CONSERVATION AMBASSADORS INC

What CONSERVATION AMBASSADORS INC does

Conservation Ambassadors Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit rescue zoo (Tax ID 77-0310832) that provides permanent, loving homes to over 70 displaced, abused, abandoned, or permanently injured wild and exotic animals across two California campuses: the South Campus (Zoo to You) at 2445 Adobe Road in Paso Robles and the North Campus (Wild Things) in Weimar. The organization is led by CEO and South Campus Director David Jackson, who founded the organization over three decades ago, and North Campus Director Gabe Kerschner, who founded Wild Things in 1988 after graduating from Moorpark College's Exotic Animal Training and Management Program. The organization shares its 200+ animal ambassadors with the public through three core revenue streams: private Wildlife Connections encounters priced at $365 per person, Wild Nights at the Zoo safari-tent overnight glamping at $500 per tent per night, and educational programs including traveling Zoo to You school presentations at $700 per first show and on-site You to Zoo Education at $35 per person.

The business model is direct-to-consumer and transactional, with bookings processed through a FareHarbor embedded reservation system and donations accepted via PayPal. Customer segments are horizontally diversified across California K-12 schools (the primary segment, with 1M+ children educated cumulatively), families and individuals seeking private wildlife encounters and glamping, and private event customers for corporate events, birthdays, and weddings. Distribution combines a statewide traveling school program, on-site experiences, organic social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube), a blog featuring animal stories, and earned media coverage in outlets such as NBC News, People Magazine, AP News, and Fox News. A Chewy's Gives Back partnership generates passive donations tied to pet food purchases, and 200+ volunteers and docents support animal care and programming.

Technically, the organization operates a minimal digital stack — a FareHarbor booking integration, a PayPal donation button, and a WordPress-based content website — with no disclosed proprietary technology, app, API, SDK, or AI/ML capabilities. Headcount is approximately 5 employees, supported by a larger volunteer ecosystem, and no external funding rounds, investors, or M&A activity are disclosed. The ownership structure is founder-led nonprofit with no parent company or external equity holders.

Name

CONSERVATION AMBASSADORS INC

Legal name

Conservation Ambassadors Inc

Website

https://conservationambassadors.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Conservation Ambassadors Inc is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit rescue zoo operating two California campuses, providing permanent homes for over 70 displaced wild and exotic animals and generating revenue through private wildlife encounters, overnight glamping, and K-12 educational programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Education

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Sanctuaries & Rescue Centers (Visitor Operations) (THAAAFAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Parks & Reserves (Visitor Operations) (THAAAAAG), Conservation, Research & Volunteer Experiences (THAJAIAJ), Wildlife Rescue, Rehabilitation & Release (BPAGAIAC)

Keywords

• Wildlife rescue zoo
• Animal conservation education
• Wildlife encounter experiences
• School wildlife outreach
• Rescue zoo glamping

Headquarters

HQ city

Paso Robles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Wildlife Encounters: Private animal encounters offering up-close experiences with rescued wildlife including kangaroos, otters, capybaras, lemurs, monkeys, owls, and eagles. 2-hour experience priced at $365 per person for first two guests.
2. Glamping/Overnight Stays: Safari tent overnight experiences inside the rescue zoo. $500 per tent per night including amenities, breakfast, and option to add animal encounter.
3. Educational School Programs: Traveling Zoo to You programs and on-site You to Zoo Education for schools. Programs include 5-6 animals, priced at $700 first show and $550 for additional back-to-back shows.
4. Donations: Tax-deductible donations accepted via PayPal for supporting the rescue zoo and animal care.
5. You to Zoo Education: On-site educational wildlife encounters at Paso Robles location exclusively for schools. 30-minute show plus animal interactions at $35 per person.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Conservation Ambassadors is a nonprofit rescue zoo that provides permanent homes for displaced, abused, abandoned, or permanently injured wild and exotic animals. It sells private Wildlife Connections encounters ($365/person for first two guests), overnight Wild Nights glamping experiences in safari tents ($500/tent/night), Zoo to You traveling educational programs to schools ($700 first show, $550 additional), and You to Zoo on-site school education ($35/person). The organization is funded in part through tax-deductible donations.

