Ballona Wetlands Land Trust

What Ballona Wetlands Land Trust does

Ballona Wetlands Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1994 and headquartered in Playa Del Rey, California, dedicated to advocacy, public education, and habitat stewardship for the greater Ballona Wetlands ecosystem in Los Angeles. The organization runs a portfolio of programs including the Donna Murray Field Trip Program (free trips to the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve for Title 1 schools and low-income youth groups), the Ballona Watershed and Aquatic Life in-class curricula for 3rd-5th graders, bilingual Spanish-English bird and fish booklets distributed to elementary schools, the Ballona Creek Water Quality Monitoring Program (sonde-based spot sampling at eight locations), the Ballona Creek Infrastructure Survey Project (a Google Sheets and Google Maps data resource), the Biking Birders recreation program, and a habitat stewardship program operating on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month.

The core technology stack is non-proprietary and lightweight: a WordPress-based website hosted by Rocketroom, PayPal for online donations, Constant Contact for the 'Egret Corner' monthly newsletter, Google Workspace (Sheets and Maps) for shared field data, an LAWorks volunteer signup portal, and Facebook and Instagram for social engagement. There are no APIs, SDKs, or AI/ML components.

Revenue flows exclusively from tax-deductible donations collected via the website (PayPal) and by mail; the organization does not disclose donation or grant totals, charges no fees for any of its programs, and covers the full cost of Title 1 school transportation and entry fees itself. Its go-to-market is community-led, relying on grassroots organizing, volunteer mobilization, events tabling, public comment at agency hearings, and a multi-year litigation program that has compelled state and regional agencies to comply with environmental and open-government laws and recover over $266,000 in combined legal fee reimbursements.

Name

Ballona Wetlands Land Trust

Legal name

Ballona Wetlands Land Trust

Website

https://ballona.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ballona Wetlands Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1994 in Playa Del Rey, California, that runs free field-trip education programs for Title 1 schools, volunteer habitat stewardship, water quality monitoring, advocacy, and litigation protecting the greater Ballona Wetlands ecosystem in Los Angeles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wetlands Conservation and Environmental Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH), Conservation, Restoration & Biodiversity Services (Habitat, Wetlands, Riparian) (IMAMAJAH), Wetlands, Rivers & Freshwater Nature Tours (THAJAIAH)

Keywords

• Wetlands conservation
• Environmental education
• Habitat stewardship
• Watershed advocacy
• Wildlife protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Playa Del Rey

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-free contributions collected to advance efforts advocating for the greater Ballona Wetlands ecosystem. Accepts PayPal donations through website and check donations by mail.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ballona Wetlands Land Trust is a grassroots 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1994 that advocates for the greater Ballona Wetlands ecosystem in Los Angeles. It delivers free environmental education programs for Title 1 schools, hands-on habitat stewardship volunteer events, water quality monitoring of Ballona Creek, public access to the Ecological Reserve, educational publications, and litigation/enforcement of environmental laws.

Product overview

Ballona Wetlands Land Trust is a grass-roots 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1994, operating a suite of environmental education, advocacy, and stewardship programs rather than a traditional product. The core offerings include education programs (Donna Murray Field Trip Program, Ballona Watershed Program, Ballona's Aquatic Life classes), educational publications (bird and fish booklets), environmental monitoring (Water Quality Monitoring Program, Infrastructure Survey Project), recreation (The Biking Birders), and community engagement (Tabling & Outreach, The Egret Corner newsletter). The organization also conducts advocacy and litigation to protect the Ballona Wetlands ecosystem, including the successful Area A Access initiative and ongoing Habitat Stewardship Program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Donna Murray Field Trip Program Free field trips to Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve and alternative wetland sites (Bolsa Chica, Madrona Marsh) for Title 1 elementary schools and low-income youth groups, including pre-trip presentations, transportation, entry fees, and docent-led tours covering wetland ecology, wildlife, and native history.
• Ballona Watershed Program (In-Class) Virtual or in-person classroom curriculum for 3rd-5th grade students exploring the Ballona Creek Watershed, covering watersheds, wetlands, wildlife, habitat, bird identification, conservation, and stewardship.
• Ballona's Aquatic Life (In-Class) In-class curriculum diving into Ballona Creek, Ballona Wetlands, and Pacific Ocean ecosystems, covering food chains, ecosystems, watersheds, aquatic organisms, and stewardship.
• Beginner's Checklist of Common Birds in Los Angeles Area Bilingual Spanish/English booklet distributed to elementary school children to promote local wildlife appreciation, with over 5,000 copies distributed to schools.
• Guide to Fish Found in the Lower Ballona Creek & the Ballona Wetlands Brochure about common fish in the Ballona Wetlands and Lower Ballona Creek distributed to visitors to promote fishery knowledge and stewardship, with over 1,000 copies distributed.
• The Biking Birders Guided nature bike tours along Ballona Creek organized by the Land Trust's President, stopping to observe birds and wildlife along the Ballona Creek Bike Path with optional short walks into Area A of the Ecological Reserve.
• Habitat Stewardship Program Regular volunteer events to improve native wildlife habitat in the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve, held on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month in collaboration with California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
• Ballona Creek Water Quality Monitoring Program Water quality spot sampling program at eight locations along Ballona Creek using a sonde to collect water quality vital signs data that informs the organization's advocacy and stewardship work.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12 years of community effort to remove unpermitted drains from wetlands
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• UCLA Indigenations Scholars ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2025Partnership with UCLA that enabled hosting of Anawakalmekak Indigenous School students via the Indigenations Scholars Program. Coordinated through Gabrielle Crowe and Ary Amaya with planning by Sofia Morales.
• Anawakalmekak Indigenous SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2025Only indigenous TK-12 charter school in Los Angeles. First visit from this school occurred June 26, 2025 via partnership with UCLA Indigenations Scholars Program and Native Ways 2 College.
• California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary agency partner managing the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve. Collaborated on opening Area A for public access in January 2022 and conducting habitat stewardship activities. The Land Trust advocates for sound management policies while CDFW maintains the ecological reserve.
• California Coastal ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency that funds and supports wetland restoration projects. Board members Joseph Alioto and Director Amy Hutzel supported the new public access policy for Area A. Has been involved in restoration planning since 2004.
• California Natural Resources AgencyminorOthersParent state agency overseeing CDFW and other natural resources departments.
• Nature Nexus InstituteminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOrganization that hosts public access events in Area B of the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve on the first Saturday and second Sunday of each month from 9 AM to noon.
• LA AudubonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost of Open Wetlands events at Ballona's Salt Marsh on the 1st Saturday of each month from 9-12 PM.
• Native Ways 2 CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Indigenations Scholars Program that brought Anawakalmekak Indigenous School students to the Ballona Wetlands.
• Santa Monica Bay Restoration CommissionminorOthersState agency with statutory mandate to monitor, assess, coordinate and advise state programs impacting Santa Monica Bay and watershed including Ballona Wetlands. The Land Trust has litigated against this commission multiple times.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Wetlands Watch: Wetlands Watch is a small advocacy nonprofit focused on wetland conservation, sea level rise, and policy in coastal Virginia. It is comparable as a focused wetlands conservation advocacy organization, though it operates in a different geography and on a slightly different policy niche (sea level rise adaptation).

Direct peers

• Los Angeles Audubon Society: LA Audubon is a local chapter focused on birding, conservation, and field-based education in the Los Angeles region and is already a partner of Ballona Wetlands Land Trust hosting Open Wetlands events. The two are directly comparable as habitat-and-bird-focused community conservation groups in LA.
• California Coastkeeper Alliance: California Coastkeeper Alliance is a statewide nonprofit that protects and restores water quality in California's coastal waters through advocacy, litigation, and education. It is comparable as a California-focused coastal and water quality advocacy nonprofit combining grassroots organizing with legal action.
• Heal the Bay: Heal the Bay is a Santa Monica-based environmental nonprofit focused on coastal water quality, marine protection, and environmental education in the greater Los Angeles area. It is comparable because both organizations combine grassroots advocacy, free K-12 education, and water quality monitoring around LA waterways.
• Amigos de los Rios: Amigos de los Rios is a Los Angeles-area nonprofit focused on green infrastructure, river parklands, and community access to natural spaces in LA. It is comparable as a small LA-based environmental nonprofit doing park access advocacy, community engagement, and habitat stewardship in the same regional context.
• The Bay Foundation: The Bay Foundation is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit focused on Santa Monica Bay and Ballona Wetlands restoration, education, and water quality. It is the most directly comparable peer because both organizations operate in the same Ballona watershed ecosystem and have overlapping stewardship, education, and policy mandates (the Land Trust has actually litigated against Bay Foundation-affiliated bodies).

Others

• Earth Island Institute: Earth Island Institute is a Bay Area-based nonprofit incubator that supports small environmental projects with fiscal sponsorship and capacity-building. It is thematically related as an environmental nonprofit infrastructure organization but does not directly compete or operate in the same LA coastal wetland space.

Regional players

• Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority: MRCA is a public agency that acquires and manages open space, parks, and habitat in the Santa Monica Mountains and LA region. It is comparable as a regional conservation and public-access operator in greater Los Angeles but is a government authority rather than a grassroots nonprofit.

Broad incumbents

• Surfrider Foundation: Surfrider Foundation is a larger, established coastal environmental nonprofit with grassroots chapters across the US that conducts advocacy, litigation, and beach/water quality programs. It is comparable as a coastal advocacy-and-education nonprofit but operates at a much broader geographic scale than the Ballona Land Trust.
• The Nature Conservancy (California): The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organization with a major California program that acquires and manages habitat lands including coastal wetlands. It is comparable as a conservation land trust and stewardship organization but operates at vastly greater scale, funding, and geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ballonawetlandslandtrust
• Instagraminstagram.com/ballonalandtrust
• Xx.com/BallonaWetland1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ballona-wetlands-land-trust

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Ballona Wetlands Land Trust