EcoSpark

What EcoSpark does

EcoSpark is a Toronto-based registered Canadian environmental charity founded in 1996 that delivers curriculum-linked citizen science and outdoor environmental education programs to grade 6-12 students, corporate teams, community groups, and high-school youth across the Greater Toronto Area (Toronto, Durham Region, York Region, and Peel Region). Its core programs include Changing Currents (stream assessment and benthic macroinvertebrate monitoring), School Watch (biodiversity monitoring on school grounds), Caterpillars Count (arthropod phenology), SkNOWLEDGE (winter snowfall monitoring), City Nature Challenge (biodiversity documentation event), Corporate Volunteering (team environmental workshops), Sparking Science (Grade 9 STEM mentorship for girls), and the Greenbelt Youth Ambassador (three-year land-use and conservation leadership program).

The organization's primary technology asset is the GeoHub platform, a web-based geospatial system built on ArcGIS/Esri technology that hosts interactive dashboards (Water Quality Dashboard, Biodiversity Dashboard), Tree Benefits web maps, and story maps to visualize citizen science data collected through EcoSpark's programs. Supporting technology includes standardized citizen science data collection protocols for stream assessment and benthic macroinvertebrate sampling, curriculum-linked educational content, and a recurring blog publication.

EcoSpark's revenue model is that of a registered charity (Charitable Registration No: 86505 8721 RR0001) and combines donations (individual giving via website), program fees (subsidized school programs with multi-year contract structures, corporate volunteering workshops), and institutional grants and sponsorship (Ontario Trillium Foundation, NSERC PromoScience, General Motors of Canada). The go-to-market motion is community-led: direct program delivery into schools and school boards via trained facilitators and retired-teacher educators, corporate volunteer workshops in GTA parks, and community volunteer pipelines for open citizen science participation. The organization operates from Artscape Wychwood Barns in Toronto with approximately 12 full- and part-time staff, supplemented by seasonal consultants, student interns (University of Waterloo, U of Guelph, U of Toronto, Vassar, York, Yale), and retired OCT-certified teachers.

Name

EcoSpark

Legal name

EcoSpark

Website

https://ecospark.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

EcoSpark is a Toronto-based Canadian environmental charity, founded in 1996, that runs curriculum-linked citizen science programs for grade 6-12 students, corporate teams, and community volunteers across the Greater Toronto Area, supported by an ArcGIS-based GeoHub geospatial data platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nature, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Conservation (BPADALAE), Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO), Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital) (EUAHAJAM)

Keywords

• Citizen science programs
• Environmental education
• Biodiversity monitoring
• Water quality monitoring
• Outdoor learning programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations: EcoSpark is a registered Canadian charity (Registration No: 86505 8721 RR0001) that accepts donations through its website to support environmental education programs.
2. Program Fees: School programs have pricing (with subsidies available) as referenced in the Program Pricing and Policies page. Corporate volunteering programs also generate revenue.
3. Government and Foundation Grants: Funded by organizations including Ontario Trillium Foundation, NSERC PromoScience, and other environmental grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

EcoSpark is a Canadian charity that delivers citizen science and outdoor education programs across the Greater Toronto Area, enabling grade 6-12 students, community groups, and corporate teams to participate in biodiversity and water quality monitoring, benthic macroinvertebrate collection, arthropod and snowfall observation, and STEM mentorship. It also maintains a GeoHub geospatial data platform on ArcGIS that publishes the resulting environmental data through dashboards and story maps.

