Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

What Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies does

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit ecological research organization founded in 1983 and headquartered in Millbrook, New York (EIN #22-3232968). The institute employs 60+ core staff including 20 PhD scientists and 40 research support personnel, with adjuncts and affiliates working across 73 research sites in 20 countries. Its research is organized around four domains: disease ecology (Lyme and tick-borne disease, mosquito-borne disease, outbreak prediction), freshwater (harmful algal blooms, road salt, Hudson River, sustainable fisheries), forests (carbon storage, invasive pests, wildfire resilience), and urban ecology (climate change and cities, environmental justice, green infrastructure).

The institute's core assets include leadership of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study, an NSF Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) site, and a guiding role in the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON). Methodologies span long-term ecological monitoring, machine learning for environmental data analysis, community interviews, and field-based data collection. Knowledge and productized outputs include peer-reviewed publications in Science, Ecosphere, Ambio, and other journals; the GIequity.org research platform; the Governing Green experiential toolkit; citizen science programs (Off the Roof); and K-12 education initiatives such as BIORETS, Hudson Data Jam, and Eco-Camps.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: government and foundation grants (NSF, DOE, USDA Forest Service, JPB Foundation), individual and institutional donations, and program and event fees. The GTM motion is hybrid: community-led (BIORETS, K-12 field trips, citizen science, Baltimore community partnerships), event-driven (the Cary Conference, scientific seminars, workshops), and sales-led (pursuit of government and foundation grants). The institute is led by President Dr. Joshua R. Ginsberg, with founding figures including Dr. Gene E. Likens and Dr. William H. Schlesinger serving as President Emeriti. Recognition includes the Candid GuideStar Platinum Seal of Transparency and a Charity Navigator 4-Star rating.

Name

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

Legal name

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

Website

https://caryinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit ecological research organization founded in 1983 in Millbrook, NY. It employs 20 PhD scientists conducting disease, freshwater, forest, and urban ecology research across 73 sites in 20 countries, funded by NSF, DOE, and foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ecological Research and Environmental Science Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

Keywords

• Ecosystem research services
• Disease ecology research
• Freshwater ecology studies
• Urban ecology research
• Environmental science education

Headquarters

HQ city

Millbrook

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Cary Institute operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization accepting tax-deductible donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. Donor privacy is strictly protected with explicit commitment not to sell, trade, rent or share donor information.
2. Government and Foundation Grants: Primary research funding comes from government agencies (National Science Foundation, US Department of Energy, USDA Forest Service) and foundations (JPB Foundation). Cary leads the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study as an NSF Long Term Ecological Research site.
3. Program and Event Fees: Revenue generated from conference registrations, educational programs, workshops, webinars, and field experiences for K-12 students and teachers.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies is an independent nonprofit research organization that conducts long-term ecological research in disease ecology, freshwater systems, forests, and urban ecosystems, producing open-access scientific publications, policy guidance, and datasets. It supplements its research with K-12 and teacher education programs (BIORETS, field trips, Eco-Camps, Data Jam), citizen science initiatives, and digital research tools such as GIequity.org and the Governing Green toolkit.

Product overview

Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies is an independent nonprofit ecological research organization offering a portfolio of research projects, educational programs, and analytical tools rather than commercial software products. Their offerings span: research programs in disease ecology, freshwater systems, forests, and urban ecology; educational initiatives including BIORETS teacher research experiences, K-12 field programs, and competitions like Hudson Data Jam; research platforms and tools such as the GIequity.org website and Governing Green experiential toolkit for exploring green infrastructure governance; and knowledge products including peer-reviewed publications and scientific seminars. The organization focuses on advancing ecosystem science to address environmental challenges rather than developing proprietary software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BIORETS (Research Experiences for Teachers in Biological Sciences) An NSF-funded professional development program that places high school teachers in immersive 6-week research experiences alongside Cary Institute scientists so they can bring authentic scientific investigations into their classrooms.
• GIequity.org A research platform presenting findings from analysis of 122 green infrastructure plans in 20 US cities, including city-specific snapshots, maps, GI equity scores, and recommendations for urban planners, policymakers, and community organizations.
• Governing Green Experiential Toolkit An interactive toolkit that lets users explore green infrastructure implementation from the perspective of community members, nonprofit staff, and municipal agency professionals through true-to-life scenario simulations.
• Hudson Data Jam Competition A student competition in which K-12 and undergraduate participants analyze Hudson River ecological data and create projects combining science and creative expression.
• Teaching Materials and K-12 Education Programs Curriculum-aligned teaching materials, field trip programs, Schoolyard Ecology Programs, and Eco-Camps serving K-12 students and teachers.
• Is Green Infrastructure a Universal Good? Research Project A multi-team research initiative examining how equitably green infrastructure is distributed across urban neighborhoods, resident perceptions of GI, and whether municipal plans promote equity in 20 US cities.
• Off the Roof Citizen Science Program A citizen science initiative in which homeowners across the country test roof runoff for pathogens to determine how alternative water sources could be best utilized.
• Is Green Infrastructure a Universal Good? StoryMap An ArcGIS StoryMap exploring whether green infrastructure is a universal good, examining equity considerations in urban green infrastructure planning.
• Scientific Seminars Regular scientific seminar series featuring internal and external researchers presenting on topics in ecology, urban systems, and environmental science, including the annual Cary Conference.

