Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage

What Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage does

Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage (CWH) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1980 and headquartered in Chester, Maryland. Its functional mission is to design, restore, and manage wildlife habitat in the Chesapeake Bay watershed on behalf of private and public landowners across Maryland's Eastern Shore. The organization serves a mixed client base that includes private acreage owners, farmers, hunters, conservation-minded homeowners, and public entities, and it does so on a fee-for-service basis in which landowners cover equipment and labor costs while CWH supplies the technical labor and project planning; initial consultations are free.

CWH's service catalog blends conventional habitat-management methods with newer mechanized techniques. Traditional offerings include spot spraying, controlled burning, discing, hand cutting, and frost seeding for meadow establishment, plus installation of devices such as beaver deceivers to retain wetland hydrology and bluebird nest boxes for homeowner properties. More recently, CWH has introduced agricultural drones for invasive phragmites control and native seed overseeding across roughly six Eastern Shore counties. In parallel, CWH owns and permanently manages 1,150 acres of sanctuary land, including Barnstable Hill Farm (540 acres acquired via donation in 2000) and Canterbury Farm (150 acres acquired via donation in 2008) in Queen Anne's and Talbot counties.

The organization's economics combine program-service revenue (landowner-paid habitat work, property evaluations, nest box sales), federal cost-share work delivered through USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) frameworks, private foundation grants, memberships, and tax-deductible donations. The organization holds the Candid Gold Seal of Transparency. Long-term institutional relationships, notably a 15+ year collaboration with Delmarva Power on powerline rights-of-way habitat research, complement the donation-and-grant core of the funding mix.

Name

Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage

Legal name

Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage, Inc.

Website

https://cheswildlife.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1980 that designs, restores, and manages wildlife habitat for private and public landowners across Maryland's Eastern Shore, while owning 1,150 acres of permanently protected sanctuary land.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Habitat Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC), Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB), Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Parks & Reserves (Visitor Operations) (THAAAAAG)

Keywords

• Wildlife habitat restoration
• Wetland conservation services
• Sustainable agriculture
• Habitat management
• Native meadow planting

Headquarters

HQ city

Chester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Memberships: Tax-deductible charitable donations under 501(c)(3) status. Members receive Habitat Works newsletter, e-blasts, and priority on various services.
2. Grant Funding: Support from members, grantors, and private donors. USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) provide landowner incentive funding. Additional partners include Biophilia Foundation, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
3. Nesting Structure Installation Services: Installing wildlife nesting structures for a fee (at cost with no markup). Structures include Wood Duck Boxes, Osprey Platforms, Bluebird Boxes, Purple Martin Housing, etc. Subject to 6% Maryland sales tax plus travel/mileage fees.
4. Habitat Services and Property Evaluations: Consulting with landowners on habitat restoration and management. Includes property evaluation form and long-term management of restored sites.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage designs, restores, and manages wildlife habitat on behalf of private and public landowners throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed, including wetland restoration, native wildflower and warm-season grass meadow establishment, sustainable agriculture practices, and installation of wildlife nesting structures. The organization owns and maintains 1,150 acres of permanently protected wildlife sanctuary in Queen Anne's and Talbot counties and is the only regional nonprofit that monitors and maintains projects long after their completion.

