CEED- Center for Environmental Education and Discovery

What CEED- Center for Environmental Education and Discovery does

CEED (Center for Environmental Education and Discovery) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit nature center founded around 2015-2016 by Rebecca Muellers and Ranger Eric Powers, operating from the Washington Lodge, a historic building on 60+ acres of preserved open space in Brookhaven, New York, under a license agreement with the Town of Brookhaven. The organization delivers nature-based environmental education programs across Long Island for children ages 3-18 (Summer Nature Adventure Camp, Spring Vacation Camp, Dewdrop Discoveries Forest School at a 1:4 teacher-student ratio, Wavemakers for ages 8-18, Puddle Jumpers for ages 5-7, Surf Explorers), adults and families (survival skills workshop series, owl walks, foraging, astronomy nights, Puleston's Vagabonds birding club), and institutional clients including 75+ Long Island schools (field trips, Bobwhite Quail in the Classroom) and scout troops. Programming is anchored by live animal ambassadors, hands-on conservation activities, and seasonal community festivals (Summer Solstice, Fall Equinox, Winter Solstice), with the annual Sculpture on the Trail exhibition co-organized with Inspiration Plus.

The underlying operational model combines on-site delivery at Washington Lodge with satellite locations at Post Morrow Foundation and Mama Farm for summer camp, and external venue partnerships at Sands Point Conservancy and Vanderbilt Museum for survival workshops. Technology is limited to standard nonprofit infrastructure: Amilia for program registration and scheduling, Salesforce for constituent management, and iNaturalist as a third-party citizen science tool used within the Wavemakers program. No proprietary AI, software products, or technical IP are developed or sold.

Revenue is generated through a mixed nonprofit model: tax-deductible charitable donations accepted via PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and check; program registration fees (e.g., $40 per survival workshop, multi-week summer camp fees with cancellation policies); grants from the New York State Council on the Arts, Suffolk County, and state legislative discretionary funds; merchandise sales through the CEED Store; and community events. Many programs (Wavemakers, Puddle Jumpers, festivals) are offered free of charge, making donations and grants the financial backbone. The organization is led by Executive Director Sally Wellinger with a board chaired by Tom Pelletier, supported by 7 employees and a network of on-call educators and volunteers, with 650+ participants engaged annually across programs.

Name

CEED- Center for Environmental Education and Discovery

Legal name

Center for Environmental Education and Discovery

Website

https://ceedli.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CEED (Center for Environmental Education and Discovery) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit nature center operating on a 60+ acre preserve in Brookhaven, NY, delivering nature-based education programs, camps, survival workshops, school field trips, and seasonal festivals for children, adults, schools, and community organizations across Long Island.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education and Community Nature Center Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC), Outdoor Recreation & Adventure Programs (Trips, Climbing, Rentals) (EDALAIAG)

Keywords

• Environmental education
• Nature-based programs
• Youth summer camps
• Conservation workshops
• Community nature center

Headquarters

HQ city

Brookhaven

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: Tax-deductible charitable donations to 501(c)(3) organization. Accepts donations through PayPal, Venmo, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and check. EIN # 47-4068660.
2. Program Registration Fees: Fees for camp programs, survival workshops ($40 per workshop), and other educational programs. Many youth programs offered free to community.
3. Grant Funding: Funding from NY State Council on the Arts for operational expenses and capital projects. Suffolk County funding for festivals and events.
4. Merchandise Sales: CEED Store sells merchandise including books, mugs, and other items to support the organization.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CEED is a nonprofit nature center that runs hands-on environmental education programs for children, youth, families, and schools on a 60+ acre preserve at Washington Lodge in Brookhaven, NY. Its core offerings include seasonal day camps, a preschool Forest School, free youth conservation programs (Wavemakers, Puddle Jumpers, Surf Explorers), a Survival Skills Workshop Series, school field trips and classroom curricula, community nature programs, seasonal festivals, and the Sculpture on the Trail art exhibition, supported by donations, grants, and program fees.

Product overview

CEED (Center for Environmental Education and Discovery) is a nonprofit nature center operating on 60+ acres in Brookhaven, NY. The organization offers a diverse portfolio of environmental education programs including seasonal camps (Summer Nature Adventure Camp, Spring Vacation Camp), youth programs (Wavemakers for ages 8-18, Puddle Jumpers for ages 5-7, Surf Explorers for ages 8-10), and the Dewdrop Discoveries Forest School for ages 3-5. Additional offerings include survival skills workshop series, school field trip programs, community nature programs, seasonal festivals (Summer Solstice, Fall Equinox, Winter Solstice), Sculpture on the Trail art exhibition, and the Puleston's Vagabonds birding club. CEED also operates the Washington Lodge as a community center and accepts donations and merchandise purchases to support operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Summer Nature Adventure Camp

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Post Morrow FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Provides camp location for first 3 weeks of CEED Summer Nature Adventure Camp. Children explore Beaver Dam Creek, Bellport Bay, estuary, and surrounding woodlands at this preserved property.
• Mama FarmmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partner location for weeks 4-7 of CEED Summer Nature Adventure Camp. Children experience farm life with chickens, ducks, and sheep alongside woodland nature activities.
• LIXI StudiosminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Created CEED's official video at no charge, providing professional video production support for the organization's marketing.
• Carmans River Maritime Center (CRMC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2023Wavemakers youth program partnered with CRMC to build an 18-foot Peace Canoe for use in CEED's on-the-water environmental programs. CRMC President Hank Maust described it as an exciting first joint venture between organizations.
• Inspiration PlusmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Co-organizer of Sculpture on the Trail art exhibition, an annual free community event featuring world-class sculpture works along CEED's trails.
• Montauk LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Community programs hosted at library location serving local residents with nature education.
• Sands Point ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner for survival training workshops. CEED survival series workshops held at Sands Point Preserve location.
• American Museum of Natural HistoryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Fresh Air Fund partnership connecting underserved youth to nature experiences through museum programming.
• Sweetbriar Nature CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Partner organization in environmental education network serving Long Island communities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Brooklyn Botanic Garden: A large New York-area botanic garden with extensive environmental education, school programs, and community events; comparable educational mission with broader scale and resources.
• Wave Hill: A public garden and cultural center combining horticulture, arts, and environmental education—relevant comparison for CEED's art-and-nature programming approach, though with a more urban/arts-curatorial focus.
• Mass Audubon (Drumlin Farm and similar sanctuaries): A large regional Audubon network operating wildlife sanctuaries, nature centers, summer camps, and school programs; comparable model at much greater scale across Massachusetts.

Regional players

• Theodore Roosevelt Nature Center: A historic Long Island/NY-area nature center delivering environmental education programs; comparable model with a stronger national-park institutional anchor.
• Carmans River Maritime Center (CRMC): A Long Island-based maritime education partner of CEED, focused on the Carmans River estuary—similar Long Island environmental education footprint with a narrower aquatic focus.

Direct peers

• South Fork Natural History Museum (SoFo): A Long Island natural history museum listed as a CEED partner, delivering nature education programs, school field trips, and community events on the East End—directly comparable mission and audience.
• Sands Point Preserve Conservancy: A Long Island preserve that partners with CEED on survival workshops and outdoor education; operates a comparable mix of environmental programming, public access, and conservation on preserved land.
• Sweetbriar Nature Center: A Long Island nature center explicitly listed as a CEED partner organization, offering comparable wildlife education, school programs, and community nature experiences in the same regional market.
• Alley Pond Environmental Center: A New York environmental education center offering school programs, summer camps, public events, and animal ambassadors—directly comparable nonprofit nature center model.
• Quogue Wildlife Refuge: A Long Island nonprofit wildlife refuge offering school programs, summer camps, trails, and community environmental education—closely aligned mission and program mix to CEED.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnG4ADJwX5KzP1py29Hdblg
• Facebookfacebook.com/ceedlongisland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/art-nature-group-dba-ceed
• Instagraminstagram.com/ceedlongisland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 CEED- Center for Environmental Education and Discovery