River Otter Ecology Project

Name

River Otter Ecology Project

Legal name

River Otter Ecology Project

Website

https://riverotterecology.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Conservation, Research & Volunteer Experiences (THAJAIAJ)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation services
• Citizen science platform
• Watershed monitoring research
• Environmental education programs
• Community outreach volunteering

Headquarters

HQ city

Forest Knolls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters. Donations are processed through third-party processors like Authorize.net and PayPal. The organization states 86% of contributions go directly to programs.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship opportunities that provide companies visibility, cause-related marketing, and involvement in environmental mission.
3. Planned Giving / Estate Gifts: Charitable bequests through wills or living trusts, providing tax benefits for donors and long-term financial support for the organization.
4. Grant Funding: Funding from foundations and organizations such as the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment that support conservation and watershed restoration work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

River Otter Ecology Project operates a community-science, research, and education nonprofit delivering the Otter Spotter citizen science platform for tracking river otter sightings, field-based research and monitoring (camera trapping, scat analysis), the Otter Ambassador community outreach program, and environmental education programs. These offerings support the organization's mission of protecting local waterways by engaging the public, volunteers, students, and partner organizations in watershed conservation.

Product overview

River Otter Ecology Project operates as a community science, research, and education nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of programs centered on river otter conservation and watershed protection. The core offerings include the Otter Spotter citizen science platform for tracking otter sightings, Research and Monitoring programs using field surveys and camera traps, the Otter Ambassador community outreach program, and Community Education initiatives. These programs work together to advance the organization's mission of using river otters as ambassadors for watershed conservation, supported by internship training and educational resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Otter Spotter: Community science project that tracks and documents river otter recovery through individuals reporting otter sightings on their website. Since 2012, Otter Spotter has plotted 2,300+ sightings from all Bay Area counties.
• Otter Ambassador Program

Products and services

• Otter Spotter A community-science citizen science platform that enables the public to report and track river otter sightings, creating a comprehensive database of otter distribution across the western United States and beyond.
• Research and Monitoring Scientific research program involving field monitoring, camera trapping, scat collection, and prey studies to understand river otter population recovery and ecosystem health in the San Francisco Bay Area.
• Community Education Educational programs including field trips, classroom presentations, environmental tabling events, and resources for families, students, and teachers about river otters and watershed conservation.
• Otter Ambassador Program A community outreach program that trains volunteers to engage with neighborhoods where otters are commonly sighted, providing conservation education and fostering community stewardship of local watersheds.
• Internship Program Seasonal field internships for individuals aged 18+ to gain hands-on experience in wildlife research, camera trapping, scat collection, and ecosystem monitoring in Marin County, California.
• Connecting Otter Health and Human Health A research initiative examining the connections between river otter health, ecosystem health, and human health as indicators of watershed conditions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,300+ otter sightings documented since 2012
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Elizabeth River ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation partner using the Otter Spotter platform and local knowledge to support river otter conservation in their region.
• Friends of the Verde RivercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConservation organization partnering to use Otter Spotter platform for tracking river otter recovery in the Verde River watershed.
• Loveland Living Planet AquariumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner using the Otter Spotter platform to support conservation education and local river otter monitoring efforts.
• Vadnais Lake Area Water Management OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater management organization partnering to track river otter presence and watershed health in their service area.
• The Marine Mammal CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with ROEP for necropsies of dead otters, seeking cause of death including health issues like bacterial, viral or fungal infections, cancer, or trauma.
• California Department of Fish and WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment agency that partners with ROEP for otter necropsies and has updated official range maps to reflect Otter Spotter sightings.
• Local River Groups (Arizona)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating with local river groups in Arizona to raise awareness about watershed needs and implement Otter Spotter program.
• Local River Groups (Virginia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating with local river groups in Virginia to raise awareness about watershed needs and implement Otter Spotter program.
• International Otter Survival FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization for which Megan Isadore presented ROEP's community science work in Scotland.
• International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational conservation body where Megan Isadore serves as Deputy North American Coordinator for the Otter Specialist Group, and presented ROEP's community science work in France.
• Lagunitas Brewing CompanyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate supporter that provides donations and brings partners out for otter excursions to support ROEP's work.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sea Otter Foundation & Trust: Nonprofit focused on otter research, conservation, and education; comparable species-centric conservation and community engagement model.
• Friends of the Verde River: Arizona watershed conservation group using Otter Spotter for otter recovery tracking; directly comparable in mission and community-science methods.
• Elizabeth River Project: A watershed conservation nonprofit that partners with ROEP using the Otter Spotter platform; shares the model of community-led river restoration and river otter monitoring.
• River Otter Alliance: Nonprofit dedicated to river otter conservation, education, and monitoring, mirroring ROEP's species-focused conservation mission.

Broad incumbents

• iNaturalist: Large-scale community-science biodiversity platform whose crowdsourced wildlife sighting model overlaps functionally with Otter Spotter but spans all species globally.
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology (eBird): Operates a leading citizen-science observation platform; comparable community-data model applied to birds rather than freshwater mammals.

Others

• Zooniverse: Large citizen-science platform enabling public participation in research projects; thematically comparable community-science infrastructure.
• The Marine Mammal Center: Marine mammal research and rescue nonprofit and ROEP partner for necropsies; adjacent aquatic wildlife health organization in the same region.

Regional players

• Save The Bay: San Francisco Bay Area watershed conservation and restoration nonprofit engaging volunteers and communities in the same geography as ROEP.
• International Otter Survival Fund: UK-based otter conservation nonprofit with comparable species-protection and awareness mission but serving a different geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/OtterEcology
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPMpW-y-gorn238XvMIKUSA/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/BayAreaOtters
• Instagraminstagram.com/riverotterecology
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/river-otter-ecology-project

Compliance3 records

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 River Otter Ecology Project