Rhode Island Wild Plant Society

What Rhode Island Wild Plant Society does

Rhode Island Wild Plant Society (RIWPS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1987 and headquartered in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. Its stated mission is to preserve and protect Rhode Island's native plants and their habitats, with operational focus extending to ecoregion 59 (Northeastern Coastal Zone). The organization is volunteer-led, governed by a board of trustees that includes academic experts (e.g., Brian Maynard, URI Professor Emeritus of Plant Sciences & Entomology) and credentialed naturalists, and operates with no parent company or holding entity.

RIWPS delivers its mission through a portfolio of community-facing programs. Core offerings include seasonal Native Plant Sales (May, June, August) at venues such as Casey Farm, URI East Farm, and Pawtuxet Village Farmer's Market; the ReSeeding RI initiative, which sources seeds from local wild ecotypic plant populations and distributes them via a partnership with the Northeast Seed Collective; two long-running volunteer propagation groups (Seed Starters East at Portsmouth Ag Innovation and Seed Starters West at South Kingstown Land Trust); and educational programming including First Thursday Botanizing Walks, workshops, kayak events, and a semi-annual publication (WildfloraRI). The organization also maintains a Professional Landscape Services Directory and operates a small grants program for conservation projects.

The revenue model is a hybrid of membership dues (nine tiers ranging from $10 limited-income/student to $1,500 life-family), seasonal plant and seed sales ($4.00 per plug, packet-based seed pricing), donations and grants (including the Seeds for the Next Generation 2026 Capital Campaign targeting $35,000), and small event fees ($30 per kayak program). Customer segments are primarily individual members and nature enthusiasts, with secondary relationships to land trusts, conservation districts, and educational institutions. The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on volunteer propagation, in-person educational events, and cross-promotion with a network of regional conservation partners including Audubon Society of RI, The Nature Conservancy, Native Plant Trust, and multiple municipal land trusts.

Name

Rhode Island Wild Plant Society

Legal name

Rhode Island Wild Plant Society

Website

https://riwps.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Rhode Island Wild Plant Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1987 that preserves Rhode Island's native plants and habitats through seasonal plant sales, the ReSeeding RI ecotypic seed initiative, volunteer propagation programs, and educational botanizing walks serving members, land trusts, and conservation partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Native Plant Conservation

NAICS

Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (113210), Nursery and Tree Production (111421)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Native Species & Restoration Plant Nurseries (AFAMADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD), Native, Pollinator & Drought-Tolerant Garden Installations (HSAIAFAL)

Keywords

• Native plant conservation
• Ecological gardening
• Native plant sales
• Habitat restoration
• Environmental education

Headquarters

HQ city

North Kingstown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees ranging from $10 for limited income/students to $1,500 for life family membership, providing recurring revenue and community engagement.
2. Native Plant Sales: Seasonal native plant sales (May, June, August) generating revenue from sale of propagated plants and seeds, including ReSeeding RI initiative seeds sold through Northeast Seed Collective.
3. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible contributions to the 501(c)(3) nonprofit, including capital campaign donations such as the Seeds for the Next Generation 2026 Capital Campaign targeting $35,000.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RIWPS is a nonprofit conservation organization that sells locally native plants and ecotypic seeds through seasonal plant sales, and delivers educational programming (botanizing walks, workshops, kayak events) to preserve Rhode Island's native plants and habitats. Its ReSeeding RI initiative increases the availability of restoration-quality seeds derived from ethically sourced Rhode Island wild native ecotypic populations, supported by volunteer propagation groups (Seed Starters East and West).

