The Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation

What The Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation does

The Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation is a registered not-for-profit society under the British Columbia Society's Act, founded in 1993 and headquartered in Field, British Columbia, Canada. The Foundation operates licensed guided interpretive hikes to two UNESCO World Heritage fossil sites within Yoho National Park: the Walcott Quarry on Mount Field (a 22 km, ~825 m elevation round-trip hike featuring 508 million-year-old soft-bodied fossils of the Cambrian Burgess Shale) and the Mount Stephen Trilobite Fossil Beds (an 8 km, ~800 m elevation hike featuring abundant trilobite specimens). Entry to the restricted fossil areas is permitted only under Foundation-licensed guides, an arrangement enforced by Parks Canada under the National Parks Act, and the sites are monitored by motion detectors and cameras. The Foundation is staffed by 6 employees plus seasonal independent-contractor guides.

The Foundation's core technology is operational rather than product-oriented: it uses the Checkfront booking platform integrated on its website for reservations, with Stripe and PayPal handling payments, and supports phone/email booking inquiries. Guided hikes are capped at 12 hikers per group with a maximum of two groups per day (24 total). Pricing is in Canadian dollars at $137 per person for the standard Walcott Quarry tour (with a 10% group discount for 6+ hikers and 5% GST additional), $1,370 flat for a private group of up to 12, and complementary pricing structures for the Mount Stephen hike; guides are compensated at $475 per Walcott hike and $360 per Mount Stephen hike. The product portfolio also includes publications (notably 'A Geoscience Guide to the Burgess Shale'), educational blog and gallery content, social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, and Tripadvisor, and a Volunteer Tail Guide Program.

Revenue is generated through three streams: transaction-fee guided hiking tours, one-time sales of educational publications and merchandise via the Yoho National Park Visitor Centre and online channels, and donations processed through CanadaHelps. Customer segments span general public tourists, families with children ages 8–75, paleontology enthusiasts and amateur researchers, and private groups (corporate, educational, or celebratory). The Foundation is governed by a board of directors under BC law and operates subject to the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA); the Foundation Director and Chair of the Governance and Regulatory Committee position is currently vacant. Operational partnerships include Parks Canada at Yoho National Park Visitor Centre (core), Royal Ontario Museum (mutual scientific/referral), Checkfront (booking technology), and CanadaHelps (donations).

Name

The Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation

Legal name

The Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation

Website

https://burgess-shale.bc.ca

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation is a registered Canadian not-for-profit that operates licensed guided interpretive hiking tours to UNESCO World Heritage Burgess Shale fossil sites in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, serving general public tourists, families, paleontology enthusiasts, and private groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Guided Educational Nature Tours

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Historical Sites (712120)

akta.pro primary industry

Guided Tours & Interpretive Services (Ranger-Led, Naturalist, Cultural Interpretation) (THAAAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Geotourism & Geology/Volcano/National Monument Tours (THAAAEAG), Earth Science & Geoscience Programs (EDAMABAI), Scenic Lookouts & Natural Landmarks (Waterfalls, Canyons, Rock Formations) (THAJACAD), Guided Nature Walks & Interpretive Hikes (THAAAEAA)

Keywords

• Guided fossil hikes
• Paleontological education
• UNESCO heritage tours
• Geoscience interpretation
• Natural history tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Field

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Guided Hiking Tours: The Foundation generates revenue primarily through paid guided hiking tours to the Walcott Quarry and Mount Stephen Trilobite Fossil Beds. Tours are priced per person with group discounts available, and private group bookings at higher flat rates. Revenue is transaction-based, collected at time of booking.
2. Publications and Merchandise: The Foundation sells educational publications including 'A Geoscience Guide to the Burgess Shale' and likely other merchandise through the Yoho National Park Visitor Centre and online channels.
3. Donations: The Foundation accepts donations through CanadaHelps platform, supporting the preservation and educational mission of the organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation provides guided interpretive hiking tours to two UNESCO World Heritage fossil sites in Yoho National Park: the Walcott Quarry on Mount Field (22 km round trip featuring 508-million-year-old soft-bodied fossils) and the Mount Stephen Trilobite Fossil Beds (8 km round trip with abundant trilobite specimens). Tours are led by certified interpretive guides with geoscience/bioscience backgrounds who provide educational content on evolution, mountain building, glaciation, and climate change. The Foundation also publishes educational books and operates a volunteer guide program.

Product overview

The Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation offers guided interpretive fossil hikes to two UNESCO World Heritage fossil sites in Yoho National Park: the Walcott Quarry (22 km hike featuring 508-million-year-old soft-bodied fossils with exquisite preservation) and the Mount Stephen Trilobite Fossil Beds (8 km hike with abundant trilobite specimens). Both hikes are led by certified interpretive guides and include educational content on geoscience, bioscience, and evolution. The Foundation also publishes educational resources including 'A Geoscience Guide to the Burgess Shale' book and operates a Volunteer Tail Guide Program to support guided hikes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Walcott Quarry Guided Hike A full-day guided interpretive hike to the Walcott Quarry fossil site on Mount Field, covering 22 km round trip with 825m elevation gain. The hike provides educational interpretation of geoscience, bioscience, and evolution while visiting the UNESCO World Heritage site where Charles Doolittle Walcott discovered exquisitely preserved 508 million-year-old soft-bodied fossils in 1909. Priced at $137/person with 10% discount for groups of 6+ and $1,370 flat rate for private groups of up to 12 people.
• Mount Stephen Trilobite Fossil Beds Guided Hike A guided hike to the Mount Stephen Trilobite Fossil Beds, an 8 km round trip with 800m elevation gain. Features abundant trilobite fossils with exceptional preservation of hard body parts, and is recommended for first-time fossil visitors or families with children. Guide compensation is $360 per hike (7-9 hour work day).
• A Geoscience Guide to the Burgess Shale A published book by Murray Coppold and Wayne Powell, providing an easy-to-read illustrated guide covering the history, geology, environment, and fossils of the Burgess Shale. Available for purchase at the Yoho National Park Visitors Centre, Alpine Book Peddlers, Amazon.ca, and Amazon.com.
• Volunteer Tail Guide Program A volunteer program where trained volunteers participate in regularly scheduled guided hikes to assist guides with managing medical injuries or contingencies, carrying First Aid, and ensuring hiker safety and well-being.

Quantifiable outcome

• Maximum group size of 12 hikers ensures personalized experience
• +1 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

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Yoho National Park Visitor CentrecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe Foundation operates in partnership with Parks Canada at the Yoho National Park Visitor Centre. The Visitor Centre serves as the meeting point for all guided hikes, and the Foundation's guides are licensed by Parks Canada to enter the restricted fossil sites within the national park. The Foundation also sells its publications at the Visitor Centre.
• Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerROM operates a companion Burgess Shale website and conducts ongoing paleontological research at Burgess Shale sites. The Foundation recommends ROM resources to visitors for additional information. ROM curator Jean-Bernard Caron has made significant fossil discoveries that have raised public awareness of the Burgess Shale.
• CheckfrontcoreTechnology or IntegrationCheckfront provides the online booking and reservation system used by the Foundation for managing hike bookings, scheduling, and payment processing.
• CanadaHelpsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadaHelps provides the online donation platform for the Foundation, enabling supporters to make charitable donations to support the organization's educational mission.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jasper Tour Company: Offers guided small-group nature and sightseeing tours in Jasper National Park; comparable tour operator profile, customer base, and interpretive-hike delivery model in an adjacent Canadian Rockies park.
• Discover Banff Tours: Operates guided sightseeing and nature tours in Banff National Park and surrounding Canadian Rockies, sharing the same regional tourism base, target visitors, and guided interpretive experience model as the Foundation.
• Stonehammer UNESCO Global Geopark: A UNESCO-recognized geopark offering guided geological tours and educational experiences, directly comparable in mission (UNESCO geoscience tourism) and guided interpretive tour delivery.
• Banff Sightseeing Tours: Provides guided small-group tours in Banff and the Canadian Rockies, directly comparable to the Foundation's guided-hike experience format and tourist customer base.
• Tumbler Ridge Global Geopark: A UNESCO Global Geopark in northern British Columbia offering guided geological hikes and fossil-focused tours; highly comparable in being a Canadian UNESCO-affiliated geopark with guided trail experiences.

Broad incumbents

• Viator (Tripadvisor Experiences): Global marketplace for guided tours and outdoor experiences; relevant as the broad distribution channel where the Foundation's type of niche guided experiences is sold alongside larger incumbents.
• Parks Canada: The federal agency that licenses the Foundation's guides and operates visitor centres in the same parks; provides and regulates the very experience the Foundation monetizes, making it both a partner and an adjacent incumbent.
• Pursuit (Banff Jasper Collection): A larger tourism operator running hotels, sightseeing tours, and attractions across Banff, Jasper, and the Canadian Rockies; broader portfolio but overlaps with the Foundation's guided tourist experiences in the same region.

Others

• Royal Ontario Museum: Houses the principal Burgess Shale research collection, operates a companion Burgess Shale website, and conducts ongoing fieldwork that drives public awareness; ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Fundy Geological Museum: Operates museum and guided geological experiences tied to Canada's east-coast fossils and Bay of Fundy geology; shares the Foundation's mission of using fossils/geology as the hook for educational tourism.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BurgessShale
• Instagraminstagram.com/burgess.shale.geoscience
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/burgess-shale-geoscience-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation