What WildResearch does

WildResearch Society is a Canadian registered charitable society (Charitable Registration No. 845638006 RR0001) founded in 2010 by six biologists and graduate students from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, BC. The organization operates a portfolio of citizen science programs focused on bird and wildlife monitoring, including the Iona Island Bird Observatory (IIBO) for songbird migration monitoring, the British Columbia Marsh Monitoring Program (BCMMP) for wetland species surveys, the Urban Raptor Monitoring Program for Cooper's hawk abundance estimation, and (historically) the Canadian Nightjar Survey and Western Sandpiper Program. Its core technical capabilities center on standardized field ecology protocols — bird banding, mist-netting, radio telemetry, acoustic/call-playback surveys, and abundance estimation methods aligned with provincial standards.

The organization is governed by a Board of Directors composed primarily of professional biologists and graduate students, with programs executed largely by volunteers supplemented by seasonal employees. It serves four primary stakeholder groups: citizen scientists and volunteers (members), K-12 and university students visiting IIBO, general public donors, and government/conservation organizations that consume its monitoring data for species-at-risk and policy decisions. Revenue is generated through four streams: annual membership fees ($35 student, $45 general, $50 sponsored-general), tax-deductible donations processed via CanadaHelps and mailed cheques, low-margin merchandise sales ($20-$30 items with $12 flat shipping), and grants from foundations including BC Naturalists' Foundation, BC Nature, Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Foundation, Nature Vancouver, Sitka Foundation, and Environment and Climate Change Canada.

WildResearch is federated under BC Nature, partners strategically with Birds Canada (for BCMMP and Nightjar Survey transition in 2020), and collaborates academically with the Centre for Wildlife Ecology at Simon Fraser University. Data from its programs is entered into Birds Canada's NatureCounts platform, and its research outputs have been published in peer-reviewed venues including the Ornithology journal (2022). The go-to-market motion is community-led, driven by volunteer recruitment, word-of-mouth, social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), a weekly/biweekly newsletter, and outreach at local events and conferences. The IIBO is the only migration monitoring station in BC operating during both spring and fall migration, providing a unique 12+ year continuous dataset within the globally important Pacific Flyway and Fraser River Estuary Important Bird Area.

Name

WildResearch

Legal name

WildResearch Society

Website

https://wildresearch.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WildResearch is a Vancouver-based Canadian charitable society (founded 2010) that runs citizen science wildlife monitoring programs—including the Iona Island Bird Observatory and British Columbia Marsh Monitoring Program—delivered by volunteers, funded by memberships, donations, and grants, and serving conservation agencies, students, and community naturalists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Citizen Science

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Surveys & Movement/Connectivity Studies (e.g., Avian/Bat, Telemetry) (EUAHAHAH), Wildlife Viewing & Birdwatching Tours (THAAAEAB)

Keywords

• Citizen science monitoring
• Wildlife conservation research
• Bird banding programs
• Conservation education training
• Wetland habitat monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees provide access to programs, liability insurance for volunteering, weekly newsletter, and Better Impact scheduling program access. General membership $45/year, student membership $35/year.
2. Donations: Tax-deductible donations through CanadaHelps or by mailing personal cheques. Charitable Registration Number: 845638006 RR0001. Donations support wildlife research, training community members, and conservation education.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts ($20), long-sleeved shirts ($30), thermal tumblers ($25), camping mugs ($20), and WildResearch buffs ($25). Flat rate shipping of $12 per order.
4. Grants and Funders: Funding from organizations including BC Naturalists' Foundation, BC Nature, Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Foundation, Nature Vancouver, Sitka Foundation, and Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

WildResearch is a Canadian charitable society that runs volunteer-driven citizen science programs for bird and wildlife monitoring in British Columbia, including the Iona Island Bird Observatory (IIBO) for songbird migration monitoring, the British Columbia Marsh Monitoring Program (BCMMP) for wetland species surveys, Urban Raptor Monitoring for Cooper's hawk abundance, and the Canadian Nightjar Survey for nocturnal bird populations. The organization provides hands-on training workshops in field ecology techniques (bird banding, identification, radio telemetry, statistics) and operates a membership program that gives volunteers access to programs, liability insurance, scheduling software, and the BC Nature federation network.

Product overview

WildResearch is a Canadian conservation organization offering a portfolio of citizen science programs focused on bird and wildlife monitoring in British Columbia. Its core offerings include the Iona Island Bird Observatory (IIBO) for songbird migration monitoring, the British Columbia Marsh Monitoring Program (BCMMP) for wetland bird and amphibian surveys, the Urban Raptor Monitoring Program for Cooper's hawk population assessment, the Western Sandpiper Program for shorebird tracking, and the Canadian Nightjar Survey for nocturnal bird monitoring. These programs are supported by a Research Committee that publishes findings in peer-reviewed journals. WildResearch also provides training workshops on bird banding, identification, and field techniques, and offers membership with volunteer scheduling access through Better Impact, newsletters, and BC Nature federation benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Iona Island Bird Observatory (IIBO) A migration monitoring station at Iona Beach Regional Park in Richmond, BC that operates during both spring and fall migration to monitor songbird populations, generate migration data, and provide hands-on training in bird banding, mist-netting, capture, and handling for volunteers and community members.
• British Columbia Marsh Monitoring Program (BCMMP) A citizen science program that monitors wetland habitat use by birds and amphibians throughout the breeding season across British Columbia, including call-playback surveys for amphibian identification and bird surveys for wetland habitat monitoring.
• Western Sandpiper Program A research program (concluded in 2021) that used radio nanotags to study the movement ecology of Western Sandpipers at the Fraser River Estuary, tracking birds migrating between Alaska and Central/South America.
• Urban Raptor Monitoring Program A volunteer-driven program conducting Cooper's hawk surveys across the Lower Mainland of British Columbia to estimate population abundance in urban environments, using raptors as indicators of urban environmental health. Protocols are based on Inventory Methods for Raptors, Standards for Components of British Columbia's Biodiversity No. 11.
• Training and Workshops Conservation science training workshops covering migratory bird banding and monitoring, bird and amphibian identification, mushroom and fish identification, raptor and nighthawk survey techniques, radio telemetry, statistics and R, and resume writing for community members and volunteers.
• WildResearch Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise including t-shirts ($20 CAD), long-sleeved shirts ($30 CAD), thermal tumblers ($25 CAD), camping mugs ($20 CAD), and WildResearch buffs ($25 CAD), available via email order with flat-rate shipping of $12 per order.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of K-12 and university students educated annually at IIBO
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• Birds CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Birds Canada assumed long-term management of the Canadian Nightjar Survey (formerly WildResearch Nightjar Survey) in 2020. WildResearch volunteers continue participating. BCMMP launched in collaboration with Birds Canada in 2021. Data is entered into Birds Canada's NatureCounts portal.
• Environment and Climate Change CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal government partner for Western Sandpiper Program (2020-2021) deploying nanotags on Western Sandpipers. Collaboration on analysis of 10-year migration monitoring data published in Ornithology (2022).
• BC NaturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWildResearch is a federated club under BC Nature. Members receive BC Nature benefits including magazine subscription, event access, and voting rights at BC Nature AGM. BC Nature provides funding and organizational support.
• Metro Vancouver Regional Parks FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerFunder for Iona Island Bird Observatory. George Ross Legacy Stewardship Program provides funding support for operations.
• Metro Vancouver Regional ParkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing access to Iona Beach Regional Park for bird observatory operations and Urban Raptor Monitoring survey areas.
• Community Mapping NetworksupportingTechnology or IntegrationHosted the Nightjar Atlas for automated route sign-up for volunteer coordination during Nightjar Survey expansion.
• Centre for Wildlife Ecology at Simon Fraser UniversitysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration for research initiatives and student involvement in conservation science.
• City of RichmondsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerParks, Recreation & Community Events Program partnership supporting Iona Island Bird Observatory location.
• Museum of Anthropology at UBCminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner and donor organization supporting WildResearch.
• Beaty Biodiversity MuseumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner and donor organization supporting WildResearch.
• Vancouver Art GalleryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner and donor organization supporting WildResearch.
• Feather FriendlyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization in bird-safe building solutions supporting urban bird conservation.
• BC Parks FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPast partner supporting conservation initiatives.
• The Nature Trust of British ColumbiasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPast partner for grassland conservation efforts (Brink/McLean Grassland Conservation Fund).
• Nightjar Survey Network (US)supportingTechnology or IntegrationUS network whose survey protocol was adapted and modified for the BC/Canadian Nightjar Survey program.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• BirdLife International: Global partnership of bird conservation organizations with national affiliates across continents. Relevant macro peer for the bird-monitoring and protocol-setting role WildResearch plays at a regional level in Canada.
• Canadian Wildlife Federation: Canada's largest national wildlife nonprofit with broad advocacy, education, and citizen-science programming (e.g., pond and wetland monitoring). Comparable in mission but vastly larger in scale and resources, representing the broader incumbent peer for citizen-driven wildlife conservation.
• Ducks Unlimited Canada: Major wetland and waterfowl conservation nonprofit with extensive citizen-science components (e.g., Marsh Monitoring Program-style activities). Highly comparable in wetland bird and amphibian monitoring to WildResearch's BCMMP, but at national scale with a corporate-style operating model.

Direct peers

• Nature Vancouver: Local Vancouver naturalist society that is a current WildResearch funder and partner. Operates a similar member-volunteer model around birding and natural history in the same Lower Mainland geography, making it a close functional peer.
• Wildlife Preservation Canada: Canadian wildlife conservation nonprofit focused on species recovery and training of conservation biologists. Highly comparable in mission, scale (small organization with volunteer-scientist model), and Canadian geography; one WildResearch director is a past WPC fellowship recipient.
• Birds Canada: Canada's national bird conservation organization and the direct successor that assumed management of WildResearch's Canadian Nightjar Survey in 2020. Operates overlapping citizen-science programs, hosts the NatureCounts data portal that WildResearch uses, and runs migration monitoring at scales WildResearch aspires to.

Others

• Pacific Flyway Shorebird Survey: Multi-organization shorebird monitoring initiative along the Pacific Flyway where WildResearch's Western Sandpiper Program contributes data. Comparable in citizen-science shorebird monitoring methodology and Pacific Flyway geographic focus.

Emerging players

• Earth Rangers: Canadian nonprofit focused on engaging children and families in environmental conservation through education and member-driven programs. Comparable in the member/community-engagement GTM motion and youth education emphasis WildResearch pursues via IIBO school programs.

Regional players

• BC Nature: Federation of naturalists in BC under which WildResearch operates as a federated club. Provides member benefits, magazine, funding, and network reach — a parent-like counterpart that connects WildResearch to dozens of smaller naturalist clubs across BC.
• Nature Trust of British Columbia: BC land conservation trust and past WildResearch partner (Brink/McLean Grassland Conservation Fund). Comparable in BC-centric conservation focus, though oriented toward land acquisition and stewardship rather than citizen-science monitoring.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WildResearchSociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wildresearch
• Instagraminstagram.com/wildresearch
• Xx.com/WildResearch

Compliance1 record

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 WildResearch