Product overview

RIWPS operates as a nonprofit conservation organization offering a portfolio of programs centered on native plant preservation. The core offerings include seasonal Native Plant Sales featuring locally native plants and restoration-quality seeds; the ReSeeding RI initiative to increase ecotypic seed availability; Seed Starters East and West volunteer propagation groups maintaining greenhouses; and educational programs including botanizing walks and workshops. Additional offerings include the WildfloraRI publication, a Professional Landscape Services Directory for members, and grants supporting conservation projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 native plants sold at single Spring Native Plant Sale event
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northeast Seed CollectivecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership to sell ReSeeding RI seeds through Northeast Seed Collective's distribution network. Seeds are sourced from ecotypic plant populations in ecoregion 59 and sold as individual packets and custom seed mixes for pollinator meadow projects.
• South Kingstown Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosting Seed Starters West hoop house on South Kingstown Land Trust property. The new hoop house provides expanded space for seed propagation and native plant cultivation, representing a major investment in conservation infrastructure.
• Eastern Rhode Island Conservation District (ERICD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRICD property at Portsmouth Ag Innovation hosts Seed Starters East facility and adjacent pollinator habitat. Supports school and community programs and Eastern Rhode Island conservation efforts.
• Native Plant TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRIWPS walk leader Doug McGrady tracks rare and endangered plants for the Plant Conservation Volunteer Corps of the Native Plant Trust. Go Botany recommended as authoritative online source for native and naturalized plants of New England.
• Wood-Pawcatuck Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly organizing summer evening kayak programs on the Wood River to discover aquatic flowers and learn about the river's ecology as a National Wild and Scenic River.
• Audubon Society of Rhode IslandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative programs including walks at Touisset Wildlife Refuge and Caratunk Wildlife Refuge, with Audubon staff leading educational nature walks and bird observation programs.
• The Nature Conservancy Rhode IslandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCarter Preserve in Charlestown, the second-largest preserve of The Nature Conservancy in Rhode Island, serves as site for RIWPS botanizing walks exploring dry habitats and forest recovery.
• University of Rhode IslandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerURI professors and staff have supported RIWPS programs; URI East Farm has hosted plant sales; current Treasurer Brian Maynard is a URI Professor Emeritus of Plant Sciences & Entomology.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Trustees of Reservations: Massachusetts-based nonprofit land conservation organization operating 120+ properties with public access, ecological management, and education programming. Comparable to RIWPS in regional conservation focus but with a much broader property portfolio and operational scale.
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: National-scale native plant conservation and research organization affiliated with the University of Texas. Operates at much greater scale and reach than RIWPS, but pursues the same core mission of native plant preservation, education, and public engagement.
• Appalachian Mountain Club: Large New England-based conservation and outdoor recreation nonprofit with extensive education, volunteer, and habitat programs. Overlaps with RIWPS on conservation education and volunteer-led conservation but operates across a much wider mission scope.

Direct peers

• Native Plant Trust: The largest regional native plant conservation organization in New England (formerly New England Wild Flower Society), operating Garden in the Woods, native plant sales, seed programs, and Go Botany. RIWPS explicitly partners with Native Plant Trust's Plant Conservation Volunteer Corps, making it the closest comparable peer in mission, programs, and geography.
• Wild Seed Project: Maine-based nonprofit focused on propagating and distributing native plants and seeds of local ecotypic origin, including an online seed sale. Closely parallel to RIWPS's ReSeeding RI initiative, with a similar community-led propagation and education model.
• Rhode Island Natural History Survey: Rhode Island-based nonprofit documenting the state's natural history and biodiversity through citizen science, BioBlitz events, and research. Listed as a RIWPS partner organization and operates in the same geographic focus with overlapping volunteer naturalist community.

Emerging players

• Ecological Landscape Alliance: Regional nonprofit promoting ecological landscaping practices and connecting homeowners with professionals. Shares RIWPS's audience and the native plant advocacy mission, but focuses on professional service-provider certification rather than plant propagation.
• New England Botanical Club: Long-running botanical society serving amateur and professional botanists in New England, focused on plant identification, herbarium work, and publication of the journal Rhodora. Comparable to RIWPS's botanizing walks and educational programming but more academically oriented.

Others

• Center for Plant Conservation: National coalition working on rare plant conservation, including seed banking and conservation horticulture. Relevant as an enabling organization that supports native plant conservation infrastructure RIWPS depends on, though it does not directly compete for members or plant sales.

Regional players

• Mass Audubon: Massachusetts-based Audubon chapter operating wildlife sanctuaries, native plant gardens, and education programs. Functionally analogous to a Massachusetts equivalent of the Audubon Society of Rhode Island partnership that RIWPS relies on, but at substantially larger scale and adjacent geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RIWPS
• Instagraminstagram.com/reseedingri
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rhode-island-wild-plant-society-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Rhode Island Wild Plant Society