Stanley Park Ecology Society

What Stanley Park Ecology Society does

Stanley Park Ecology Society is a Canadian registered charity founded in 1988 and based at the Nature House in Vancouver's Stanley Park. It is the sole non-profit organization dedicated to the ecology of Stanley Park, delivering environmental education, conservation, and citizen-science programming across the 1,000-acre urban park. The Society serves K-12 students (more than 12,000 annually), families, the general public, underrepresented communities, seniors, and corporate group clients, drawing on the park's roughly 18 million annual visitors.

Its core offerings include EcoCamps (seasonal youth programming), Guided Nature Tours, the Nature House visitor center, school programs, public education events, conservation projects, room rentals, memberships, and citizen-science initiatives that have documented more than 1,500 species over 35+ years. Under Executive Director Tricia Collingham, the Society operates with a small staff (11-50 employees) and a layered network of municipal, academic, Indigenous, and conservation partners, including the City of Vancouver, Talaysay Tours, Birds Canada, UBC Beaty Biodiversity Museum, Tree Canada, TD Tree Days, and the Vancouver Aquarium.

The business model is a non-profit funding mix of individual donations and memberships, fee-for-service program revenue (camps, tours, school programs, room rentals), charity-event fundraising (e.g., 2026 Vancouver Triathlon partnership), and tax-efficient securities donations processed through CanadaHelps and RAVEN Trust. Revenue concentration is intentionally diversified across these channels and customer segments.

Name

Stanley Park Ecology Society

Legal name

Stanley Park Ecology Society

Website

https://stanleyparkecology.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stanley Park Ecology Society is a Vancouver-based registered charity that delivers environmental education, guided tours, EcoCamps, school programs, and citizen-science research in Stanley Park for K-12 students, families, seniors, and the general public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education and Conservation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Education & Community Programs (Junior Ranger, Citizen Science, School Programs) (THAAAGAK)

Keywords

• Environmental education programs
• Urban ecology conservation
• Citizen science initiatives
• Nature-based school programs
• Community habitat stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Memberships: Individual donations through online platforms (Zeffy, CanadaHelps Securities Donations), membership programs, and legacy gifts/bequests. The organization is a CRA Registered Charity since 1988.
2. Program Fees: Fees from EcoCamps, guided tours, and workshops. Most public programs are free or low-cost with sliding scale pricing for those with financial barriers.
3. Charity Partnership Fundraising: Official charity partner of events like the Vancouver Triathlon, where participants raise minimum $700 each to support SPE programs.
4. Securities Donations: Accepts donations of publicly traded securities including stocks, mutual funds, and ETFs through CanadaHelps Securities Donations platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Stanley Park Ecology Society delivers environmental education, conservation, and community stewardship programs focused on Stanley Park in Vancouver. Its core offerings include the Nature House interpretive visitor facility, EcoCamp summer day camps for children ages 7-11, guided nature tours (birding, twilight, habitat, tree identification), K-12 school field-trip programs, and citizen science initiatives such as BioBlitz events and wildlife monitoring. Programs are delivered in-person at the Nature House, throughout Stanley Park, and through school and community partnerships, with most public programs offered free or on a sliding-scale fee basis.