Product overview

EcoSpark is an environmental charity offering citizen science programs and outdoor education initiatives, not a traditional software product company. Its core offerings consist of hands-on environmental monitoring programs including Changing Currents (stream/water quality assessment), School Watch (biodiversity monitoring for students), and Caterpillars Count (arthropod phenology studies). The GeoHub digital platform provides mapping applications and dashboards for data visualization. Additional programs include Corporate and Community Volunteering, SkNOWLEDGE (winter monitoring), City Nature Challenge, Sparking Science STEM mentorship, and the Greenbelt Youth Ambassador leadership program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School Watch Curriculum-linked citizen science program for grade 6-12 students focused on biodiversity monitoring, including bird surveys, tree identification, and ecosystem health assessment on school grounds.
• Changing Currents Flagship citizen science river study program where students collect benthic macroinvertebrates and water quality data to assess stream health in their local watersheds.
• Caterpillars Count Citizen science project that studies arthropod populations to understand their phenology, seasonal changes, and food availability for forest and migrating insectivorous birds.
• Corporate Volunteering Environmental volunteer workshops for corporate teams, offering year-round activities in Greater Toronto Area parks to support ecosystem health.
• Community Science Volunteering Open volunteer program for community members to participate in environmental monitoring and data collection activities in local green spaces.
• GeoHub Web-based geospatial mapping platform built on ArcGIS that hosts Water Quality Dashboard, Biodiversity Dashboard, Tree Benefits web maps, and interactive story maps about local environmental issues.
• SkNOWLEDGE Winter citizen science project involving snowfall monitoring to track climate patterns and contribute to environmental data collection.
• City Nature Challenge Four-day global competition where cities document wildlife observations and species to contribute to biodiversity databases.
• Sparking Science Annual conference that showcases women working in STEM fields who mentor grade 9 girls from Durham Region to increase STEM literacy and career awareness.
• Greenbelt Youth Ambassadors Three-year program providing high school students with workshops and summer retreats to learn about Ontario's Greenbelt, land use planning, and environmental conservation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students contribute to real scientific research through standardized citizen science protocols
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcoSpark works with TRCA for stream studies and environmental monitoring projects. TRCA manages protected lands where program activities take place. Partnership supports watershed protection and environmental education.
• Fleming College Ecosystem Management Technology ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudents from Fleming College's EMX program volunteered as guides during Greenbelt Youth Ambassador bus tours, supporting program delivery.
• University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUTSC campus hosted the Sparking Science Through Mentorship conference. Partnership enables university facilities use and student involvement.
• Dunbarton High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDunbarton High School collaborated on Sparking Science Through Mentorship conference organization with EcoSpark and Durham District School Board.
• Koffler Scientific Reserve (University of Toronto)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate tour of Koffler Scientific Reserve conducted for Greenbelt Youth Ambassadors program. Site is an ecological observatory for biodiversity research.
• Circling Hawk Honey FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThird-generation family farm visited during Greenbelt Youth Ambassadors tour. Farm specializes in natural honey production without pesticides.
• ArcGIS/EsricoreTechnology or IntegrationEcoSpark's GeoHub platform is built on ArcGIS technology, enabling geospatial dashboards, story maps, and web mapping applications.
• Artscape Wychwood BarnsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtscape Wychwood Barns serves as EcoSpark's office headquarters, providing community space for environmental education organization.
• St Richard Catholic Elementary SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDufferin Peel Catholic District School Board school participating in EcoSpark-supported school ground greening project including outdoor learning space and native plant garden.
• Cawthra Park Secondary SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPeel District School Board school participating in EcoSpark-supported tree planting and garden project for shade and temperature control.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Earthwatch Institute: Global nonprofit running citizen science field programs and environmental research expeditions. Comparable in citizen-science model and education focus, but operates internationally and at much larger scale.
• Canadian Wildlife Federation: Larger national Canadian wildlife organization with education and citizen science programs including school-based initiatives. Comparable mission but broader scope and national scale.
• iNaturalist (California Academy of Sciences / National Geographic): Mass-scale citizen-science biodiversity platform that EcoSpark programs (Caterpillars Count, City Nature Challenge) integrate with. Adjacent as a platform competitor to GeoHub's biodiversity dashboard.

Direct peers

• Nature Canada: National Canadian nature conservation organization with education and community-science programs. Comparable as a Canadian environmental nonprofit combining advocacy, education, and citizen engagement.
• Birds Canada: Canadian conservation organization running citizen-science bird monitoring programs with schools and volunteers. Comparable in citizen science protocols, biodiversity data collection, and K-12 engagement.
• Evergreen Canada: Canadian nonprofit focused on sustainable cities, school ground greening, and outdoor learning. Directly overlaps with EcoSpark's School Watch and school-ground stewardship programs.
• RiverWatch (Alberta): Alberta-based nonprofit running citizen-science stream and water-quality monitoring with schools. Comparable program design and curriculum-linked citizen science delivery, though serving a different region.
• Earth Rangers: Canadian environmental charity that engages K-12 students in nature-based programs and citizen science. Closely comparable in mission, target audience (schools and youth), and nonprofit funding model.
• Environmental Defence Canada: Canadian environmental nonprofit combining education, advocacy, and community engagement on local environmental issues. Comparable in Canadian nonprofit structure, GTA operations, and educational outreach to schools and community.

Regional players

• Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA): GTA watershed management and environmental education authority that EcoSpark already partners with. Comparable in delivering regional environmental education and citizen-science stream monitoring in the same geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Ecospark_Env
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/EcoSparkEnv
• Facebookfacebook.com/EcoSparkEnv
• Instagraminstagram.com/ecospark_env
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecospark-toronto

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 EcoSpark