Ridge to Reefs

What Ridge to Reefs does

Ridge to Reefs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental organization founded in 2011 and headquartered in Sykesville, Maryland, with a small team of 1–10 employees. It designs and implements nature-based solutions for watershed restoration, clean water access, food security, and ecosystem protection, working across a geographically diverse footprint that includes Maryland, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and Palau. Its programs serve rural and island communities, federal land management partners, and disaster-affected populations — most notably through Hurricane Maria recovery efforts in the Caribbean.

The organization's core technology portfolio is built around field-deployed, low-infrastructure treatment and agriculture systems. These include wood chip bioreactors augmented with biochar for denitrification and pollutant removal, chitosan-based flocculant socks for sediment and contaminant control, vetiver grass sediment traps, bioreactor gardens for cesspool remediation, and mobile solar-powered walk-in coolers ("Solar Fridges") that support farm-to-table cold-chain logistics. The technology stack is intentionally biological and mechanical, designed for low-resource, off-grid environments.

Ridge to Reefs is funded primarily through grants from federal agencies — including NOAA, USDA NRCS, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation — supplemented by philanthropic donations. It sustains multi-stakeholder partnerships with state agencies, indigenous and island community groups, and academic collaborators. There is no disclosed pricing model, equity funding, or commercial revenue stream; the organization operates as a project-driven nonprofit whose "go-to-market" is grant applications and partnership development rather than product sales.

Name

Ridge to Reefs

Legal name

Ridge to Reefs

Website

https://ridgetoreefs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ridge to Reefs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that designs and deploys nature-based water treatment, watershed restoration, and food security systems for communities and federal partners across Maryland, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and Palau.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Restoration Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Environmental Public Health (Food Safety, Water Quality, Sanitation) (BPAIAJAE), Erosion Control & Slope Stabilization (Softscape/Planting Solutions) (HSAIABAI), Pollution Control & Environmental Remediation (Booming, Skimming, Shoreline Cleanup) (TLAHAIAH), Wetlands & Waters of the U.S. Delineation / Riparian Assessments (EUAHAHAC)

Keywords

• Watershed restoration
• Environmental conservation
• Clean water solutions
• Nature-based engineering
• Sustainable agriculture

Headquarters

HQ city

Sykesville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and organizational donations accepted through PayPal platform. Tax-deductible donations support conservation projects globally.
2. Grant Funding: Project-based grants from government agencies, foundations, and environmental organizations including USDA NRCS, Chesapeake Bay Trust, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and various state agencies.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ridge to Reefs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that collaborates with communities to implement nature-based solutions for clean water, food sovereignty, and resilient biodiversity. The organization designs, installs, and maintains engineered environmental systems including wood chip bioreactors, biochar filters, bioreactor gardens, treatment wetlands, denitrifying curtains, and mobile solar farm fridges to address agricultural runoff, wastewater pollution, soil erosion, and food insecurity across island and coastal regions.