Product overview

Stanley Park Ecology Society (SPE) operates as a non-profit nature education and conservation organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs centered on environmental education, conservation, and community stewardship in Stanley Park. The core offerings include the Nature House visitor facility with interactive exhibits, EcoCamp summer day camps for children, and guided nature tours (habitat walks, bird walks, twilight tours, tree identification). School programs connect over 12,000 students annually through curriculum-linked field trips, while public education programs provide free/low-cost nature activities. Conservation projects encompass habitat restoration, species monitoring, and citizen science initiatives. Additional services include room rentals for private events, membership programs, and various donation mechanisms including cash, securities, and legacy gifts. The organization relies on interpretive programming and community initiatives rather than a traditional technology product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EcoCamp Multi-day summer day camps for children ages 7-11, offering curiosity-powered outdoor adventures exploring Stanley Park's forests, wetlands, and rocky shorelines with diverse and inclusive activities; fees on a sliding scale with reduced rates available for those facing financial barriers.
• Guided Nature Tours
• Nature House
• School Programs
• Public Education Programs
• Conservation Projects
• Room/Venue Rentals
• Memberships and Donations
• Citizen Science Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 12,000+ students connected with nature annually through school programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vancouver Triathlon / MultisportscanadacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 September 2026Official charity partner of the 2026 Vancouver Triathlon. SPE builds a 20-person athlete team raising funds through RaceRoster. Each participant commits to raising minimum $700, with potential to raise $14,000 for SPE programs.
• City of VancouvercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Birding with Me community walks and urban greenspace programming. City-sponsored free guided bird walks in Vancouver neighborhoods.
• Talaysay TourscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous-owned tourism company (founded by Candace Campo and daughter Talaysay Campo of Squamish and Sechelt Nations) providing cultural walks and land-based education. Partners on Senior Strolls, Earth Day events, and specialized cultural programming.
• Birds CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for bird counts and bird celebration events. Collaboration on Big Sit Bird Watch and other avian monitoring programs.
• Water RangersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian nonprofit building water monitoring tools. Partners on water quality demonstration programs teaching community science skills.
• University of British Columbia Beaty Biodiversity MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in City Nature Challenge BioBlitz events at Beaver Lake, contributing biodiversity expertise and resources.
• Douglas College Institute of Urban EcologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in City Nature Challenge events, providing research support and student involvement.
• Entomological Society of British ColumbiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in City Nature Challenge BioBlitz, contributing entomological expertise.
• Invasive Species Council of Metro VancouvercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of Stewardship Series educational events on invasive species detection and management in Metro Vancouver.
• Tree CanadaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of tree planting events in Stanley Park, including events to restore areas disturbed by Western hemlock Looper moth.
• TD Tree DaysminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of tree and plant planting events at Lost Lagoon supporting habitat restoration.
• RAVEN TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndigenous rights organization partnering on Earth Day events and community education.
• Vancouver AquariumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on Earth Day intertidal exploration activities and ocean-related programming.
• Greater Vancouver Bird CelebrationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTwo-week bird celebration series organized by collection of non-profits, artists, and institutions. SPE hosts multiple bird-related events as part of celebration.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• Evergreen: Canadian nonprofit focused on urban nature, school ground greening, and nature-connected learning. It addresses the same urban nature education and K-12 outdoor learning missions as SPE, with a stronger national program footprint.
• Earth Rangers: Canada-based children's nature and conservation organization with school programs and a member club. It targets the same K-12 nature education audience as SPE's school programs and EcoCamps, particularly through curriculum-linked content.

Direct peers

• Birds Canada: Canada's national bird conservation organization running bird counts, citizen science, and education programs. SPE directly partners with Birds Canada on bird counts and the Big Sit Bird Watch, making it a direct peer in avian-focused community science and conservation education.
• Vancouver Aquarium: Vancouver-based marine science center delivering wildlife education, conservation programs, and visitor exhibits. Both organizations serve Greater Vancouver audiences with animal-focused education, and SPE partners with the Aquarium on Earth Day intertidal programming.
• George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary: A Delta, BC-based bird sanctuary with public trails, guided walks, and visitor education. It overlaps directly with SPE's guided wetland and avian programming at Beaver Lake and Lost Lagoon.
• Nature Vancouver: Vancouver Natural History Society, a local nonprofit running nature walks, lectures, and citizen science for the Vancouver region. It is the closest direct peer in local nature interpretation and community-led outdoor education programming.
• Greater Vancouver Zoo: Regional wildlife attraction offering animal exhibits, school programs, and conservation education in the Metro Vancouver region. It competes for the same family, school, and conservation-education audiences that SPE serves.
• Talaysay Tours: Indigenous-owned Squamish/Sechelt cultural tourism company offering land-based walks and cultural education in Greater Vancouver. SPE partners with Talaysay on Senior Strolls and Earth Day, and it competes for the same guided nature and cultural tourism audience.

Broad incumbents

• Royal BC Museum: British Columbia's flagship natural and human history museum in Victoria. While broader in scope and non-local, it competes for institutional partners, school group bookings, and natural history education funding across the province.
• Canadian Wildlife Federation: National nonprofit delivering wildlife conservation programs, education, and backyard habitat initiatives across Canada. It overlaps with SPE's citizen science, school, and habitat restoration programming at the national scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/StanleyParkEco
• Facebookfacebook.com/StanleyParkEcology
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stanley-park-ecology-society
• Instagraminstagram.com/stanleyparkecology

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 Stanley Park Ecology Society