Quogue Wildlife Refuge

What Quogue Wildlife Refuge does

Quogue Wildlife Refuge (QWR) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit nature preserve located in Quogue, New York, founded in 1934 (originally as the Quogue Waterfowl Sanctuary) and operating across 305 acres of Pine Barrens habitat that includes seven miles of public trails and an ecologically rare Dwarf Pines ecosystem. Its core assets are the free, year-round public preserve (open 365 days, sunrise to sunset), an Outdoor Wildlife Complex housing permanently injured native New York wildlife — owls, falcons, hawks — that serve as educational ambassadors, and a portfolio of active conservation programs including a Box Turtle Conservation Project and a Butterfly Garden & Greenhouse. The Charles Banks Belt Nature Center is currently closed for renovation and expansion.

The organization's revenue model is a six-stream nonprofit mix: program fees (mostly $5-$25 per session, with multi-session summer camps at $75-$280), an annual membership program (including a Family Level tier required for professional photographers), individual donations and an annual appeal, the flagship 18th Annual Wild Night for Wildlife gala (tickets $250+, VIP reception $750+), photography and facility-use fees, and in-kind donations through Amazon and Chewy wish lists. General admission to the preserve is free.

QWR serves a Long Island East End community spanning individual visitors, families with children, K-12 school groups (including outreach programs delivered into classrooms), members and donors, and a small base of professional photography and private-event clients. The organization is led by Executive Director Michael J. Nelson and Assistant Director Marisa Nelson, and operates through a dense partnership network that includes Quogue Library, the Eastern Long Island Audubon Society, Long Island Invasive Species Management Area (LIISMA), Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Citizen Science Learning Center, Long Island Native Plant Initiative, and a referral network of Long Island wildlife rehabilitation centers. QWR also runs virtual programming via Zoom and offers a Library Pass Program that extends institutional distribution beyond its immediate geography.

Name

Quogue Wildlife Refuge

Legal name

Quogue Wildlife Refuge

Website

https://quoguewildliferefuge.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Quogue Wildlife Refuge is a 501(c)(3) non-profit nature preserve founded in 1934 in Quogue, New York, operating a free 305-acre public wildlife sanctuary with environmental education programs and ambassador animals serving Long Island's East End community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation and Environmental Education

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC), Biodiversity Conservation & Habitat Banking (AFAMAMAC)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation refuge
• Environmental education programs
• Nature preserve access
• Wildlife rehabilitation referrals
• Community nature sanctuary

Headquarters

HQ city

Quogue

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Revenue from educational programs, workshops, guided hikes, summer camps, and special events. Programs range from free to $280 for multi-session camps.
2. Memberships: Annual membership program providing benefits including program discounts and free admission to member-only events like Annual Family BBQ
3. Donations & Annual Appeal: Direct donations from individuals supporting the nonprofit mission, including memorial and honorary donations
4. Annual Gala (Wild Night for Wildlife): Major annual fundraising event featuring cocktails, food, live music, and live/silent auctions. Tickets start at $250 with VIP reception at $750+
5. Photography & Facility Fees: Professional photographers must be members at Family Level or above; nominal fees for programs support free general admission
6. Wish List Donations: In-kind donations through Amazon and Chewy wish lists for supplies, equipment, and operational needs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Quogue Wildlife Refuge operates a 305-acre nonprofit nature preserve providing free public access to seven miles of trails and diverse habitats (forests, ponds, and the ecologically rare Dwarf Pines of the Pine Barrens) 365 days a year. It houses an Outdoor Wildlife Complex with permanently injured native animals (owls, falcons, hawks) that serve as educational ambassadors, and delivers year-round environmental education programs, summer camps, the Box Turtle Conservation Project, and wildlife rehabilitation referrals. Revenue is generated through memberships, donations, program fees, and an annual fundraising gala.

