321), suggested trail donations of $10 per hiker, branded merchandise ($48 ball caps), and fee-for-service ecological consulting. The organization relies on no paid advertising; go-to-market is primarily direct engagement via community events, public walks, the Bedford Field Notes speaker series, earned media (CBS Sunday Morning, Fox 5 NYC, The Wildlife Professional), board and alumni referrals, and a website donation portal.

Operations are governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Timothy W. Evnin, with a leadership team comprising Executive Director Rochelle Thomas (since May 2026, previously director of the Greenwich Center for the National Audubon Society overseeing seven sanctuaries totaling ~700 acres), Director of Research & Education Chris Nagy, Ph.D., Director of Conservation and Stewardship Budd Veverka, and Director of Development Leslie D. Zachary. MRG is a founding member of the Hudson to Housatonic (H2H) Regional Conservation Partnership, EMMA, the Gotham Coyote Project, a key partner of Lower Hudson PRISM, and an accredited land trust (since 2010).

Name

Mianus River Gorge

Legal name

Mianus River Gorge, Inc.

Website

https://mianus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Mianus River Gorge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit land trust founded in 1953 that permanently protects more than 1,200 acres of the Mianus River Watershed in Westchester and Fairfield Counties, operating land conservation, ecological consulting, applied research, and a three-tier student mentorship pipeline funded primarily by private donations and grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land Conservation Services

NAICS

Timber Tract Operations (11311), Support Activities for Forestry (115310), Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK), Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH), Wetland, Riparian & Buffer Services (within forest landscapes) (AFAMAMAI), Riparian & Watershed Reforestation (Streambank Stabilization) (AFAMACAK), Watershed Protection & Water Quality Services (AFAMAMAB)

Keywords

• Land conservation services
• Watershed protection
• Ecological consulting
• Environmental education programs
• Land trust management

Headquarters

HQ city

Bedford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations (Cash, Stock, Wire Transfer, IRA, Vehicle, Text-to-Donate, Venmo): Tax-deductible cash gifts, appreciated stock donations, wire transfers, IRA qualified charitable distributions (QCD), vehicle donations, text-to-donate (text MRG2025 to 44-321), and Venmo. Monthly giving program also available. Employer matching gifts supported.
2. Donor-Advised Funds (DAF): Donors direct charitable gifts through DAFs to MRG; EIN # 13-3523329 provided for DAF grant recommendations.
3. Planned Giving / The Anable Society: Bequests in wills, beneficiary designations in retirement plans or life insurance policies, and other legacy planned gifts. The Anable Society honors planned giving donors.
4. Land Society Gifts: Honors gifts of land, conservation easements, or contributions of $50,000+ toward a land project. Gifting appreciated property may provide a tax benefit to the donor.
5. Corporate/Foundation Grants & Sponsorships: Grants from private foundations and corporate sponsors for specific projects (e.g., Westchester Community Foundation, NYS DEC/Land Trust Alliance, TD Charitable Foundation, Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's Outdoor Fund, Athletic Brewing Company's Two For The Trails program, AE Family Foundation). Sponsorship opportunities at the $100,000+ named level down to $5,000 college internship level.
6. Ecological Research Fund: A $500,000 fundraising campaign (launched 2026) to sustain the Ecological Research Program in honor of retiring Executive Director Rod Christie. Targeted at leadership-level donors.
7. Ecological Consulting Fees: Fee-for-service ecological consulting to municipalities and landowners: initial property consultation session $200; further consultations and assistance at additional cost.
8. Ball Cap Sales: Sale of branded merchandise (ball caps at $48 each) through the website. One-time product revenue stream.
9. Suggested Visitor Donations: Suggested donation of $10 per hiker for preserve visitors, collected at the map shelter donation box. MRG receives no public funding and depends entirely on private support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Mianus River Gorge protects more than 1,200 acres of land within the 42-square-mile Mianus River Watershed in Westchester and Fairfield Counties through acquisition, conservation easements, and active stewardship of the 964-acre Mianus River Gorge Preserve and 21-acre Taylor Preserve. The organization runs a three-tiered applied ecology research and education program (High School Mentorship, College Internship, Graduate Fellowship) and offers fee-based MRG Ecological Consulting to municipalities and conservation organizations covering wildlife surveys, vegetation surveys, water quality assessments, GIS mapping, and land management recommendations.

Product overview

Mianus River Gorge offers a suite of conservation and education programs organized around three interconnected pillars: land protection and stewardship, ecological consulting, and research-based education. The education programs include three hierarchical offerings—the Mianus High School Mentorship in Ecology (3-year high school program), the Mianus College Internship in Ecology (10-week summer internship), and the Mianus Graduate Fellowship in Ecology (multi-year research grants)—whereby graduate students mentor college interns who in turn mentor high school mentees. Supporting services include ecological consulting for municipalities, public preserve access with 6+ miles of trails, land acquisition and conservation easements, and the public Bedford Field Notes speaker series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mianus Graduate Fellowship in Ecology

Quantifiable outcome

• Protected over 1,200 acres within the Mianus River Watershed across 300+ land projects.
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hudson to Housatonic (H2H) Regional Conservation PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016MRG is a founding partner of the H2H Regional Conservation Partnership, an interstate collaboration of conservation organizations and municipal partners across Fairfield County (CT) and Westchester, Putnam, and southeast Duchess Counties (NY). H2H's mission is to improve water quality and promote sound stewardship for the health of people, plants, and wildlife across CT and NY. The partnership began as an initiative in 2014 and took its present form in 2016.
• Environmental Monitoring and Management Alliance (EMMA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013MRG is a founding member of EMMA, formed at Teatown Lake Reservation in 2013. EMMA consists of member organizations dedicated to research, education, ecological science, and conservation of natural areas in the greater Hudson Valley region. The collective research experience of EMMA's member organizations allows investigation of major conservation concerns on a regional scale.
• Lower Hudson PRISM (Partnerships for Regional Invasive Species Management)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013MRG is a key partner of the Lower Hudson PRISM, one of eight regional PRISM partnerships in New York State that coordinate invasive species monitoring, share best practices, and fund control efforts throughout their areas of operation. PRISMs are funded by the NYS DEC through the Environmental Protection Fund and hosted by a nonprofit. Lower Hudson PRISM has been hosted by the NY–NJ Trail Conference since 2013. MRG's Budd Veverka serves as organizational representative.
• Gotham Coyote ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010MRG is a founding partner of the Gotham Coyote Project, an ongoing effort to study the ecology, population growth, and range expansion of eastern coyotes (Canis latrans) in New York City. Since 2010, camera traps have been used to survey NYC parks for coyote presence, with MRG's Chris Nagy serving as co-founder.
• American Museum of Natural HistoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and education partner collaborating on ecological studies and student research programs.
• Bedford AudubonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and education partner in the Westchester/Fairfield region.
• Columbia UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partner; MRG's Executive Director Rochelle Thomas holds an MA in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology from Columbia University.
• Cornell University / New York State Hemlock InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMRG partners with Cornell University's New York State Hemlock Initiative to employ the best approaches to eradicating the hemlock woolly adelgid pest threatening the old-growth hemlock forest. Cornell Cooperative Extension developed the basal bark spraying regimen used by MRG.
• Earthwatch InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and education partner supporting MRG's ecological research programs.
• Fordham University (Louis Calder Center)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner; Fordham undergraduate students participate in MRG's summer research internship through the Calder Center's Summer Undergraduate Research (CSUR) program.
• Greenwich AudubonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional conservation partner in Fairfield County, CT.
• Nature.Health.Global (Nichar Gregory, Peter Daszak)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaborators with MRG's Chris Nagy on a tick-borne disease study supported by the Lower Hudson Stewardship Conference (LTA).
• NYC Department of Parks & RecreationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner collaborating on the Gotham Coyote Project and urban wildlife research in NYC parks.
• Teatown Lake ReservationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional conservation partner; co-founder of EMMA along with MRG.
• The Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMRG was the first land project of The Nature Conservancy (1953) and continues to collaborate on land conservation, watershed protection, and conservation science. Rod Christie led walks for TNC staff from Washington, DC headquarters.
• Trust for Public LandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational land conservation organization; MRG staff participated in fundraising for TPL's Campaign to Save Treetops.
• Westchester County Parks DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner providing deer management recommendations to Westchester County and collaborating on regional conservation efforts.
• Wildlife Conservation SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and education partner in the conservation of wildlife in the greater metropolitan region.
• Open Space InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional land trust partner supporting land acquisition and conservation in the Northeast.
• Town of Bedford, NYcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey municipal partner; MRG works with the Town of Bedford on land acquisition, wildlife corridor initiatives, development review, and watershed protection. MRG staff provide expert testimony on development projects to town boards.
• Westchester Land TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional land trust partner in Westchester County for land conservation and stewardship.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Wildlife Conservation Society: NYC-based conservation organization managing the Bronx Zoo and global field programs. Listed as an MRG research/education partner and shares urban wildlife research interests including the Gotham Coyote Project.
• National Audubon Society: National conservation organization focused on birds and habitats; new MRG ED Rochelle Thomas was previously director of the Greenwich Audubon Center. Comparable education, conservation easement, and wildlife monitoring programs but at a much larger national scale.
• Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on land conservation and creating parks close to home. Operates at a much larger scale than MRG but shares the same acquisition/conservation-easement model and donor pool; MRG staff have participated in TPL fundraising.
• The Nature Conservancy: Global conservation organization for which MRG was the first land project (1953). Operates at vastly greater scale across continents but shares the same core mission of permanent land protection and conservation science.

Direct peers

• Greenwich Land Trust: Conservation land trust serving Greenwich, CT — within the same Mianus River Watershed as MRG. Offers directly comparable land protection, stewardship, and public access programs in an adjacent geography.
• Pound Ridge Land Conservancy: Local land trust serving Pound Ridge, NY, one of the five towns in the Mianus River Watershed. Engages MRG staff for ecological consulting and shares the same donor community and conservation goals.
• Westchester Land Trust: Regional land trust operating in Westchester County, NY. Directly comparable to MRG: accredited land trust acquiring conservation easements and stewarding protected land in the same county, with overlapping municipal partners and a similar donor base.
• Open Space Institute: Regional land conservation organization focused on the Northeast US, including NY and CT. Listed as an MRG regional partner; comparable business model of land acquisition and easement stewardship, though at a larger scale and broader geography.
• Teatown Lake Reservation: 1,000-acre nature preserve in Ossining, NY, focused on environmental education and ecological research. Co-founder of EMMA with MRG and offers a comparable mix of preserve access, citizen science, and student programming.
• Stamford Land Conservation Trust: Local land trust serving Stamford, CT — where MRG's Taylor Preserve is located. Board member Leslie Zachary serves on Stamford Land Conservation Trust's board, evidencing the close organizational overlap in the Mianus River Watershed.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mianusrivergorge
• Instagraminstagram.com/mianusrivergorge
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mianus-river-gorge

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Mianus River Gorge