Ariena
Ariena is a French non-profit association founded in 1977 that runs a regional network in Alsace providing environmental and nature education programs, pedagogical resources, and vocational training (BPJEPS/DEJEPS/DESJEPS) to schools, leisure centers, local authorities, and member associations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersSélestat, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Ariena does
Ariena (Association Régionale pour l'Initiation à l'Environnement et à la Nature en Alsace) is a French non-profit association founded in 1977 and headquartered in Sélestat, Grand Est, recognized as a mission d'utilité publique. It operates as a regional network dedicated to environmental and nature education across Alsace, coordinating a member-association network that delivers pedagogical programs to schools (PEJ, Klasse la nature!, Mangeons sain, Grandir dehors), leisure centers (Quartier libre pour la nature, Les éco-restos du périsco), and local authorities, alongside itinerant exhibitions (e.g., La nappe phréatique s'expose) and participatory science initiatives (CiTique).
The association is also a recognized training organization (organisme de formation) offering diploma programs (BPJEPS, DEJEPS, DESJEPS), short professional courses, customized training, and VAE support for environmental education professionals. Its content assets include the Les cahiers d'Ariena pedagogical notebooks and the Pédagothèque online database of teaching tools. Technology is not a focus; the value proposition rests on human-led nature pedagogy, a curated content library, and network coordination rather than software platforms.
Revenue is generated through professional training fees, member dues, public subsidies, and program-specific grants, though no revenue figures are disclosed. Ariena maintains a cross-border (transfrontalière) vocation with partners in the Upper Rhine region and is connected to national networks such as Réseau École et Nature, while also aligning its mission with the UNESCO UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.
Ariena firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ariena
- Legal name
- Association Régionale pour l'Initiation à l'Environnement et à la Nature en Alsace
- Website
- https://ariena.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Ariena is a French non-profit association founded in 1977 that runs a regional network in Alsace providing environmental and nature education programs, pedagogical resources, and vocational training (BPJEPS/DEJEPS/DESJEPS) to schools, leisure centers, local authorities, and member associations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ariena industry classification
Industry- NAICS
- All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- School, University & NGO Outdoor Programs (Curriculum/Program Delivery) (THAAAOAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA)
Keywords
Where Ariena is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sélestat
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ariena business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Training and Formation Services: Ariena operates as a training organization (organisme de formation) offering professional development courses in environmental education professions, including BPJEPS, DEJEPS, DESJEPS, and short professional training programs.
- Pedagogical Resources and Programs: Development and distribution of pedagogical tools, educational notebooks (cahiers d'ariena), programs for schools, leisure centers, and local communities.
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Ariena product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ariena is a regional non-profit association that designs and delivers environmental and nature education programs across Alsace, France. It provides structured pedagogical programs for schools (PEJ, Klasse la nature!, Mangeons sain, Grandir dehors), leisure-center programs (Quartier libre pour la nature, Les éco-restos du périsco), itinerant exhibitions (La nappe phréatique s'expose), pedagogical resources (cahiers d'Ariena, Pédagothèque database), and recognized professional diploma training (BPJEPS, DEJEPS, DESJEPS, Certificat complémentaire, Accompagnement VAE). It also coordinates a network of member associations and citizen-science initiatives such as CiTique.
Product overview
Ariena is a regional non-profit association (Association Régionale pour l'Initiation à l'Environnement et à la Nature en Alsace) dedicated to environmental and nature education. The organization operates a network-based model offering diverse pedagogical programs including school programs (PEJ, Klasse la nature!, Mangeons sain, Grandir dehors), leisure center programs (Quartier libre pour la nature, Les éco-restos du périsco), and professional training (BPJEPS, DEJEPS, DESJEPS certifications). Educational resources include Les cahiers d'Ariena notebooks and the Pédagothèque database. The association also runs citizen science initiatives like CiTique and mobile exhibitions on environmental topics.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Ariena
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Ariena technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Ariena partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Collectivités (Local Authorities)coreAriena maintains a culture of partnership with local authorities and municipalities across Alsace. These partnerships involve developing and delivering environmental education programs, organizing exhibitions such as the groundwater (nappe phréatique) awareness initiative, and supporting local governments in their environmental education strategies.
- Entreprises (Enterprises)minorAriena partners with businesses as part of its culture of partnership approach to environmental education, supporting corporate sustainability and environmental awareness initiatives in the Alsace region.
- Other Environmental AssociationscoreAriena operates as a network of member associations dedicated to environmental education. The organization coordinates with other associations within its network, sharing resources, pedagogical tools, and collaborative projects across Alsace.
