Aspen Center for Environmental Studies

Name

Aspen Center for Environmental Studies

Legal name

Aspen Center for Environmental Studies

Website

https://aspennature.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Support Activities for Forestry (115310)

SIC

Forestry (800), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Forestry & Reforestation (BPAGAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF), Monitoring, Survival Surveys & Carbon/MRV Services (Remote Sensing, Field Audits) (AFAMACAO)

Keywords

• Environmental education
• Nature preserve programs
• Regenerative agriculture training
• Forest health monitoring
• Community supported agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Aspen

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Memberships: Annual membership program offering various tiers with benefits including access to preserves, discounts on programs, and exclusive events.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals supporting environmental education and conservation work.
3. Program Fees: Fees for educational programs including summer camps, birding classes, naturalist training, school programs, and special events.
4. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partnership program with multiple tiers from Partner ($500+) to Benefactor ($10,000+) providing marketing recognition and event sponsorship opportunities.
5. Rock Bottom Ranch CSA: Community Supported Agriculture program offering produce from regenerative agriculture operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) is a nonprofit environmental science education organization that delivers immersive nature programming across three preserves (Hallam Lake, Rock Bottom Ranch, and Toklat) in Colorado's Roaring Fork Valley. The organization sells year-round educational programs including summer camps, school field programs, birding classes, naturalist-guided tours, regenerative agriculture training and a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, supported by a Forest Health Index data platform that monitors ecological conditions across Colorado watersheds.

Product overview

ACES is a nonprofit environmental science education organization offering a diverse portfolio of programs centered around ecological literacy, regenerative agriculture, forest health, and environmental leadership. The organization operates three physical locations (Hallam Lake, Rock Bottom Ranch, and Toklat) and provides programming across multiple channels: immersive naturalist-guided outdoor experiences, youth camps and school programs, adult education courses, and the Forest Health Index data platform. Key offerings include seasonal summer camps, year-round birding programs with the ACES Bird Club, regenerative agriculture training and CSA at Rock Bottom Ranch, and the Jessica Catto Dialogues speaker series. The Forest Health Index serves as a data and monitoring platform tracking ecological indicators across Colorado watersheds. ACES operates as a unified environmental education organization with programs designed for all ages, from children's camps to professional training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ACES Ed: Environmental education programs for schools and community
• Rock Bottom Ranch
• Catto Center at Toklat
• ACES Bird Club

Products and services

• ACES Summer Camp

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Aspen School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership providing environmental science field programs and curriculum-aligned experiences for Aspen School District students.
• Roaring Fork School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDaily environmental science classes in four regional schools from Aspen to New Castle, reaching students across the district.
• Wilderness WorkshopcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of Naturalist Nights speaker series and collaboration on conservation and environmental education initiatives.
• Roaring Fork AuduboncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of Naturalist Nights speaker series and collaboration on birding education and bird conservation programs.
• City of AspenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpen space partnership providing access to City of Aspen open space properties for birding and environmental education programs.
• Pitkin CountymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpen Space Trails partnership providing access to North Star Preserve and other properties for environmental education.
• Colorado Parks and WildlifemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on wildlife education, raptor programs, and wildlife conservation initiatives.
• US Forest ServicemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on forest health, conservation, and environmental education on federal lands.
• Aspen Global Change InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on climate change research, environmental science education, and watershed monitoring.
• PatagoniamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting environmental causes and outdoor recreation community engagement.
• The Little NellmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLuxury hotel corporate partner and Benefactor-level sponsor providing event support and community engagement.
• Aspen SnowmassmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing partnership with ski resort promoting environmental programs and outdoor recreation.
• Anderson Ranch Arts CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-promotional partnership with arts center for creative and environmental programming.
• Aspen Valley Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on land conservation, preserve management, and environmental stewardship.
• Aspen SportsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal outdoor retailer partnership for community engagement and outdoor recreation education.
• Fat City FarmersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal agricultural partner supporting farm-to-table programs and sustainable food initiatives.
• Generation WildminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth outdoor recreation and environmental education partnership.
• Aspen Art MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-promotional partnership with art museum for creative environmental education.
• The Aspen TimesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal media partnership for press coverage and community outreach.
• Post IndependentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal newspaper media partnership for press coverage and community outreach.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Shelburne Farms: Vermont-based nonprofit educational farm on 1,400 acres delivering place-based education, school programs, and regenerative agriculture training. Comparable for combining school programming, regenerative agriculture, and a working landscape used for environmental education.
• Walking Mountains Science Center: Colorado-based nonprofit environmental science education organization serving Eagle County with youth and adult nature programs. Highly comparable: same region-of-origin Vail Valley area, similar outdoor environmental education mission, comparable preserve-based programming and school outreach model.
• Rocky Mountain Conservancy: National Park Service-affiliated nonprofit delivering environmental education and field seminars across Rocky Mountain National Park. Comparable for preserve-based field education, naturalist guides, naturalist training programs, and school field programming.
• Aspen Valley Land Trust: Roaring Fork Valley land conservation nonprofit protecting open space and agricultural lands. Highly comparable as a regional conservation organization operating in the same service area with overlapping partner ecosystem (Pitkin County, City of Aspen).
• Catalyst Education (formerly Aspen Science Center): Aspen-area STEM education nonprofit offering hands-on science programs and camps. Comparable in operating geography, school and youth education focus, and nonprofit membership/event-driven model.

Regional players

• Anderson Ranch Arts Center: Arts-education nonprofit near Aspen offering workshops, residencies, and community programming on a campus setting. Comparable for hyper-local Aspen Valley institutional positioning, education program model, and program revenue plus donations funding mix.
• Roaring Fork Conservancy: Roaring Fork Valley-based water conservation nonprofit with watershed monitoring and education programs. Comparable for watershed data, community education, and overlapping geographic service area; complements ACES' Forest Health Index water metrics.

Broad incumbents

• Yellowstone Forever: Official nonprofit partner of Yellowstone National Park delivering education programs, field seminars, and stewardship initiatives. Comparable for wildlife/nature preserve management, naturalist-led tours, education programs, and member/donation revenue model.
• The Nature Conservancy — Colorado Chapter: Major national conservation nonprofit operating land protection, forest health, and stewardship programs across Colorado. Comparable for forest and watershed work, partnership with government agencies, and brand-aligned environmental mission; broader scope and scale than ACES.
• Leave No Trace: National outdoor ethics education nonprofit delivering training and curriculum to land managers, educators and youth. Comparable as national environmental education provider with school programs, training, and corporate/community partnerships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ACESaspen
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/aces81611
• Facebookfacebook.com/AspenCenterforEnvironmentalStudies
• Instagraminstagram.com/acesaspen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aspen-center-for-environmental

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Aspen Center for Environmental Studies