Rochester Ecology Partners

What Rochester Ecology Partners does

Rochester Ecology Partners (REP) is a Rochester, New York-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2020 that delivers nature-based learning and community cultivation programming in the Greater Rochester region. The organization runs an integrated portfolio of programs including WildWonder (K-12 school nature-based learning), Neighborhood Nature (after-school and weekend programming), Growing Good (K-5 summer enrichment delivered in partnership with Foodlink), the Tree Ambassador Program (urban forestry advocacy), Environmental Health Ambassadors (high-school summer employment in partnership with the University of Rochester's FLCEHC), an annual Nature-based Learning Symposium for educators, and the Greater Rochester Environmental Community Hub research project. Curricula are aligned to New York State standards and delivered in person at schools, community sites, and partner locations including Foodlink's Community Farm. The organization employs approximately 22 full- and part-time staff and operates from its office at 224 Mt. Hope Avenue.

REP's revenue model rests on three streams: foundation grants (notably $100,000 raised in 2026 from The Konar Foundation and the Rochester Area Community Foundation for the Growing Good program, alongside prior support from Emil Muller, Browncroft Pediatric Research Foundation, the University of Rochester, and City of Rochester discretionary funds), individual and business donations, and program fees set on a sliding scale. School-program pricing for WildWonder ranges from $175 per Nearby Nature lesson to $750 per full-day Field Study, with bundled packages up to $1,100; Growing Good uses sliding-scale tuition of $50-$150 per week; the Symposium charges $40-$125 with free volunteer tickets available. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, leveraging direct relationships with K-12 schools (including the Rochester City School District and Children's School of Rochester #15), community organizations, and municipal agencies. In the 2024-25 school year, WildWonder served 19 schools and facilitated 8,110 hands-on learning experiences across 369 scheduled events, with REP reporting 100% positive academic and social-emotional impact in participating-educator surveys.

Name

Rochester Ecology Partners

Legal name

Rochester Ecology Partners Inc.

Website

https://rochesterecologypartners.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Rochester Ecology Partners is a Rochester, NY-based 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 2020 that delivers nature-based education and community programs to K-12 schools, families, and educators across Greater Rochester through WildWonder, Growing Good, and related initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nature-based Education Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

Keywords

• Nature-based education
• Outdoor learning programs
• Environmental education
• Community conservation
• Youth nature programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Rochester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual and business donations solicited through website campaigns, direct mail, and event fundraising. The organization is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
2. Grants: Foundation grants from organizations including The Konar Foundation ($50,000), Rochester Area Community Foundation ($50,000), Emil Muller Foundation, Browncroft Pediatric Research Foundation, University of Rochester's Institute for Human Health and the Environment, and City of Rochester discretionary funds.
3. Program Fees: Sliding-scale program fees for the Growing Good summer enrichment program and WildWonder school-based programs. Fees are set to accommodate diverse family budgets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Rochester Ecology Partners is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers nature-based education programs and community cultivation initiatives in the Greater Rochester region. Its offerings include school-based nature learning (WildWonder), after-school and weekend nature play (Neighborhood Nature), a K-5 summer enrichment program (Growing Good), youth environmental employment (Environmental Health Ambassadors), an urban tree canopy program (Tree Ambassadors), and an annual educator symposium.

Product overview

Rochester Ecology Partners operates as a single integrated non-profit organization offering an ecosystem of nature-based education and community cultivation programs. The portfolio includes WildWonder (school-based nature learning), Neighborhood Nature (after-school and weekend programming), Growing Good (summer enrichment), Tree Ambassador Program (urban forestry advocacy), Environmental Health Ambassadors (youth employment), and the annual Nature-based Learning Symposium. These programs connect Greater Rochester community members to nature and each other through educational experiences, community events, and environmental health initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WildWonder: Nature-based education program for schools that has students learning and growing in nature through nearby nature lessons, field studies, and stewardship projects.
• Neighborhood Nature
• Growing Good
• Tree Ambassador Program
• Environmental Health Ambassadors
• Nature-based Learning Symposium

Products and services

• WildWonder A nature-based education program for K-12 schools that provides nearby nature lessons on school grounds, field studies in parks and natural areas, and stewardship projects aligned with curriculum standards. Served 19 schools and facilitated 8,110 hands-on nature-based learning experiences in the 2024-25 school year through 369 scheduled events.
• Neighborhood Nature Nature-based play programming for youth during their free time, including after-school clubs, EcoExpeditions (one-day adventures), and custom field studies delivered through partnerships with community organizations, after-school providers, and summer camps in Greater Rochester.
• Growing Good Summer Enrichment Program A gardening and nature summer program for children in grades K-5 offered in partnership with Foodlink at the Edible Education Center, providing hands-on food growing experiences, nature activities, and field trips. Pricing on a sliding scale of $50-$150 per week.
• Tree Ambassador Program Community engagement program that highlights the health benefits of trees and encourages expansion of Rochester's tree canopy through Tree Advocates, Canopy Council advisors, Tree Champions, and community events. Builds on the City of Rochester's Urban Forestry Master Plan with support from the University of Rochester's Institute for Human Health and the Environment.
• Environmental Health Ambassadors Six-week summer employment program for up to 30 high school students that prepares them to be ambassadors for healthy lives, homes, and communities through environmental improvement, in partnership with the University of Rochester Finger Lakes Children's Environmental Health Center and the City of Rochester Summer Opportunity Program (SOOP).
• Nature-based Learning Symposium Annual outdoor symposium bringing educators and partners together to experience and learn about nature-based learning through engagement with the environment, relationship-building, discussion, and workshops. Pricing on a sliding scale of $40-$125, with free volunteer tickets available and organizations/businesses encouraged to pay full price.
• Children's Health and Nature Project Research and advocacy project that highlights why and how nature is beneficial for the mental, physical, and emotional health of children, citing studies and statistics on nature-deficit disorder.
• Greater Rochester Environmental Community Hub Community analysis project to understand and connect the work of environmental organizations in the Rochester Region, resulting in a publicly available database and research process that models community participation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of participating educators reported WildWonder had a positive academic impact on students
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FoodlinkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Foodlink is a key operational partner for the Growing Good summer enrichment program. REP partners with Foodlink's Community Farm and newly constructed Edible Education Center at 585 Lexington Avenue, Rochester, NY. The Edible Education Center includes a learning kitchen and farm space used for Growing Good programming.
• Bay Creek PaddleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBay Creek Paddle collaborated with REP and the Children's School of Rochester #15 to provide kayaking experiences on Irondequoit Creek for the sixth grade class, including boats and paddle instruction.
• Rochester Community Boating FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with REP and the Children's School of Rochester #15 to enable the entire sixth grade class to experience kayaking on local waterways.
• Children's School of Rochester #15coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school for the kayaking program. The entire sixth grade class participated in a collaborative program combining REP programming with Bay Creek Paddle and Rochester Community Boating Foundation.
• GRASAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization supporting Neighborhood Nature programming.
• University of Rochester Finger Lakes Children's Environmental Health Center (FLCEHC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerREP partners with FLCEHC for the Environmental Health Ambassadors summer employment program for high school students. The program employs up to 30 high school students in a six-week experience preparing them as ambassadors for healthy lives, homes, and communities.
• Headwater Food HubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSymposium sponsor and partner organization with shared interest in sustainable food systems and nature-based learning.
• New York State Outdoor Education AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSymposium sponsor supporting outdoor education in New York State.
• City of Rochester Department of Recreation and Human ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity department represented on the Nature-based Learning Symposium 2026 panel. The City of Rochester's forestry department works with REP's Tree Ambassador program to implement the Urban Forestry Master Plan.
• City of Rochester Summer Employment Program (SOOP)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHigh school students apply for Environmental Health Ambassadors positions through the City of Rochester's Summer Opportunity Program (SOOP).
• IdealistminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIdealist platform is used for job postings and volunteer recruitment. REP directs interested candidates to its Idealist listings.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Outdoor Afro: National nonprofit connecting Black communities to nature through outdoor experiences and education. Mission-aligned with REP's nature-deficit work and equity framing, with overlapping program models (community-led nature outings, youth programming).
• Susan Bulanda Butler Children's Forest School: Nature-based early-childhood education programs in various US regions. Comparable nature-based learning pedagogy for K-5, similar sliding-scale/community-access orientation, though smaller scale and operates in different geographies.

Direct peers

• Genesee Land Trust: Greater Rochester land conservation nonprofit operating nature preserves used for outdoor education. Comparable geography and partial mission overlap (nature access), though focused on land stewardship rather than direct program delivery like REP.
• Cornell Cooperative Extension of Monroe County: Regional extension service delivering youth and community environmental programming in Greater Rochester. Closest geographic peer; overlaps with REP on youth nature programming and gardening/food education (Growing Good competes adjacent to 4-H programming).

Broad incumbents

• City Parks Foundation: NYC-based nonprofit delivering environmental education and park programming in urban schools. Closest large-scale urban peer to REP's WildWonder model with comparable curriculum alignment and school-district channel approach.
• Children & Nature Network: National nonprofit catalyzing the nature-based learning movement in the US. Directly comparable mission (connecting children to nature for health and education outcomes), operates at a broader policy/advocacy level rather than direct program delivery like REP.
• Audubon New York (National Audubon Society): State-level chapter delivering nature education and community conservation programs across New York. Comparable nature-education mission, broader geographic footprint, and well-established school partnership model — a potential partner or future competitor for REP's WildWonder.

Others

• North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE): Professional membership association supporting environmental education providers nationally. Rep is the kind of community-based NAAEE member organization that NAAEE resources and convenes — comparable field though not a direct deliverer of competing programs.

Regional players

• Waldorf School of the Finger Lakes / Garden-based learning programs: Finger Lakes-region nature- and garden-based education organization overlapping REP's curriculum themes (outdoor learning, food growing). Adjacent upstate geography; potential partnership or expansion-vector for REP.
• Foodlink (Rochester): Regional food bank and community farm partner of REP's Growing Good program. Comparable focus on food/nutrition education for youth and serves overlapping Rochester population; relationship is currently cooperative but Foodlink's growing community farm programs could overlap REP's gardening curriculum.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RochesterEcology
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rochester-ecology-partners
• Instagraminstagram.com/rochesterecology
• Xx.com/RocEcology

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Rochester Ecology Partners