Product overview

Ridge to Reefs offers a portfolio of nature-based environmental solutions centered around water quality improvement, watershed restoration, and sustainable agriculture. The core offerings include wood chip bioreactors, biochar products, bioreactor gardens, and denitrifying curtains for water treatment; treatment wetlands and erosion control systems for watershed protection; and mobile solar farm fridges for agricultural resilience. The company also provides consulting services including project development, watershed planning, and field training. These products work together as integrated environmental solutions—from individual components like bioreactors that treat agricultural runoff at specific sites, to comprehensive watershed planning that coordinates multiple restoration approaches across entire watersheds from ridge to reef.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wood Chip Bioreactors Nature-based water treatment systems using wood chip trenches to host denitrifying bacteria, converting harmful nitrates from agricultural runoff into harmless nitrogen gas, achieving up to 90% nitrate removal. Designed for installation on farms and agricultural operations.
• Bioreactor Gardens Wastewater treatment systems combining denitrifying bioreactors, sand filters, and phytoremediation that leverage natural plant, soil, and microbial processes to clean water from septic systems, reducing ammonia, nitrate, phosphorus, and bacteria. Targeted at communities with failing cesspools.
• Denitrifying Curtains Filtering structures made of natural materials (coconut coir, woodchips, biochar) that catch and clean runoff water, removing pollutants before water flows downstream to join adjacent waterways. Deployed at sites such as golf courses and agricultural operations.
• Mobile Solar Farm Fridges Solar-powered mobile refrigeration units with battery storage for off-grid food storage and transportation, designed to reduce post-harvest losses and provide reliable cold chain in areas prone to power outages. Built for small farms and disaster-affected communities.
• Sassafras River Treatment Wetlands Constructed treatment wetlands designed using wastewater principles to treat surface water and shallow groundwater, capturing runoff from agricultural operations and reducing nutrient loads to improve water quality. Built for watershed-scale water quality management.
• Innovative Biofilters (Agricultural BMPs) Agricultural best management practices combining wood chip bioreactors, treatment wetlands, wood chip infiltrators, phosphorus filters, forebays, bioretention cells, and enhanced grass swales to treat barnyard runoff and remove nutrients. Deployed on farms in the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
• Seagrass Restoration Coastal ecosystem restoration project addressing factors impacting seagrasses including boating impacts, marine debris, and sewage pollution through cleanup efforts, education, and outreach. Delivered in partnership with dive operators and community volunteers.
• Resilient Agriculture Puerto Rico Agricultural resilience program providing rainwater harvesting systems, drip irrigation, off-grid refrigeration, and sustainable farming support to communities in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. Targeted at small farmers and cooperatives.
• Piggery Runoff Solutions

Quantifiable outcome

• 80-90% nitrate reduction in agricultural runoff
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

