Nomad Ecology

What Nomad Ecology does

Nomad Ecology is a privately held ecological consulting firm headquartered in Martinez, California, providing biological resource services to federal, state, and local government agencies, private companies, and non-profit conservation organizations across the San Francisco Bay Area and broader California. Founded in July 2004 by Heath Bartosh and joined as partner by Erin McDermott in 2007, the firm specializes in botanical surveys, wildlife assessments, wetland delineations, restoration design, regulatory permitting, and construction-phase biological monitoring. The client base includes Caltrans, California State Parks, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, East Bay Regional Park District, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency, and conservation NGOs such as The Nature Conservancy and Save Mount Diablo.

The firm's core technical capabilities span field biology, botanical surveys, wildlife studies, restoration ecology, arboriculture, and GIS-based remote sensing, including drone-based vegetation mapping and post-fire ecological monitoring. Notable proprietary methodologies include a post-fire vegetation monitoring approach developed from Morgan Fire research that serves as a statewide foundation for documenting post-fire ecological conditions, and remote sensing techniques for landscape-scale rare plant mapping, demonstrated by the identification of approximately 2,660 acres of smooth lessingia habitat comprising 72 populations within a 10,491-acre study area. The firm also conducts applied research in floristics, fire ecology, and seed biology, publishing in peer-reviewed venues such as Madrono and producing the Solano County Flora Project and the 3rd edition of Mount Diablo Flora.

Nomad operates on a professional services revenue model, selling project-based consulting engagements governed by scope of work, project complexity, field requirements, and regulatory compliance needs. There is no public pricing, no subscription product, and no disclosed revenue. The firm is privately owned by its founders with no external funding, no parent company, and no acquisition history. Go-to-market is driven by direct client relationships, professional reputation, and referral networks within the Bay Area environmental consulting market rather than active marketing channels. The firm holds company-level certifications including MBE, WBE, DBE, and SB, as well as safety certifications (Gold Shovel, ISNetworld), and staff hold specialized federal and state permits (USFWS 10(a)(1)(A), CDFW Scientific Collecting Permits) that are prerequisites for survey work on listed species. Operating geographies are concentrated in California, with primary focus on the East Bay region.

Name

Nomad Ecology

Legal name

Nomad Ecology, LLC

Website

https://nomadecology.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Nomad Ecology is a Martinez, California-based ecological consulting firm providing botanical surveys, wildlife assessments, wetland delineations, restoration design, and regulatory permitting to government agencies, private companies, and nonprofits across California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Consulting Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Terrestrial Ecology & Habitat Surveys (EUAHAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Natural Resource Inventory & Forest/Woodland Assessments (Timber, Vegetation, Invasives) (EUAHAHAG), Forest Health Management (Pest, Disease & Invasive Species Control) (AFAMAAAE), Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

Keywords

• Ecological consulting services
• Biological resource assessments
• Wetland delineation services
• Rare plant surveys
• Habitat restoration consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Martinez

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Environmental Consulting Services: Nomad Ecology generates revenue through professional consulting engagements providing biological resources expertise, environmental surveys, regulatory compliance documentation, restoration design, and construction monitoring services to government agencies, private companies, and non-profit organizations on a project-by-project basis.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Nomad Ecology is an environmental consulting firm that provides professional biological resource services for projects requiring compliance with state and federal environmental regulations. Core offerings span wildlife biology, botany, wetlands, restoration ecology, arboriculture, and GIS, delivered through field surveys, regulatory permitting, CEQA/NEPA documentation, construction monitoring, and long-term mitigation monitoring across the San Francisco Bay Area and California.

Product overview

Nomad Ecology is an environmental consulting firm providing biological resources expertise and ecological services. The company offers a comprehensive suite of services including botanical surveys, wildlife studies, restoration ecology, regulatory permitting, environmental compliance monitoring, and GIS mapping. Core service offerings span arborist evaluations, avian and bat surveys, biological assessments, fire ecology research, invasive species management, rare plant surveys, wetland delineations, and drone-based remote sensing. The company also conducts applied research in floristics, fire ecology, wildlife habitat, rare plants, habitat restoration, and seed biology, contributing to scientific publications and academic journals. Services are delivered throughout the San Francisco Bay Area with a focus on compliance with California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and federal and state Endangered Species Acts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CEQA/NEPA Services
• Biological Assessments
• Rare Plant Surveys and Monitoring
• Field Botany (Floristic Studies)
• Vegetation Mapping and Ecology
• Wetland Delineations
• Protocol-level Wildlife Surveys
• Wildlife Inventories
• Nesting Bird Surveys
• Avian Point Counts
• Bat Acoustical Monitoring
• Camera Trapping
• Dipnet and Seine Surveys for Larval Amphibians
• Arborist Evaluations
• Compliance Monitoring
• Regulatory Agency Permit Application Preparation and Agency Negotiation
• Habitat Conservation Plan Support
• Natural Environment Studies
• Resource Management Plans
• Conceptual Restoration Design
• Revegetation Plans
• Long-term Monitoring of Mitigation and Restoration Projects
• Invasive Species Mapping and Management Plans
• Fire Ecology
• Fuels Management Support
• Geographic Information System (GIS) Services
• Drone Services
• Remote Sensing Vegetation Mapping
• Drone-based Tree and Shrub Die-off Mapping
• Solano County Flora Project

Quantifiable outcome

• First post-fire research conducted in Northern California chaparral ecosystems since 1944
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• East Contra Costa County Habitat ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Partnership to implement California Red-Legged Frog breeding habitat study on Conservancy lands using Local Assistance Grant funding. Meghan Bishop received grant to study CLRF population sizes and habitat attributes.
• California Department of Fish and WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Partnership initiated by Heath Bartosh to petition for listing Livermore tarplant as endangered under California Endangered Species Act. The petition was endorsed by CNPS State Office and resulted in successful listing in August 2016.
• UC DavisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on research to clarify the conservation status of Northern California Black Walnut (Juglans hindsii), published in Madrono in 2018. The study used DNA testing to determine genetic purity of wild specimens.
• Jepson Herbarium (UC Berkeley)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term collaboration to voucher specimens for the herbarium from collection voids in the Coast Ranges, contributing to coast range research. Also partnered on 3rd edition of Mount Diablo flora with Curator Barbara Ertter.
• Santa Clara Valley Habitat AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded project for baseline distribution and abundance data of smooth lessingia within the Santa Clara Valley Habitat Plan area, utilizing remote sensing methodology.
• Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at UC BerkeleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional working relationship providing access to resources and expertise for wildlife research and conservation studies.
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife Biogeographic Data BranchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional working relationship for access to biogeographic data and coordination on species conservation efforts.
• California Native Plant SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration including CNPS Botanist Certification Program (Heath Bartosh serves as Vice Chair and was one of the first Certified Consulting Botanists), Rare Plant Program Committee, and vegetation committee work led by Erin McDermott.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dudek: California environmental and biological resources consulting firm offering botanical surveys, wildlife assessments, habitat restoration, and regulatory permitting — a closely aligned peer to Nomad with overlapping service lines and government client base.
• Sapphos Environmental: California-based biological and ecological consulting firm providing botanical surveys, wildlife assessments, wetland services, and environmental permitting — overlaps with Nomad in rare plant inventories and listed-species survey work.
• Ascent Environmental: Sacramento-based environmental consulting firm specializing in biological resources, CEQA/NEPA documentation, wetland delineation, and permitting support for California infrastructure and land management clients — directly comparable offering to Nomad.
• Environmental Science Associates (ESA): California-founded environmental consulting firm providing biological resources, CEQA/NEPA, restoration, and permitting services; a well-established peer with similar Bay Area origins and federal/state agency clientele.
• Rincon Consultants: California-focused environmental consulting firm delivering biological assessments, restoration, regulatory permitting, and CEQA/NEPA services; competes head-to-head with Nomad for public agency and private-sector work in the Bay Area and Southern California.
• SWCA Environmental Consultants: National environmental consulting firm with strong California presence offering biological surveys, habitat assessments, restoration ecology, and regulatory services — a scaled peer to Nomad with overlapping technical capabilities.
• WRA, Inc. California-based environmental consulting firm providing biological resources, wetland delineation, CEQA/NEPA compliance, and permitting services — directly comparable service mix and client base to Nomad, with broader geographic reach across the western U.S.

Broad incumbents

• Stantec: Global engineering and environmental services firm with environmental assessment, permitting, and biological resources capabilities; routinely retains Nomad or peers as subconsultants on California infrastructure projects.
• HDR: Large engineering and environmental consulting firm with biological and ecological services supporting transportation, water, and infrastructure clients; competes with Nomad on California infrastructure and utility programs.
• ICF International: Large international consulting firm with a sizable environmental practice covering biological resources, climate, and regulatory compliance; competes with Nomad on major public-sector environmental programs at a much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Nomad Ecology