Quantifiable outcome

• Study found ~25% of western river reaches take in more carbon than they emit annually, compared to 11% of eastern reaches — challenging long-held assumptions about rivers as carbon emitters.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The New School — Urban Systems LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCary Institute partnered with The New School's Urban Systems Lab (directed by Dr. Timon McPhearson) on multiple green infrastructure research projects including the 20-city GI analysis published in Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, and the GIequity.org website. The collaboration produced the Governing Green experiential toolkit through joint research and co-authorship.
• Yale UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-author Pete Raymond from Yale University collaborated on the river metabolism study published in Science, which also acknowledges funding from the Gaylord Donnelley Fellowship and Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies.
• Science Policy ExchangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCary collaborated with the Science Policy Exchange to compare different green infrastructure methods and identify best performers for reducing flooding and filtering pollutants.
• Baltimore City Government (Department of Public Works, Office of Sustainability, Dept. of Planning, Dept. of Recreation and Parks)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBaltimore city agencies partnered with Cary to receive improved GI mapping and curated datasets, share research findings on green infrastructure equity, and co-develop best practices recommendations for city professionals.
• Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCary holds a guiding role in GLEON, an international effort aimed at managing freshwater resources in response to global change, involving lake and freshwater researchers from multiple countries.
• City University of New York (CUNY)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Peter M. Groffman serves as both a Cary Research Fellow and Professor at CUNY, enabling joint research on urban soils and green infrastructure.
• Northwestern UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Elsa Anderson conducted her postdoctoral research at Cary before becoming Assistant Professor at Northwestern, continuing collaboration on urban tree and biodiversity research.
• US Department of Agriculture Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS Forest Service Northern Research Station collaborated on street tree biodiversity study in Baltimore (co-author Dexter H. Locke) and provided funding for ecological research including the resilience of racialized segregation study.
• Baltimore Ecosystem Study Partners (Parks & People Foundation, Bluewater Baltimore, Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance, Tree Baltimore)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCary collaborates with multiple Baltimore-based NGOs and government agencies on green infrastructure mapping, tree planting programs, and urban ecology research through the Baltimore Ecosystem Study LTER.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stroud Water Research Center: Independent freshwater ecology research nonprofit in Pennsylvania conducting long-term stream and watershed research, education, and citizen science — directly comparable in scale, mission, and operating model to Cary's freshwater research arm.
• Archbold Biological Station: Independent ecological research station in Florida conducting long-term research, conservation, and education. Comparable in operating model as a small-to-mid sized nonprofit ecological research institution with a fixed field station and education programming.
• Woodwell Climate Research Center: Independent climate and forest research nonprofit (formerly Woods Hole Research Center) producing peer-reviewed science on carbon, forests, and permafrost. Comparable in mission, organizational structure, and emphasis on policy-relevant research.
• Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC): Federally funded research center within the Smithsonian Institution conducting long-term ecological research on land, water, and species in the Chesapeake Bay region — closely comparable in scientific scope, longitudinal data approach, and education mission.

Broad incumbents

• World Resources Institute (WRI): Global environmental research nonprofit producing policy-relevant science on climate, water, cities, and ecosystems. Comparable in producing applied environmental science for governments, though with a global policy focus rather than field-based long-term monitoring.
• The Nature Conservancy: Large global environmental conservation nonprofit that funds and applies ecological research. Overlaps with Cary on conservation science, freshwater protection, and urban ecosystem work, but operates at vastly greater scale and with a global land/water acquisition mandate.
• Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium: Independent marine research and education nonprofit with a strong aquarium-based public engagement model. Comparable as a research-plus-education nonprofit, though focused on marine rather than terrestrial/freshwater ecosystems.
• National Audubon Society: Large environmental nonprofit combining conservation science, citizen science (e.g., Christmas Bird Count), and K-12 education programs. Overlaps with Cary on environmental education and citizen science but focuses primarily on birds and broader conservation advocacy.
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI): Larger, more established independent oceanographic research institution with a similar research-and-education model. WHOI operates at significantly greater scale but shares the nonprofit research-institute structure and emphasis on long-term environmental monitoring.

Emerging players

• Resources for the Future (RFF): Independent environmental economics and policy research nonprofit. Comparable as a research-driven nonprofit producing analysis that informs environmental policy, though more focused on economics and policy than field ecology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/caryinstitute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies