Hobe Sound Nature Center

What Hobe Sound Nature Center does

Hobe Sound Nature Center (HSNC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental education organization operating from a single facility at 13640 S.E. Federal Highway in Hobe Sound, Florida, in formal cooperation with the Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. Founded in 1985 (with a conflicting 1969 reference in the firmographic record), the center runs a portfolio of roughly a dozen recurring programs, including FWC-permitted Guided Nighttime Sea Turtle Walks ($20/participant), Summer Nature Camp ($150) and Jr. Naturalist Camp ($175) for ages 6–14, weekly wildlife encounter programs (Sunday Snake Brunch, Tales and Scales: Alligator Encounter, Bubbles and Bites Fish Feeding), guided winter trail hikes, a Hook Kids on Fishing Clinic, Nature's Nook Story Time, and a Nest Quest: Sea Turtle Investigation program. An on-site Owl's Roost Gift Shop offers nature-themed merchandise. The organization's customer base is overwhelmingly local families and children in South Florida.

The center's technology footprint is minimal: a Squarespace-hosted website serves as the primary marketing and information channel, with Eventbrite used for certain event registrations and an email newsletter for ongoing outreach. There is no mobile app, no API, no disclosed AI/ML capability, and no proprietary software platform. Distribution is single-channel and physical — visitors must come on-site to the refuge location, which is open Monday–Saturday 9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., with refuge trails accessible seven days from sunrise to sunset.

HSNC is funded primarily through donations and grants from a recurring set of foundations and community donors (including Loblolly Community Foundation, RK Mellon Foundation, GW Bailey Foundation, Henry Midland Foundation, Jupiter Island Garden Club, Hobe Sound Community Chest, NFP, and the Florida Sea Turtle License Plate Program), supplemented by modest program fees. General admission is free; revenue-generating activities are priced at low single-digit to low triple-digit dollar amounts. The organization holds a Candid (GuideStar) Platinum Seal of transparency, is governed by a Board of Directors, and operates with 11 employees and no parent company, subsidiaries, or institutional investor ownership. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Hobe Sound Nature Center

Legal name

Hobe Sound Nature Center Inc.

Website

https://hobesoundnaturecenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hobe Sound Nature Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Hobe Sound, Florida that delivers environmental education and wildlife encounter programming — including FWC-permitted sea turtle walks and seasonal summer camps — to South Florida families and children from a site within the Nathaniel P. Reed National Wildlife Refuge.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education Services

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Education & Outreach (BPAGAGAH), Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH)

Keywords

• Environmental education
• Wildlife conservation
• Nature center programs
• Youth summer camps
• Guided wildlife tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Hobe Sound

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: The organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that relies on donations from individuals and organizations to fund the care of resident animals and environmental education programs.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Hobe Sound Nature Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit environmental education organization that provides free admission to its facility at the Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge along with fee-based wildlife programs including FWC-permitted sea turtle walks, summer camps, wildlife encounter presentations, and conservation-themed events for families, children, and the local South Florida community.

Product overview

Hobe Sound Nature Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization operating in cooperation with the Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. The organization offers a diverse portfolio of environmental education programs and wildlife experiences, including guided sea turtle walks, wildlife encounter programs (Sunday Snake Brunch, Tales and Scales: Alligator Encounter, Bubbles and Bites Fish Feeding), seasonal summer camps for children ages 6-14, nature story time for young children, guided trail hikes, and fishing clinics. The center provides free admission to its facilities while relying on donations and program fees for operations. The product portfolio centers on transformative educational experiences designed to foster connections between people of all ages and South Florida's critical habitats and wildlife.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guided Nighttime Sea Turtle Walks

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife RefugecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Hobe Sound Nature Center works in formal cooperation with the Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge to foster connections between people and nature through accessible indoor and outdoor programming. The refuge provides the natural habitat setting for the center's educational activities.
• Candid (GuideStar)minorOthersThe Hobe Sound Nature Center holds a Candid Platinum Seal, demonstrating transparency as a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Federal Tax Exempt ID #59-1644398.
• Sound Brewing CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted Pints and Predators event at Sound Brewing Company, featuring reptile animal ambassador encounters and a raffle to raise funds supporting HSNC conservation, environmental education, and wildlife care.
• Audubon Society of Martin CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosts Birding by the Sea events at Hobe Sound Refuge Beach, led by Florida Shorebird Alliance's Treasure Coast Coordinator and Audubon board member Niki Desjardins. Entry fee of $5 per person.
• Angler's for ConservationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization for the Hook Kids on Fishing Clinic, a hands-on, conservation-minded, and educational fishing program for children ages 5-15 taught by professional guides and scientists.
• Florida Shorebird AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Birding by the Sea events, with Treasure Coast Coordinator and Audubon board member Niki Desjardins leading the shoreline birding experience.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Gumbo Limbo Nature Center: Boca Raton, FL nature center offering free admission, resident animal exhibits, sea turtle monitoring, and educational programming. Comparable in mission, free-admission model, and visitor experience, with a similarly managed coastal-habitat focus.
• Busch Wildlife Sanctuary: Jupiter, FL nonprofit wildlife education facility with native animal ambassadors, K-12 programs, and public admission. Closely comparable on free/nominal-fee educational programming with resident wildlife and South Florida habitat focus.
• Audubon Society of Martin County: Active programming partner of Hobe Sound Nature Center, co-hosting Birding by the Sea. Local chapter with comparable birding and conservation programming in the same Martin County geography.
• Loggerhead Marinelife Center: Adjacent Juno Beach, FL nonprofit focused on sea turtle rehabilitation, education, and conservation. Operates a similar education-and-programming model with FWC-permitted turtle walks, summer camps, and visitor exhibits — closely comparable on programming and geography.
• Florida Oceanographic Society: Located in Stuart, FL (the same Martin County region), Florida Oceanographic Society runs a coastal nature center on the Indian River Lagoon with resident animal exhibits, environmental education, summer camps, and guided nature programs — directly comparable in scale, mission, and programming mix.
• Pine Jog Environmental Education Center: West Palm Beach, FL environmental education center affiliated with Florida Atlantic University offering K-12 field trips, camps, and educator training. Comparable on environmental education mission and family/youth programming, with a similar South Florida geography.

Broad incumbents

• National Audubon Society: National-scale conservation organization with local chapters and centers running environmental education and birding programs. Comparable mission and programming framework, but national rather than local in scope.
• Cox Science Center and Aquarium: West Palm Beach, FL science museum with aquarium exhibits and family programming. Wider in scope (STEM + aquarium) but overlapping in the family science-education niche and South Florida service area.

Others

• Friends of the Everglades: South Florida nonprofit focused on Everglades conservation and education; not a direct competitor but a thematically aligned organization operating in the same ecosystem and overlapping donor base.

Emerging players

• Manatee Lagoon — An FPL Eco-Discovery Center: West Palm Beach, FL free-admission eco-discovery center focused on manatee observation and education. Comparable on free entry, FWC-adjacent wildlife observation, and education programming, but with a narrower species focus and corporate sponsorship.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hobe-sound-nature-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Hobe Sound Nature Center