Lliga Per a la Defensa Del Patrimoni Natural

What Lliga Per a la Defensa Del Patrimoni Natural does

DEPANA (Lliga Per a la Defensa Del Patrimoni Natural) is a Catalan non-profit association founded in 1976 in Barcelona, focused on the defense, study, and conservation of Catalonia's natural heritage. Its operations span legal advocacy (administrative appeals, judicial challenges, and representation before European institutions — notably precipitating a 2021 EU infringement proceeding against Spain for mismanagement of the Delta del Llobregat), territorial programs across Collserola, the Pyrenees, Montseny, the Lleida steppe lands, and the coastline, and species monitoring initiatives including brown bear tracking in the Pyrenees and the Projecte Griseus cetacean photo-identification catalog.

The organization's core 'products' are programs rather than commercial offerings: the GAF Forest Action Group (volunteer habitat restoration and invasive species eradication), environmental education workshops for Catalan schools (accredited via the Xarxa d'Esais i Agents Educatius de Catalunya), guided excursions such as Caminants de Collserola and cetacean observation outings (€45 members / €60 non-members), the annual publication L'Agró Negre, and a 50th Anniversary Program in 2026 culminating in a 2027 strategic Congress. There is no proprietary technology platform; operations run on a standard WordPress website with social media channels.

DEPANA's business model is community-led and donation-supported. Revenue streams comprise recurring membership fees ('fes-te'n soci'), donations, crowdfunding campaigns (e.g., the Goteo campaign that raised over €24,800 from 306 co-financers for Delta del Llobregat defense), an online merchandise store, and event/activity participation fees. Customer segments include the general Catalan public, educational institutions, environmental volunteers, and stakeholders of specific geographic sites (notably the Delta del Llobregat). Distribution is direct via membership, events, and educational partnerships, supported by collaborations with SEO/BirdLife, XCN, Fundación Oso Pardo, LIBERA!, INTERCIDS, and the Consorci del Parc Natural de la Serra de Collserola.

Name

Lliga Per a la Defensa Del Patrimoni Natural

Legal name

DEPANA – Lliga per a la Defensa del Patrimoni Natural

Website

https://depana.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

DEPANA is a Barcelona-based non-profit founded in 1976 that defends, studies, and conserves Catalonia's natural heritage through legal advocacy, species monitoring, volunteer programs, environmental education, and community engagement.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: DEPANA generates revenue through membership fees, inviting supporters to become members ('fes-te'n soci') to fund the organization's environmental protection activities.
2. Donations: The organization accepts donations from supporters and has conducted crowdfunding campaigns, such as the Goteo campaign for Delta del Llobregat defense.
3. Online store sales: DEPANA operates an online store selling merchandise to supporters and sympathizers.
4. Event and activity fees: The organization charges participation fees for certain activities such as cetacean observation outings (45€ members / 60€ non-members).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DEPANA is a non-profit environmental defense association that protects, studies, and conserves Catalonia's natural heritage through field conservation programs (Forest Action Group, brown bear and cetacean monitoring), environmental education workshops for schools, legal advocacy and judicial challenges against harmful development projects, and community engagement activities including guided nature outings. The organization is funded by membership fees, donations, crowdfunding, activity participation fees, and merchandise sales from its online store.