Product overview

Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage operates as a nonprofit conservation organization offering a portfolio of interconnected habitat restoration and management programs and services. The core offerings include the Chesapeake Care program for wetland restoration, the Sustainable Agriculture Program for wildlife-compatible farming, and the Education & Outreach Program for community engagement. Supporting service offerings include Wildlife Nesting Structures installation (with various bird and mammal housing products), the Phragmites Control Program, the Purple Martin Program, the Monarch Program, and Beaver Deceiver installations. The organization also offers drone spraying services for invasive plant control and seeding operations. Additional offerings include Habitat Works newsletter and native plants guidance for backyard habitats. CWH owns and manages multiple wildlife sanctuaries comprising 1,150 permanently protected acres on Maryland's Eastern Shore, including Barnstable Hill Farm (540 acres), Canterbury Farm (150 acres), and Bailey's Neck Farm (135 acres), with numerous other project sites across the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chesapeake Care Program Comprehensive habitat restoration and land-management program that builds, manages, and maintains wetland habitat for landowners committed to conserving wildlife resources, with long-term stewardship ensuring restored wetlands continue to thrive. Includes wetland rebuilding, mowing, tree/shrub cutting, water-level manipulation, drone spraying, discing, chemical treatment, and replanting.
• Sustainable Agriculture Program Program demonstrating compatibility of profitable row-crop farming with natural ecosystems through elimination of harmful practices and implementation of wildlife-friendly agronomically benign practices including cover crops, crop rotation, and integrated pest management. Farm scale research and extension work has encompassed over 60,000 acres of farmland, with 2,000 acres under active management.
• Habitat Management Services Service managing restored habitat including meadows, wetlands, and scrub-shrub areas using spot spraying, discing, controlled burning, hand cutting, frilling, frost seeding, delayed drawdown, and dormant-season mowing techniques.
• Wildlife Nesting Structures Artificial nesting boxes and platforms installed for wildlife species including Wood Ducks, Ospreys, Bluebirds, Purple Martins, Kestrels, Prothonotary Warblers, Great-crested Flycatchers, and Flying Squirrels, all equipped with predator guards. Items priced at cost with no markup; e.g., Wood Duck Box $155 installed / $90 uninstalled, Osprey Platform $535 installed in water, Bluebird Box $100 installed / $25 uninstalled. Subject to 6% Maryland sales tax and travel/mileage fees.
• Phragmites Control Program Service controlling invasive Phragmites australis in wetlands using glyphosate herbicide (Rodeo or Aqua Neat) applied in fall. A five-year research study documented that 65 beneficial plant species emerged from the existing wetland seedbed after elimination of the invasive stand.
• Drone Spraying Services Service using agricultural drone technology to control invasive plants and for seeding operations. Drones cover approximately 1 acre of phragmites per trip with glyphosate for invasive plant control, and 4 to 15 acres per trip for overseeding cover crops. Service area covers Anne Arundel, Caroline, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, and Talbot counties.
• Beaver Deceiver Program Service installing humane beaver management systems using wire caging and pipes to allow landowners to regulate water levels while beavers remain in their lodges, providing coexistence between beavers and humans.
• Purple Martin Program Ongoing monitoring and management program for Purple Martin colonies on the Mid-Shore. CWH installs nesting structures, maintains homes, records nesting data, and oversees successful fledging. In 2025, 1,560 chicks fledged from 79 CWH-monitored houses and 60 gourds, up from 1,496 chicks in 2024. Colony monitoring has been conducted since 1999.
• Monarch Program Program that establishes habitat for Monarch butterflies and tracks migrating Monarchs as part of a study conducted by the University of Kansas; three tagged Monarchs from Barnstable Hill Farm have reached Mexico. Tagging program launched in 1999.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% of Maryland wetlands lost
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• USDA Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)coreOthers · 1 January 2009Primary funding mechanism for wetland restoration projects. CWH uses CREP to restore vanishing wildlife habitat in the Chesapeake Bay watershed with landowner incentives.
• EarthShare.orgcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWorkplace giving partnership providing easy way to support CWH through payroll deductions. Many employers match charitable gifts, multiplying donor support at no additional cost.
• Delmarva PowercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMore than 15 years of ongoing research partnership to determine effects of clearing, access, and maintenance methods on plants and wildlife in powerline rights-of-way throughout Eastern Shore of Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey.
• Chesapeake ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCWH helps maintain the Osprey platform for Chesapeake Conservancy's Osprey Live Webcam. Supports public education about Osprey nesting behavior.
• Maryland Department of Natural ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding and partner for Pickering Creek and Martin's Point wetland restoration projects. Provides technical assistance and program support.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Ducks Unlimited: Large national wetland and waterfowl habitat conservation organization with public/private landowner programs; overlaps directly with CWH's wetland restoration mandate but at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.
• The Nature Conservancy: Global land trust and habitat conservation NGO with active Chesapeake Bay and Maryland programs; competes for the same donors and corporate-foundation grant dollars while operating at vastly larger scale.
• Audubon Society (National Audubon Society): National bird and habitat conservation nonprofit that runs conservation Ranching/Stewardship programs and operates regional centers; directly comparable on bird species (Osprey, Purple Martins, Bluebirds) that anchor CWH's nesting programs.
• National Wildlife Federation: National advocacy and on-the-ground conservation nonprofit that runs landowner/habitat programs and competes for the same mid-Atlantic donor base.
• Defenders of Wildlife: Wildife-focused nonprofit working on habitat protection and endangered species recovery (e.g., Delmarva fox squirrel delisting context relevant to CWH's work in Maryland).

Emerging players

• American Bird Conservancy: Bird-focused conservation NGO with strong habitat-restoration and bird-safe-nesting initiatives that overlap with CWH's Purple Martin and nesting-structure programs.

Regional players

• Pickering Creek Audubon Center: Local Eastern Shore Audubon center delivering field trips, workshops, and stewardship programs; partnered with CWH on habitat restoration workshops and competes for the same Maryland teacher/community audience.
• Maryland Department of Natural Resources (Chesapeake & Coastal Service): State agency providing funding, technical assistance, and policy framework for habitat restoration in Maryland — a key partner/funder but also a competing service provider for the same Eastern Shore landowner base.

Direct peers

• Chesapeake Conservancy: Regional conservation nonprofit operating in the same Chesapeake Bay watershed, pursuing habitat restoration and conservation outcomes with public- and private-sector partners (also partners with CWH on the Osprey Live Webcam).

Others

• EarthShare.org: Workplace-giving federation of environmental nonprofits; CWH is a member and partner, making it a distribution/marketing peer rather than a direct program competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cheswildlifeorg
• Xx.com/cheswildlifeorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chesapeake-wildlife-heritage

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage