Écolothèque Montpellier3m

What Écolothèque Montpellier3m does

Écolothèque Montpellier3m is a public environmental education center operated jointly by Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole and Ville de Montpellier, located on a 4-hectare agricultural domain in Saint-Jean-de-Védas, France. Established as a pedagogical farm in 1987 and renamed Écolothèque in 1992 (with the brand registered at INPI the same year), it delivers hands-on environmental and biodiversity education to a wide public audience: children aged 3 months to 12 years (through accueil de loisirs, petite enfance, and medical-social structures), school groups (écoles, collèges, lycées), and adult learners via professional formation programmes. Its core offering is built around visits, workshops, and a downloadable library of pedagogical tools (e.g., Mallette Jardin des Plantes, Accueil de la biodiversité), supported by on-site gardens and animal areas that have been cultivated since the District of Montpellier acquired the site in 1991.

The centre is principally funded through municipal and intercommunal budgets, with nominal participation fees from users (e.g., €194/year for petite enfance structures as of the latest disclosed schedule). It does not operate as a commercial enterprise: its revenue mechanics are public subventions, modest family contributions, and program-specific partnerships with institutional childcare, school, and medico-social stakeholders. Go-to-market is largely through institutional partnerships (CAF 34, MSA, Académie de Montpellier, SDJES 34, PMI 34) and via scientific NGO/academic collaborations (CEFE-CNRS, LPO). The EcoJardin label obtained in 2018 and the Prix de la Fondation Sommer provide third-party credibility markers that the centre uses in its public positioning.

Operationally, the centre is led by Directrice Pauline Chatin and Directeur adjoint Sébastien Scotto, supported by a small permanent team supplemented by seasonal educators and apprentices. The technology stack is conventional (website, downloadable resources, online reservation forms), with no disclosed AI, data platform, or proprietary software. Strategic direction is set by the two public shareholders and reflected in medium-term programming priorities such as the 2026-2027 formation cycle and the continuous rollout of new pedagogical kits.

Name

Écolothèque Montpellier3m

Legal name

Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole et Ville de Montpellier

Website

https://ecolotheque.montpellier3m.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Écolothèque Montpellier3m is a public environmental education center on a 4-hectare site in Saint-Jean-de-Védas, operated by Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole and Ville de Montpellier to deliver biodiversity and environmental pedagogy to young children, school groups, and adult learners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Interpretation & Ranger-Led Education Programs (Visitor Education) (THAAAOAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO), Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA), Outdoor / Nature-Based Before/After Care Programs (EDACAHAJ)

Keywords

• Environmental education services
• Agroecology pedagogy
• School field trips
• Leisure center programs
• Pedagogical resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-Jean-de-Védas

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public funding: Operated by Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole and Ville de Montpellier. Funded through public budgets as a municipal and metropolitan environmental education service.
2. Participation fees: Annual participation fees for services. For petite enfance structures, the 2025-2026 fee was 194€ per year for a 1h to 3h weekly slot (excluding holidays) with groups of up to 12 people including supervisors.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Écolothèque Montpellier3m is a public environmental education center that delivers hands-on nature-based learning on a 4-hectare agroecology domain. It offers five core service programs: Centre de loisirs for children aged 4-12, school class visits for primary schools in Hérault, adapted programs for medical-social centers, early childhood activities for children aged 3 months to 4 years, and professional training (EEDD) for educators — all supported by an extensive downloadable library of pedagogical tools.

