Center for Wildlife Studies

What Center for Wildlife Studies does

Center for Wildlife Studies (CWS) is a 501(c)(3) Maine-based nonprofit organization founded in 2019 with approximately 15 employees, delivering specialized education and conducting applied wildlife conservation research. The organization operates two flagship graduate-level professional certificate programs — Applied Quantitative Ecology and Conservation Planning — each requiring a minimum of 12 credits and offered fully online, alongside an extensive catalog of 50+ individual courses spanning R programming, QGIS spatial analysis, Python, ecological statistics, population modeling, drone piloting, and field techniques such as wildlife capture and chemical immobilization. Course delivery runs through the Canvas learning management system with credentials issued via Parchment Digital Badges (launched December 2025), and courses are pre-approved for continuing education credit with The Wildlife Society and Ecological Society of America.

CWS generates revenue through per-credit tuition (approximately $595–$780 per credit with early-bird discounts and a $1,000 upfront-payment incentive), individual course fees ranging from $100 to $780+, tax-deductible donations supporting its World Scholars Program, and grant pass-throughs including participation in the Tufts University-led $100M USAID STOP Spillover consortium. Its customer base is globally distributed across working conservation professionals, graduate students, government agencies, NGOs, and underserved learners from World Bank-designated lower-income and lower-middle-income countries (nearly 100 World Scholars recipients). Beyond education, CWS runs active research programs on sea otter mortality, loon translocation, wood turtle conservation, amphibian migration monitoring (Big Night Maine), Hawaiian monk seal health, and zoonotic disease surveillance, in partnership with NOAA, USGS, the Biodiversity Research Institute, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Marine Mammal Center.

The go-to-market model is direct-to-consumer self-service enrollment via the organization's website, complemented by community-led outreach through the Wildlife Wednesday webinar series, the Big Night Maine community science project, and institutional partnerships with TWS and ESA for credential pathways. Courses are offered in BASIC, STANDARD, and PREMIUM formats with progressively longer access windows and instructor support, and select in-person field courses (e.g., Sea Turtle Ecology in Mexico) provide experiential learning options.

Name

Center for Wildlife Studies

Legal name

Center for Wildlife Studies

Website

https://centerforwildlifestudies.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Center for Wildlife Studies is a Maine-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers graduate-level online professional certificates and 50+ courses in wildlife conservation and quantitative ecology to working professionals, graduate students, and underserved global learners, while conducting applied conservation research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wildlife Conservation Education

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Wildlife Conservation & Species Protection (BPAGAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wildlife Health & Conservation Disease Management (HLAMAJAM), Wildlife Surveys & Movement/Connectivity Studies (e.g., Avian/Bat, Telemetry) (EUAHAHAH)

Keywords

• Wildlife conservation education
• Professional certificate programs
• Applied quantitative ecology
• Conservation planning training
• Online conservation courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Camden, Maine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Course Tuition and Fees: Revenue from individual course enrollments, professional certificate programs, and academic credit options. Courses are offered in multiple formats (BASIC, STANDARD, PREMIUM) at different price points ranging from $100 to $780+ per course. Professional certificate programs charge per credit with early bird discounts available.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a 501(c)(3) Maine nonprofit organization, CWS accepts tax-deductible donations to support scholarship programs and organizational mission. Donors can contribute to the World Scholars Program for underserved communities globally.
3. Continuing Education Credits: Courses are pre-approved for CEUs with The Wildlife Society (TWS) and Ecological Society of America (ESA), providing credential value that attracts working professionals seeking career advancement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Center for Wildlife Studies delivers specialized wildlife conservation education through two graduate-level professional certificate programs (Applied Quantitative Ecology and Conservation Planning) and an extensive catalog of online, hybrid, and in-person courses. The organization also conducts applied wildlife research and offers science support services, public outreach programs (including Wildlife Wednesday webinars), and scholarships for participants from developing countries.

Product overview

Center for Wildlife Studies is a Maine-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering specialized education and conducting science and outreach for wildlife conservation. The organization operates primarily as an educational platform offering two main professional certificate programs: Applied Quantitative Ecology and Conservation Planning. These graduate-level certificates are delivered fully online and consist of multiple courses covering quantitative methods, statistical modeling, and conservation planning techniques. The education portfolio includes numerous individual courses in R programming, GIS/spatial analysis (QGIS, Google Earth Engine), ecological statistics, population modeling, wildlife research methods, and conservation planning. Additional offerings include a Digital Badges system for microcredentials (launching December 2025), the World Scholars scholarship program for international students, Science Support & Services for research assistance, and various public outreach programs like Wildlife Wednesday webinars. The organization also conducts its own scientific research on wildlife health, conservation biology, and ecosystem monitoring.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Applied Quantitative Ecology Professional Certificate Fully online, graduate-level professional certificate program teaching quantitative ecological analysis methods including R programming, statistical modeling, and data analysis techniques for wildlife research and conservation, designed for working professionals and graduate students.
• Conservation Planning Professional Certificate Graduate-level professional certificate requiring 12 credits covering strategic, evidence-based conservation planning methods, with core courses and elective pathways in Landscape, Species, or Organizational Planning for natural resource managers and conservation practitioners.
• Wildlife & Conservation Courses Extensive catalog of in-person, online, and hybrid courses covering R programming, spatial analysis (QGIS, Google Earth Engine), ecological statistics, population modeling, wildlife research methods, and conservation planning offered across disciplines such as Applied Quantitative Ecology, Geographic Information Science, Conservation Planning, and Ecology & Management.
• Digital Badges Digital microcredentials issued through Parchment upon course or professional certificate completion. Badges are verifiable, shareable on social media and professional networks, and portable via digital backpack.
• World Scholars Program Full scholarship program providing tuition coverage for students and professionals from World Bank-designated lower income and lower middle income countries to access CWS professional certificate programs and courses in wildlife conservation, data science, and ecological modeling.
• Science Support & Services Technical consulting services assisting government agencies, NGOs, and researchers with research design, planning, editing, and analytical needs for wildlife research projects, from new initiatives to longstanding work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Professionals complete Applied Quantitative Ecology certificate and gain proficiency in R, enabling analysis of decades of community science data for 100+ species
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

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

• Tufts UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2020Tufts University leads the $100 million USAID STOP Spillover project consortium. CWS wildlife veterinarian Tristan Burgess participates in this 5-year project addressing zoonotic disease threats at the human-wildlife interface. Project involves novel pathogen discovery, wildlife epidemiology, disease surveillance, risk analysis, and behavior change communication.
• Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBRI biologists pioneer loon translocation methods from Maine to Massachusetts. CWS wildlife veterinarian Tristan Burgess assists with capturing loon chicks for translocation to restore Massachusetts loon populations. Pilot project (2015-2017) translocated 24 chicks; recent efforts added 12 more chicks with first successful breeding recorded.
• Science Dogs of New EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLindsay Ware of Science Dogs of New England partnered with CWS Wood Turtle Project to train scent detection dogs (Chili the puppy) to locate cryptic wood turtle species. Rigorous documentation and testing protocols combine conservation and scientific perspectives.
• NOAA Monk Seal Research ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCWS wildlife veterinarian Tristan Burgess traveled to Hawaii to discuss Toxoplasma gondii infection in endangered Hawaiian monk seals with NOAA's research team. Planning cutting-edge work to apply lessons learned from sea otter studies to Hawaiian island ecosystems.
• The Marine Mammal CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Marine Mammal Center works alongside NOAA and CWS on Hawaiian monk seal health research, treating infected individuals and developing successful treatment plans for this endangered species.
• California Department of Fish and WildlifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCWS wildlife veterinarian Tristan Burgess joined a team led by CDFW in compiling a 15-year study examining 560 deceased southern sea otters for causes of mortality. Study identifies sea otters as sentinel species for ocean health and human health risks.
• Waldo County Soil and Water Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCWS Environmental Chemist Jim Killarney consults on Unity Pond watershed management plan in partnership with Waldo County Soil and Water Conservation District. Project aims to improve water quality by reducing phosphorus loading through Clean Water Act grant.
• Ecological Society of America (ESA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorESA pre-approves CWS courses for continuing education credit toward Professional Ecologist certification. Courses meet minimum education requirements in Biological Sciences or Chemistry/Physical Science/Mathematics categories.
• The Wildlife Society (TWS)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTWS recognizes CWS courses for continuing education credit toward Associate or Certified Wildlife Biologist certifications. CWS courses taken for academic credit can substitute for college coursework in certification applications.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Panthera: Nonprofit focused exclusively on wild cats, executing field conservation, research, and training programs for partner biologists worldwide. Mirrors CWS's species-focused research and capacity-building model, albeit for a narrower taxonomic scope.
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Operates the Bird Academy online learning platform with academic credit options, massive open courses, and professional certificates in wildlife science. Direct competitor in online wildlife education with deep research backing and strong academic reputation.
• Earthwatch Institute: Nonprofit that combines field-based citizen science expeditions with conservation training. Comparable to CWS's blend of education, hands-on field courses, and community science engagement (mirroring CWS's Big Night Maine).
• Denver Zoo Conservation Biology: AZA-accredited zoo with active field conservation and research arm. Comparable mix of education programming, wildlife research (species survival plans), and conservation partnerships relevant to CWS's model.
• Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation: Offers graduate-level professional certificate and master's programs in conservation through Smithsonian and George Mason University partnership. Closest direct competitor to CWS's Applied Quantitative Ecology and Conservation Planning certificates, with similar course-based, practitioner-oriented delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• Wildlife Conservation Society: Large global NGO running Bronx Zoo, NY Aquarium, and extensive field conservation programs across species and geographies. Overlaps with CWS's conservation mission, research output, and education programming but at far greater scale.
• Conservation International: Global nonprofit executing large-scale conservation science, policy, and partnership projects. Similar land- and species-focused mission as CWS, with much broader geographic operations and global grant footprint.
• National Audubon Society: Major U.S. nonprofit operating centers and chapters with robust education programming, community science (Christmas Bird Count), and policy advocacy. Same nonprofit conservation education and citizen science model, broader in scope.
• The Nature Conservancy: Largest global environmental nonprofit with significant science, field research, and capacity-building work. Comparable conservation nonprofit operating model but at vastly larger scale than CWS.

Regional players

• Maine Audubon: Maine-based Audubon chapter running sanctuaries, education programming, and citizen science. Same state-level geography as CWS headquarters and aligned conservation education mission; competes in the regional audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/centerforwildlifestudies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centerforwildlifestudies

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Center for Wildlife Studies