Product overview

DEPANA (Lliga per a la Defensa del Patrimoni Natural) is a non-profit environmental defense organization established in 1976, operating as a single integrated program rather than a platform architecture. Its core offerings consist of conservation programs (GAF forest action group, brown bear monitoring, marine species cataloging via Projecte Griseus), environmental education services (school workshops, guided excursions including Caminants de Collserola hiking activities), legal defense and territorial advocacy, and the annual publication Agró Negre. The organization marks its 50th anniversary in 2026 with special commemorative activities and plans for a strategic congress in 2027.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GAF - Grup d'Acció Forestal (Forest Action Group) Volunteer-led Forest Action Group conducting tree planting, habitat restoration, invasive species eradication, and environmental education activities, particularly in Collserola Natural Park and Barcelona's urban green spaces. Targeted at volunteers and members interested in hands-on conservation.
• Environmental Education Workshops Educational workshops offered to Catalan schools and educational centers through DEPANA's accredited status in the Xarxa d'Esais i Agents Educatius de Catalunya, including programs such as 'Animals exòtics, però no domèstics' on responsible pet ownership and 'L'ós bru, el tresor del Pirineu' on brown bear conservation. Designed for school-age learners and educators.
• Projecte Griseus Marine conservation project focused on cataloging and monitoring the Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) through photo identification, building an inventory of dorsal fins to better understand the species' population and distribution. Targeted at marine conservation researchers, supporters, and cetacean enthusiasts.
• Brown Bear (Os Bru) Monitoring Program Conservation program tracking brown bear populations in the Catalan Pyrenees, documenting families with cubs, and supporting coexistence with livestock farming communities. Coordinated jointly with Fundación Oso Pardo.
• Caminants de Collserola Guided hiking and nature observation excursions in Collserola Natural Park promoting environmental awareness and community engagement with natural spaces. Offered to DEPANA members and the general public.
• Legal Defense (Àmbit Legal) Legal advocacy and defense services protecting natural spaces through administrative appeals, judicial challenges against harmful projects, and institutional representation before European bodies. Targeted at protecting public natural heritage from development threats.
• Membership Program (Fes-te'n soci) Annual membership program inviting individuals to become members (socis) of DEPANA, providing recurring financial support for the organization's environmental defense activities and benefits such as discounted participation fees on nature outings and activities.
• Online Store (Botiga online) Online merchandise store selling branded items to DEPANA supporters and sympathizers, with proceeds supporting the organization's environmental defense activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• European Commission opened infringement procedure against Spain for poor management of Delta del Llobregat protected spaces
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SEO/BirdLifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEPANA collaborates with SEO/BirdLife and XCN (Xarxa per a la Conservació de la Natura) on the project 'Implicació ciutadana en el verd urbà: voluntariat ambiental a la ciutat', funded by Barcelona City Council's Climate Plan. The project involves volunteer activities for biodiversity in urban green spaces including Bosc de Turull, Jardí del Silenci, and Torre Jussana.
• Xarxa per a la Conservació de la Natura (XCN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative with SEO/BirdLife and DEPANA for citizen involvement in urban green spaces and biodiversity volunteer activities in Barcelona.
• INTERCIDScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint advocacy with INTERCIDS and Operadoras Jurídicos por los Animales to end the use of animals in 'Tres Tombs' traditional festivals. Collaborated on documentary 'Desmuntant els Tres Tombs' and secured support from Barcelona's Animal Protection Council.
• Operadoras Jurídicos por los AnimalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint legal advocacy against animal use in traditional festivals together with INTERCIDS and DEPANA.
• Fundación Oso PardocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration on brown bear conservation in the Pyrenees. Joint bear monitoring and tracking activities, family group documentation, and video release. Marc Alonso from both organizations coordinates bear surveillance efforts.
• Plataforma per a la Defensa del SenglarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEPANA participates in this collective initiative of dozens of ecological, animal welfare, and scientific organizations advocating for evidence-based wild boar management and against mass hunting related to African Swine Fever.
• LIBERA!coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with LIBERA! on wild boar management analysis. Joint publication of 'Dinàmica Poblacional del Senglar' technical analysis and campaign against indiscriminate hunting in Catalonia.
• SCEA (Societat Catalana d'Educació Ambiental)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCEA manages Bosc Turull Environmental Classroom where DEPANA operates its forest nursery. Collaboration enables learning-service activities with schools and biodiversity education programs.
• Consorci del Parc Natural de la Serra de CollserolacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration agreement for GAF (Forest Action Group) activities in Collserola Natural Park. Technical guidance and partnership for habitat improvement actions at sites like Font del Gos and Passeig de les Aigües.
• SOS Costa BravaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDEPANA endorses and promotes SOS Costa Brava's 'Camins lliures' initiative for citizen surveillance and defense of public coastal paths against privatization in Girona.
• GoteominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGoteo is the crowdfunding platform used by DEPANA for its 'Salvem el Delta del Llobregat' campaign, which raised over 24,800 euros from 306 co-funders.
• Institut Bernat el Ferrer de Molins de ReiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent collaboration on DEPANA's forest nursery, with ongoing cultivation activities and biochar experiments with oak, holm oak, and stone pine seedlings.
• Fundació EdebéminorOthersFundació Edebé awarded DEPANA the Premi Entitats Socials 2021 for the 'Fem un món més verd' learning-service project.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IPCENA: Catalan environmental nonprofit that has co-filed EU-level complaints with DEPANA (e.g., Timoneda d'Alfés). Direct peer in regional Catalan environmental advocacy and legal action.
• SEO/BirdLife: Spain's leading bird and biodiversity conservation organization and a direct DEPANA partner on urban green-space projects in Barcelona. Both are Spanish environmental NGOs combining advocacy, citizen science, and policy work.
• Ecologistas en Acción: Spanish confederation of environmental groups with comparable advocacy, legal action, and grassroots mobilization playbooks. Operates across Spain with a similar member/donation-driven model.
• Fundación Oso Pardo: Specialized brown bear conservation foundation and long-standing DEPANA partner on Pyrenean bear monitoring. Highly comparable in its species-focused, field-based, science-driven approach.
• Xarxa per a la Conservació de la Natura (XCN): Catalan nature conservation network that partners with DEPANA on Barcelona urban biodiversity projects funded by the city's Climate Plan. Operates in the same Catalan ecosystem and funding channels.
• LIBERA!: Coalition against littering and for wildlife conservation in Spain; co-publisher with DEPANA of technical analyses on wild boar management. Comparable in combining scientific analysis with public campaigns.

Broad incumbents

• Sierra Club: One of the oldest and largest grassroots environmental organizations in the world. Comparable in mission, member-driven model, and longevity, though operating at vastly larger scale and budget.
• Greenpeace Spain: Larger, internationally funded environmental organization active in Spain across advocacy, legal action, and campaigns. Comparable in advocacy and legal methods, but operates at national/global scale with much larger budgets.
• WWF Spain: Spanish arm of the global conservation network. Overlaps with DEPANA on species and habitat protection (e.g., bears, marine species), but at much larger scale and with an institutional fundraising model.

Emerging players

• NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland): Germany's largest environmental association, comparable in member-driven advocacy, regional chapters, and education programs. Provides a benchmark for what a mature mid-sized European environmental NGO can scale into.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DEPANA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@lliga.depana
• Facebookfacebook.com/depana.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/lliga.depana

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Lliga Per a la Defensa Del Patrimoni Natural