Product overview

Écolothèque Montpellier3m is an environmental education center operated by Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, located in Saint-Jean-de-Védas on a 4-hectare agricultural domain. The organization offers a unified portfolio of educational services centered on environmental awareness and sustainable development. Its core offerings include the Centre de loisirs for children aged 4-12, Scolaires programs for primary school classes, Centres médico-sociaux for medical-social groups, and Petite enfance for early childhood. These services are supported by the Formation et accompagnement division providing professional training for educators, and the Pédagothèque (Outils pédagogiques) offering downloadable educational resources including the Mallette Jardin des Plantes, Jardin des sens, and various games. The organization also operates a Médiathèque and manages the Domaine featuring farm animals, gardens, and pedagogical spaces, all maintained under agroecology principles since earning the Label EcoJardin in 2018.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Centre de loisirs Educational leisure center for children aged 4 to 12 years, offering farm animal interactions, gardening, nature exploration, and seasonal workshops on the 4-hectare domain during school holidays and after school.
• Accueil des classes (Scolaires) Educational programs for primary school classes from the Hérault department, providing hands-on environmental learning experiences including garden activities, animal care, and nature exploration on the domain.
• Accueil des centres médico-sociaux Adapted environmental education programs for groups of adults or children from medical-social centers, with accessible nature interactions and sensory experiences tailored to specific needs.
• Petite enfance Early childhood programs for children aged 3 months to 4 years, with turnkey animations and activities adapted to young children, including sensory activities, farm animal encounters, and nature-based play.
• Formation et accompagnement Professional development and training programs for childhood educators and environmental professionals in environmental and sustainable development education (EEDD), pedagogical tool workshops, and certification preparation.
• Collection d'outils pédagogiques (Pédagothèque) Collection of downloadable pedagogical tools including games, activities, guides, and teaching materials covering biodiversity, gardening, environmental education, and sustainable development themes for educators.
• Médiathèque Nature et Environnement Media library offering resources on nature and environment topics, including books, videos, and educational materials available for borrowing.
• Domaine de l'Écolothèque 4-hectare agricultural domain featuring orchards, vegetable gardens, ponds, farm animals, pedagogical rooms, a media library, and a collective restaurant, managed according to agroecology principles.
• Mallette Jardin des Plantes de Montpellier Educational kit featuring a quest to help a centenary tree recover its memory, with six locations to explore and adaptable activities for non-readers aged 4-6 years.
• Jardin des insectes Information panel presenting the main inhabitants of an insect garden, their shelters, and melliferous plants that promote biodiversity.
• Accueil de la biodiversité Set of pedagogical documents for educators to create spaces welcoming crop auxiliaries with children, including plant guides, auxiliary guides, and shelter tutorials.
• Jeu des 8 familles de légumes Card game for ages 6-12 allowing participants to familiarize themselves with 8 major vegetable families in a playful way.
• Jardin des sens Activity discovering plants with surprising odors, tastes, shapes, and textures through sensory exploration, suitable for ages 6 and up.
• Animations clés en main pour la petite enfance Ready-to-use animations including Ani'malle, Art et sens, Bienvenue chez les canards, Parcours sensoriel des animaux, and other turnkey activities for early childhood groups aged 3 months to 4 years.

Quantifiable outcome

• Laureate of EcoJardin label since 2018 for ecological management of green spaces.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• Éducation nationale - Académie de MontpelliercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical and pedagogical partner for welcoming school classes from the Montpellier metropolitan area. Provides pedagogical tools for environmental education actors. Joint development of educational resources.
• Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive (CEFE - CNRS)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch laboratory in Ecology studying dynamics, functioning, and evolution of living organisms. Provides scientific expertise and potential research collaborations for environmental education content.
• Service Départemental à la Jeunesse, à l'Engagement et aux Sports de l'Hérault (SDJES 34)coreOthersGovernment supervisory body overseeing youth, civic engagement, and sports services in Hérault. Provides regulatory oversight and authorization for centre de loisirs operations.
• Protection Maternelle Infantile de l'Hérault (PMI 34)coreOthersMaternal and child health protection service providing supervisory oversight for early childhood and family services.
• Ligue de Protection des Oiseaux (LPO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Écolothèque domain serves as a refuge zone for birds and wildlife. Partnership for biodiversity conservation and awareness.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Réseau CPIE (Centres Permanents d'Initiatives pour l'Environnement): National network of 80+ associations dedicated to environmental education and sustainable development in local communities. Operates the same kind of nature-based pedagogical activities for schools, families, and professionals as Écolothèque, making it the closest direct peer in the French ecosystem.
• Les Petits Débrouillards: French educational association running hands-on science and environmental workshops for children and young people across France. Its pedagogical approach, audience (school-age children), and focus on active discovery closely match Écolothèque's centre de loisirs and scolaires programming.
• La Bergerie Nationale de Rambouillet: Public educational farm operated under the French Ministry of Agriculture, offering hands-on agricultural and environmental education programs to schools and families. Mirrors Écolothèque's ferme pédagogique model and public-service operating structure.
• GRAINE (Groupement Régional d'Animation et d'Information sur la Nature et l'Environnement): National network of regional environmental education resource centers that provides training, pedagogical tools, and professional support to environmental educators. Directly comparable to Écolothèque's Formation et accompagnement and Pédagothèque offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Office National des Forêts (ONF): French national forest office managing public forests and running educational programs about forest ecosystems. Overlaps with Écolothèque's nature interpretation and biodiversity work but operates at a much larger scale and across all of France.
• Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN): France's national natural history museum, offering exhibitions and educational programs on biodiversity and environmental themes. Comparable to Écolothèque's educational mission but at a national scale and through a museum (rather than ferme) format.

Others

• WWF France: Major international environmental NGO with a French branch operating youth education and biodiversity programs. A broader incumbent that competes for the same funding pools and public attention on environmental education in France.
• LPO France (Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux): France's leading bird protection NGO, already a partner of Écolothèque (refuge zone for birds). Operates nature refuges and biodiversity education programs across France that overlap with Écolothèque's agroecology and bird-biodiversity mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/%C3%A9coloth%C3%A8que-montpellier3m

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Écolothèque Montpellier3m