Reptielen Amfibieën Vissen Onderzoek Nederland

What Reptielen Amfibieën Vissen Onderzoek Nederland does

RAVON (Reptielen Amfibieën Vissen Onderzoek Nederland, operating as Stichting RAVON) is a Dutch nonprofit foundation established approximately in 1991 that researches, monitors, and conserves native reptiles, amphibians, and freshwater fish species across the Netherlands. The organization is headquartered at Natuurplaza on the Radboud University campus in Nijmegen and maintains a secondary monitoring office at the University of Amsterdam in Sciencepark 904. RAVON sits under the umbrella of Stichting Natuur Onderzoek Nederland alongside sister organizations FLORON (plants) and Paddenstoelenonderzoek Nederland (fungi), with which it shares a joint webshop and back-office infrastructure; it is registered as an ANBI (Dutch public benefit organization).

The organization's core operating model is community-led citizen science coordinated through a network of more than 3,000 volunteers organized into 25+ specialized working groups and 6 provincial sections. The volunteer base runs structured species counting programs (Reptielen tellen, Amfibieën tellen, Vissen tellen), habitat restoration projects, and field excursions, supported by dedicated digital platforms including padden.nu (amphibian crossing management with 300+ active toad-crossing locations), poelen.nu (pond mapping and condition assessment focused on North Brabant, Gelderland, Limburg, and Overijssel), and tuintelling.nl (garden biodiversity counts). Notable active conservation and advocacy initiatives include the Paddentrap toad-tunnel program, a Rhine European sturgeon reintroduction using acoustic telemetry, and a 2026 awareness rowing expedition for the European eel. Coverage spans 16 native amphibian species, the full suite of native reptiles, and 80+ freshwater fish species.

RAVON's revenue is generated primarily through donations and memberships, with monthly donor tiers at €2.95, €5.95, and €9.95 and one-time gifts (notably a €35 paddentrap sponsorship). A webshop at ravon.ccvshop.nl sells books, field equipment (nets, survey materials), clothing, identification cards, and gifts, serving both volunteers and the general public. The organization employs between 51 and 100 staff and supports research-driven advocacy and policy guidance for landscape managers, provincial authorities, municipalities, and Natura 2000 site managers. Note: a founding-year conflict exists in the input data (1987 in firmographics versus 1991 in the organizational profile); the 1991 date is used here because it is consistent with the organization's self-reported "more than 35 years" claim from 2026.

Name

Reptielen Amfibieën Vissen Onderzoek Nederland

Legal name

Stichting RAVON

Website

https://ravon.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

RAVON is a Dutch nonprofit foundation that researches, monitors, and protects native reptiles, amphibians, and freshwater fish in the Netherlands through citizen-science programs coordinated with 3,000+ volunteers, informing conservation policy and habitat management.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nature Conservation and Wildlife Protection

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB), Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Threatened & Endangered Species (TES) / Protected Species Surveys & Compliance (EUAHAHAD), Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Nature conservation services
• Citizen science monitoring
• Biodiversity research programs
• Wildlife habitat protection
• Freshwater ecology surveys

Headquarters

HQ city

Nijmegen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

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. Donations and Memberships: RAVON operates as a non-profit nature conservation organization funded primarily through donations, membership contributions, and charitable giving. Monthly donation tiers (€2.95, €5.95, €9.95 per month) provide recurring revenue, with donor benefits including the annual RAVON-Balans publication, merchandise discounts, and branded items such as tote bags and neck warmers.
2. Merchandise and Field Materials Sales: Revenue generated through the RAVON webshop (ravon.ccvshop.nl), which sells books, field equipment (nets, survey materials), clothing, identification cards, brochures, and gifts. The webshop also serves FLORON and Paddenstoelenonderzoek Nederland.
3. One-time Donations and Targeted Sponsorship: One-time donation options are available, including a specific €35 sponsorship of a 'paddentrap' (toad tunnel) which saves approximately 5 toads annually and includes a branded Toad Bag as a donor gift.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Stichting RAVON is a Dutch non-profit nature conservation organization that researches, monitors, and protects native reptiles, amphibians, and freshwater fish in the Netherlands together with a network of over 3,000 volunteers. Its core offerings include structured citizen science counting programs, habitat conservation projects such as toad tunnels and pond restoration, an online webshop selling books and field equipment, and policy advisory services for nature managers and government bodies.

Product overview

RAVON is an independent Dutch nature conservation organization (stichting) that has operated for over 35 years protecting native reptiles, amphibians, and fish species alongside more than 3,000 volunteers. The organization does not offer commercial products but provides volunteer-based conservation programs including species counting projects (for reptiles, amphibians, and fish), educational activities, excursions, and a webshop selling books, field materials, nets, clothing, and identification guides. RAVON operates as a non-profit knowledge organization affiliated with Stichting Natuur Onderzoek Nederland, alongside FLORON and Paddenstoelenonderzoek Nederland. The core offering consists of citizen science programs (such as the Paddentrap project for amphibian crossings), working groups across Dutch provinces, an online library of publications, and the Academy for educational resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• RAVON Webshop

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FLORONcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFLORON is a sister organization within Stichting Natuur Onderzoek Nederland, focused on plant conservation in the Netherlands. RAVON, FLORON, and Paddenstoelenonderzoek Nederland share the same foundation and jointly operate the RAVON webshop.
• Paddenstoelenonderzoek NederlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaddenstoelenonderzoek Nederland (Dutch mushroom research) is a sister organization under Stichting Natuur Onderzoek Nederland, sharing infrastructure with RAVON including the joint webshop.
• MaibachminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMaibach is listed as a logo partner on the RAVON website, suggesting a commercial sponsorship or marketing partnership relationship.
• VisLiftminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVisLift is listed as a logo partner on the RAVON website, indicating a commercial sponsorship or marketing partnership relationship.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Natuur & Milieu: Natuur & Milieu is a Dutch environmental advocacy organization covering broader sustainability topics; it overlaps with RAVON on nature and biodiversity policy but operates at a portfolio level rather than species-specialist level.
• Natuurmonumenten: Natuurmonumenten is the largest Dutch nature conservation nonprofit, managing nature reserves across the country; it operates in the same advocacy and habitat space as RAVON but at significantly broader scale and species scope.
• WWF Nederland: WWF Netherlands is the local chapter of a global conservation NGO; it shares RAVON's advocacy and species-protection mission but with international reach, brand scale, and a much broader taxonomic mandate.

Regional players

• The Wildlife Trusts: The Wildlife Trusts is a UK federation of 46 local wildlife trusts combining volunteer-based conservation, species monitoring, and policy advocacy; structurally similar to RAVON but operating in a different national market.

Direct peers

• Paddenstoelenonderzoek Nederland: Paddenstoelenonderzoek Nederland is RAVON's sister organization under Stichting Natuur Onderzoek Nederland, applying the same citizen science, working group, and policy advocacy model to Dutch fungi.
• Zoogdiervereniging: The Dutch Mammal Society runs a comparable model of species-focused monitoring, volunteer working groups, and policy advice, covering the mammal counterpart to RAVON's herpetofauna and freshwater fish mandate.
• Vogelbescherming Nederland: The Dutch Bird Protection society is the closest analogue to RAVON in structure: a single-species-group nonprofit combining citizen science monitoring, volunteer networks, policy advocacy, and conservation project execution in the Netherlands.
• Stichting Vissenbescherming: Vissenbescherming is a Dutch nonprofit specifically focused on fish welfare and protection; its advocacy and habitat work overlaps directly with RAVON's freshwater fish mandate.
• IVN Natuureducatie: IVN is a Dutch nature education nonprofit that mobilizes large volunteer networks for citizen science and outdoor excursions, overlapping heavily with RAVON's community-led GTM and education activities.
• FLORON: FLORON is RAVON's sister organization under Stichting Natuur Onderzoek Nederland, applying the same volunteer-driven species monitoring and policy engagement model to Dutch flora.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ravon
• Facebookfacebook.com/ravonNL
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ravonnl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Reptielen Amfibieën Vissen Onderzoek Nederland