34 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Para la NaturalezacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting resilient agriculture and disaster relief efforts in Puerto Rico, focusing on food security and sustainable farming practices in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
• Siembra VidacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner farm in Rincon operating a farm-to-table restaurant and training center. Ridge to Reefs helped build rainwater harvesting, drip irrigation, and sustainable farming systems.
• Siembra Tres VidascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural cooperative in Aibonito receiving solar-powered refrigeration and rainwater harvesting systems to increase agricultural resilience.
• Sana FarmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFarm in Cabo Rojo receiving innovative off-grid mobile refrigeration system for safe food transportation and storage.
• Fair Hill FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDairy farm in Chestertown, MD working on converting to organic grazing operation and hosting the first wood chip bioreactor in Maryland.
• Maryland Department of AgricultureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on design and installation of bioreactor projects in Maryland.
• Sassafras River AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal organization partnering on constructed treatment wetlands to address harmful algal blooms in the Upper Chesapeake Bay.
• Sea VenturesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDive operator partner supporting seagrass restoration efforts in Puerto Rico through underwater clean-up activities.
• University of Hawaii Water Resource GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerforming testing and certification of bioreactor garden systems for wastewater treatment.
• WAI (Wastewater Alternatives & Innovations)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical and advocacy partner for bioreactor garden initiatives in Hawaii.
• American Samoa Coral Reef Advisory Group (CRAG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal advisory group collaborating on piggery runoff solutions and watershed planning in American Samoa.
• Mount Alava Elementary SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool in Vatia with students and teachers assisting in green infrastructure installation for septic system treatment.
• Ka'anapali Golf CoursecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGolf course providing equipment, labor, and site access for denitrifying curtain installation to filter runoff water.
• West Maui Ridge to Reef InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal watershed coordinator partner collaborating on coral reef protection in West Maui.
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-range planning collaboration with NRCS to implement Farm Bill programs for conservation practices in Hawaii and American Samoa.
• Hawaii Institute of Pacific AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit training farmers through apprenticeships, youth education, and farm-to-school programs in Kohala area.
• American Samoa Community College Land GrantminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaintaining vetiver grass plot specifically for Ridge to Reefs projects to ensure resource availability.
• Kuahiwi-a-KaicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLana'i Watershed Conservation program grantees collaborating on erosion control and revegetation restoration work.
• Pulama Lana'icoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientists from Pulama Lana'i leading watershed conservation and restoration efforts on the island.
• Maui Nui Marine Resource CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in wastewater solutions project demonstrating green infrastructure alternatives to groundwater injection.
• Sunshine Vetiver SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical partner providing vetiver grass expertise for erosion control and wastewater treatment.
• University of Hawaii Maui CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in green infrastructure wastewater treatment research and implementation.
• Protectores de CuencascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner in Puerto Rico working on watershed restoration including La Parguera green infrastructure and Guanica soil stabilization.
• Polytechnic University in San JuanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architecture students developed Green Infrastructure Master Plan for La Parguera.
• Interamerican University of Puerto Rico CECIA LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonitoring green infrastructure projects and coastal waters; created educational mural for community.
• Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for La Parguera green infrastructure and Tamarindo beach restoration.
• Coral Reef AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in West Maui soil stabilization project protecting coral reefs from sediment erosion.
• Maui Cultural LandsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner providing community volunteers and expertise for West Maui watershed restoration.
• Sunshine Vetiver SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical partner providing vetiver grass solutions for sediment trap installation.
• Palau Protected Areas NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment network providing funding and coordination for watershed restoration in Palau.
• Palau Conservation SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal conservation organization participating in Babeldoab watershed projects.
• Palau Community College Cooperative Research ExtensionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner providing research and extension services for Palau conservation projects.
• Department of Environmental Resources of Puerto RicocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for Tamarindo beach restoration and coral reef protection in Culebra.
• 1% For the PlanetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnvironmental membership organization; Ridge to Reefs is a member organization with verified environmental giving commitment.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Island Conservation: International nonprofit focused on preventing extinctions on islands through invasive species removal and ecosystem restoration. Comparable because of shared island geography focus (including Pacific islands like Palau and American Samoa) and similar partnership-driven, on-the-ground conservation delivery model.
• Chesapeake Bay Foundation: Regional environmental nonprofit focused on Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration, including agricultural best management practices, bioreactor and wetland projects, and water quality improvement. Directly comparable because of shared Maryland geography, focus on agricultural runoff BMPs, and overlap in funder relationships (e.g., Chesapeake Bay Trust).
• Maui Nui Marine Resource Council: Hawaii-based nonprofit focused on nearshore coral reef protection and wastewater solutions in West Maui. Directly comparable because Ridge to Reefs lists it as an active project partner in the same Maui Nui region on green infrastructure wastewater treatment, sharing mission and geography.
• Coral Reef Alliance: International nonprofit focused on coral reef conservation through land-based source pollution reduction and watershed management. Directly comparable because Ridge to Reefs lists Coral Reef Alliance as an active project partner in West Maui soil stabilization and shares the ridge-to-reef framework.
• Para la Naturaleza: Puerto Rico-based environmental nonprofit focused on conservation, sustainable agriculture, and disaster resilience. Comparable because Ridge to Reefs lists it as a core strategic partner in Puerto Rico resilient agriculture and disaster relief work, sharing mission, geography, and on-the-ground implementation model.
• Sustainable Conservation: California-based nonprofit advancing nature-based solutions for water quality, including agricultural runoff treatment and stewardship programs. Comparable because of similar nonprofit structure, focus on working with farmers and government agencies, and deployment of innovative green infrastructure practices.

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy: One of the largest global environmental nonprofits, conducting watershed restoration, marine conservation, and sustainable agriculture work across the geographies Ridge to Reefs operates in, including Hawaii and the Caribbean. Comparable because both deploy nature-based solutions and engage similar federal and foundation funders, though TNC operates at vastly greater scale.

Emerging players

• Biochar Solutions: Commercial biochar producer focused on environmental applications including water filtration and soil amendment. Comparable because Ridge to Reefs uses biochar as a core component of its bioreactor technology, making this firm an enabling technology provider in the same value chain.

Regional players

• Earth Corps: Nonprofit focused on habitat restoration and community-based environmental work in the Pacific Northwest. Comparable because of shared nonprofit restoration model, hands-on field implementation, and reliance on volunteer and partner networks, though operating in a different U.S. region.

Others

• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: Major U.S. conservation grantmaker funding coral reef conservation and watershed restoration projects. Comparable as an ecosystem participant: NFWF is both a funder of Ridge to Reefs and an adjacent actor in the same conservation space with overlapping grantees and methodologies.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ridgetoreefs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ridge-to-reefs-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Ridge to Reefs