Product overview

Conservation Ambassadors is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) rescue zoo offering private animal encounters (Wildlife Connections), overnight glamping experiences (Wild Nights at the Zoo), and educational programs (Zoo to You outreach and You to Zoo on-site school programs). The organization operates two California campuses and has served over one million children with conservation education through live animal presentations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wildlife Connections – Private Encounter A 2-hour private up-close animal encounter at the rescue zoo offering interactions with kangaroos, North American river otters, capybaras, lemurs, monkeys, owls, eagles, and reptiles. Priced at $365 per person for the first two guests and $250 for each additional guest, with a two-person minimum, including basecamp amenities and complementary beverages and snacks.
• Wild Nights at the Zoo Overnight glamping experience inside the rescue zoo in safari tents. Includes African tent (king bed, bunk bed, futon) or Australian tent (2 queen beds, loft bed, futon) with bedding, BBQ, fire pit, continental breakfast, and central bathroom/shower facilities. Priced at $500 per tent per night accommodating up to 5 guests.
• Zoo to You Educational outreach program bringing live animals to schools across California. Features relevant storytelling and conservation messaging through 1-hour programs with 5-6 animals. Priced at $700 for the first show and $550 for each additional back-to-back show, with travel fees for locations over 50 miles from campus.
• You to Zoo Education On-site educational wildlife encounter exclusively for school groups at the Paso Robles rescue zoo location. Features a 30-minute wildlife show with animal interactions over a 2-hour experience. Priced at $35 per person with a minimum of 30 guests and maximum of 75, available Monday through Thursday.
• School Programs Multiple themed educational presentations for schools including Myth Busting, Vanished (endangered species), Where Animals Call Home, Amazing Animal Adaptations, Wild America, Under the Canopy, Unhuggables, Desert Magic, Fur Feathers and Scales, and Customizable programs.
• Donations Tax-deductible donations accepted via PayPal to support Zoo to You educational programs and animal care at the rescue zoo.
• Gift Cards Gift cards available for booking experiences at Conservation Ambassadors through the FareHarbor booking platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million California school children educated about wildlife conservation
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Integration2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Chewy.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChewy.com partners with Conservation Ambassadors through their Gives Back program where pet food purchases can generate donations to support the zoo and animal care programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Shambala Preserve: Acton, California big cat sanctuary founded by Tippi Hedren with private tours and educational mission. Comparable exotic wildlife sanctuary model with visitor experiences in California.
• Wildlife Learning Center: A private wildlife education center in Sylmar, California offering private animal encounters and school programs. Most directly comparable peer given shared private-encounter/education model in California.
• Big Cat Rescue: Tampa, Florida-based nonprofit rescue zoo with public tours and educational programming. Comparable rescue zoo + visitor experience model, though broader feline focus and located in a different region.
• Lindsay Wildlife Experience: Walnut Creek, California wildlife hospital and education center offering live animal presentations and school programs. Strong overlap on the wildlife rehabilitation + education mission and California K-12 customer base.

Broad incumbents

• The Wildcat Sanctuary: Minnesota-based nonprofit sanctuary for wild cats and other animals. Comparable rescue/sanctuary mission and visitor programming, though not California-based and not open to the public in the same way.
• San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance: Largest and most established zoo in California with world-class conservation and education programs. Sets the benchmark for California zoo-based education and conservation, though much larger scale and AZA-accredited.
• Oakland Zoo: Established California zoo with conservation education programs and school outreach. Broader portfolio than Conservation Ambassadors but directly competes for California school field trip and family visit demand.

Others

• Chewy: Online pet retailer running the Chewy Gives Back program that partners with Conservation Ambassadors. Relevant as the model partner for replication of consumer-brand donation partnerships.

Regional players

• PAWS (Progressive Animal Welfare Society): Washington-state wildlife rehabilitation and education nonprofit with school programs and animal encounters. Comparable revenue model (education + encounters + donations) but operates in a different geography.

Emerging players

• CuriOdyssey: San Mateo, California science center and zoo offering wildlife education to schools and families. Competes for the same California K-12 educational wildlife experiences but with a broader science focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/conservationamb
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCZPGy-sz_SB69hm-9ZRZtSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/zootoyou
• Instagraminstagram.com/zootoyouanimals
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/conservation-ambassadors-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries2 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 CONSERVATION AMBASSADORS INC