- Cross-border Partners (Transfrontalière)coreAriena has a stated cross-border (transfrontalière) vocation, partnering with organizations across the French-German border in the Upper Rhine region. This includes cross-border school exchange programs such as 'Klasse, la nature!' connecting schools in Alsace with neighboring regions.
- National Networks (Réseau Ecole et Nature and others)minorAriena contributes to national networks and dynamics in environmental education, including connections with the Réseau Ecole et Nature. These affiliations connect the regional association to broader national environmental education initiatives and resources.
- CiTique (Participatory Science Project)minorAriena participates in the CiTique project, a participatory science initiative focused on tick knowledge and Lyme disease prevention. This collaboration involves advancing scientific knowledge about ticks and tick-borne diseases through community participation.
- UNESCO / UN Decade of Education for Sustainable DevelopmentminorAriena aligns its environmental education mission with the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development launched by UNESCO in 2005, integrating international frameworks into its regional environmental education approach.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ariena competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- WWF France: French branch of WWF running national-scale environmental education programs for schools and youth — comparable target audiences (teachers, children, local authorities) but with national brand, budget, and digital reach well beyond regional associations.
- Office français de la biodiversité (OFB): French public agency overseeing biodiversity with significant environmental education mandates — a state-level incumbent whose regional branches (e.g., in Grand Est) directly overlap with Ariena's territory and programs.
- LPO (Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux): Major French nature protection organization with an extensive education and outreach branch — offers overlapping environmental education programs but as part of a much broader conservation mission.
- Réseau École et Nature: National French network of associations active in outdoor and nature education, of which Ariena is a member — operates at national scale with broader program reach than regional players like Ariena.
- Fondation Nicolas Hulot: Major French environmental foundation funding and delivering environmental education programs nationwide — comparable mission and target audiences, with national reach and foundation-funded scale that regional associations like Ariena cannot match.
Emerging players
- Fédération des Clubs CPN (Connaître et Protéger la Nature): National federation of nature clubs for children focused on hands-on nature discovery — overlaps with Ariena's school-age programs (Grandir dehors, PEJ) but operates a club-based delivery model rather than a regional network model.
Regional players
- Natagora: Belgium's principal nature conservation association with substantial environmental education programs for schools and youth — comparable mission and program types, but operating across the French-Belgian border rather than within Alsace.
- NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland): Germany's largest nature association with active environmental education programs, particularly in Baden-Württemberg and the Upper Rhine — direct cross-border counterpart to Ariena on the German side of the Rhine.
Direct peers
- GRAINE (Groupements Régionaux d'Animation et d'Initiation à la Nature et à l'Environnement): Federation of regional GRAINE networks across France coordinating environmental education actors and resources — directly comparable to Ariena's role as a regional network coordinator in Alsace.
- CPIE (Union Nationale des Centres Permanents d'Initiatives pour l'Environnement): National federation of CPIEs — regional centers across France providing environmental education programs, teacher training, and pedagogical resources — the closest direct peer to Ariena's regional association model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Ariena social profiles
Digital presenceAriena financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ariena leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Ariena funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ariena M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Ariena
What does Ariena do?
Ariena is a regional non-profit association that designs and delivers environmental and nature education programs across Alsace, France. It provides structured pedagogical programs for schools (PEJ, Klasse la nature!, Mangeons sain, Grandir dehors), leisure-center programs (Quartier libre pour la nature, Les éco-restos du périsco), itinerant exhibitions (La nappe phréatique s'expose), pedagogical resources (cahiers d'Ariena, Pédagothèque database), and recognized professional diploma training (BPJEPS, DEJEPS, DESJEPS, Certificat complémentaire, Accompagnement VAE). It also coordinates a network of member associations and citizen-science initiatives such as CiTique.
Is Ariena a public or private company?
Ariena is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was Ariena founded?
Ariena was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Ariena based?
Ariena is headquartered in Sélestat, France, in the Europe region.
How does Ariena make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Training and Formation Services are the primary driver. The others are pedagogical Resources and Programs.
Who are Ariena's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are WWF France, Office français de la biodiversité (OFB), LPO (Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux), Réseau École et Nature and Fondation Nicolas Hulot. Fédération des Clubs CPN (Connaître et Protéger la Nature) is listed as an emerging player. Regional players are Natagora and NABU (Naturschutzbund Deutschland). Direct peers are GRAINE (Groupements Régionaux d'Animation et d'Initiation à la Nature et à l'Environnement) and CPIE (Union Nationale des Centres Permanents d'Initiatives pour l'Environnement).
Does Ariena have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ariena.
What industry is Ariena in?
Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAOAD, School, University & NGO Outdoor Programs (Curriculum/Program Delivery), with a secondary code of THAAAOAA, Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning). Its NAICS code is 61169 and its SIC code is 8200.