Product overview

Quogue Wildlife Refuge operates as a 305-acre non-profit nature preserve offering multiple interconnected programs and services. The core offering includes free public access to trails, habitats, and the Outdoor Wildlife Complex featuring permanently injured ambassador animals. Educational programming spans environmental education, summer camps, and the Box Turtle Conservation Project. Additional revenue-generating services include event venue rental for weddings and galas, membership programs, adopt-an-animal sponsorships, and private programming. The organization also provides wildlife resources and rehabilitation referrals, and operates a Library Pass Program for partner organizations. The Nature Center is currently undergoing renovation and expansion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nature Preserve Access
• Outdoor Wildlife Complex
• Environmental Education Programs
• Summer Camps
• Box Turtle Conservation Project
• Butterfly Garden & Greenhouse
• Fairy Dell Boardwalk
• Event Venue Rental
• Annual Membership Program
• Adopt an Animal Sponsorship
• Private Programs & Green Birthdays
• Photography & Filming Sessions
• Wildlife Resources & Rehabilitation Referrals
• Library Pass Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 305 acres of habitat preserved in perpetuity
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Long Island Invasive Species Management Area (LIISMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for iMapInvasives training programs. LIISMA provides virtual training on reporting invasive species using the iMapInvasives system, an online GIS-based data management tool for community scientists and natural resource professionals.
• Quogue LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaborative story hour programs held outdoors at the Refuge. Library storytellers lead sessions including crafts and visits from animal ambassadors like African Ball Pythons and box turtles.
• Long Island Native Plant InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts Pollinator Week plant sales at the Refuge. Provides native plants supporting bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other pollinators including milkweed for Monarch Butterflies.
• Citizen Science Learning Center (CSLC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunching Pond Keeper program through QWR. CSLC is a citizen-led monitoring network to track Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) in Southampton's 200+ freshwater bodies.
• Eastern Long Island Audubon SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts Annual Earth Day Celebration at Quogue Wildlife Refuge, combining ornithological expertise with refuge facilities.
• Cornell Cooperative ExtensionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJared Dyer, Entomology Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension, serves as guide for moth-related programs, sharing expertise on native moth species.
• Wildlife Rehabilitation CenterscoreOthersNetwork of certified wildlife rehabilitators including Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center, Sweetbriar Nature Center, STAR Foundation, Volunteers for Wildlife, NY Marine Rescue Center, and Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons. QWR provides referrals to these organizations.
• East End EventsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCatering vendor for annual Wild Night for Wildlife gala, providing substantial hors d'oeuvres for the fundraising event.
• NoizminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLive music entertainment provider for annual Wild Night for Wildlife gala.
• Southampton Town Dark Skies Advisory CommitteeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoy Flynn from the committee presents on light pollution impacts during International Dark Skies Week programs at QWR.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sweetbriar Nature Center: Non-profit nature center on Long Island offering wildlife rehabilitation, environmental education, and public trails. Highly comparable to QWR in mission (wildlife + education) and operating model (free public access, fee-based programs, animal ambassadors).
• Volunteers for Wildlife: East Hampton-based wildlife rehabilitation and education center. Directly comparable as a Long Island non-profit focused on injured native wildlife and community education; also part of QWR's referral network.
• Theodore Roosevelt Sanctuary & Audubon Center: Long Island Audubon-owned wildlife sanctuary offering trails, native habitats, and environmental education. Closely mirrors QWR's preserve-plus-education model within the same East End geography.
• NY Marine Rescue Center: Long Island-based wildlife rescue organization with public education programs. Operates in the same regional wildlife rescue and education space as QWR and is part of its referral network.
• Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center: Long Island wildlife rescue and rehabilitation organization. Shares QWR's wildlife-handling and public education mission and is referenced in QWR's referral network, making it a close operational peer despite QWR's broader preserve focus.
• Turtle Rescue of the Hamptons: Long Island non-profit dedicated to turtle rescue and conservation. Comparable niche species conservation mission to QWR's Box Turtle Conservation Project, and a listed QWR referral partner.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: Global land and water conservation non-profit. Overlaps with QWR on habitat preservation and stewardship of ecologically significant parcels, but at a vastly larger scale and broader programmatic remit.
• National Audubon Society: Large national conservation organization whose Eastern Long Island Audubon chapter partners with QWR. Operates broadly across bird/wildlife conservation but does not specialize in a single local preserve like QWR.

Others

• Long Island Native Plant Initiative: Regional non-profit advancing native plant restoration on Long Island. A core QWR programming partner (Pollinator Week plant sales) and comparable in mission around native habitat and pollinator conservation.
• Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County: Public-sector extension organization providing expertise (e.g., entomology) to QWR programming. Comparable in delivering community-facing environmental education but as a public university extension rather than an independent preserve operator.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCDqdVhxGqzsA1H9Z1cwnRfA
• Facebookfacebook.com/quoguewildliferefuge
• Instagraminstagram.com/thequoguewildliferefuge
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/quogue-wildlife-refuge

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Quogue Wildlife Refuge