Reserva: The Youth Land Trust

What Reserva: The Youth Land Trust does

Reserva: The Youth Land Trust is a Washington, DC-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit (tax ID 84-2906892) founded in 2019 that operationalizes a youth-led model for biodiversity conservation. Its core mechanism is a global Youth Council of 130+ members aged 7-26 across 30+ countries, originally co-founded by Bella Lack, who serve as ambassadors, fundraisers, and field-expedition participants. The flagship asset is the Dracula Youth Reserve in Ecuador's Chocó biodiversity hotspot, the world's first youth-funded nature reserve, established in partnership with Fundación EcoMinga and expanded in 2023 through the Orchid Conservation Alliance by 1,050 acres of primary cloud forest. Additional conservation assets include the Pearl Islands sea turtle satellite-tagging program (10 tags funded, partner: The Leatherback Project), a 1,054-acre rainforest acquisition for the Caquetá Titi Monkey in Colombia, and advocacy support for the Aldabra World Heritage Site in Seychelles through Friends of Aldabra.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through charitable donations (individual giving, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorship) and a small merchandise line via a Teemill storefront, with no disclosed commercial pricing or recurring subscription. The primary GTM motion is community-led: youth members drive fundraising through the 1 Million Letters campaign ($3 matched per letter to conservation projects), school presentations, and direct advocacy at UN CBD COP conferences. Storytelling channels — a Field Notes blog, the Wild Hope documentary on PBS Nature, and selection at Jackson Wild (2023 Finalist), the UN World Wildlife Day Film Showcase, DC Environmental Film Festival, EcoAdor, and EDOC — convert earned media into donor pipeline. Operational partners (EcoMinga, Orchid Conservation Alliance, Leatherback Project, Friends of Aldabra, INABIO, IUCN) provide on-the-ground land stewardship, scientific verification, and policy access. Tecnologia stack is intentionally lightweight: Squarespace-hosted web properties, Classy/Stripe/PayPal for donations, Teemill for e-commerce, and conventional conservation fieldwork (drones, mist-netting, specimen documentation). There is no disclosed AI/ML capability, proprietary software product, or app; the organization operates as a programmatic platform for youth-funded conservation outcomes rather than a technology company.

Name

Reserva: The Youth Land Trust

Legal name

Reserva: The Youth Land Trust, Inc.

Website

https://reservaylt.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Reserva: The Youth Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that mobilizes a global Youth Council of 130+ members aged 7-26 across 30+ countries to fund and create protected nature reserves, starting with Ecuador's Dracula Youth Reserve.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conservation Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Biodiversity & Habitat Conservation (BPAGAGAA)

Keywords

• Youth conservation programs
• Biodiversity conservation
• Nature reserve creation
• Environmental advocacy campaigns
• Nonprofit conservation organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Reserva operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, generating revenue through charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporate sponsors. Donations fund land acquisition for protected areas, conservation projects, and operational costs.
2. Merchandise Sales: Online store selling branded merchandise through Teemill platform, with proceeds supporting conservation projects.
3. 1 Million Letters Matching: For every letter received in the 1 Million Letters campaign, Reserva contributes $3 toward youth-led conservation projects, creating a direct link between advocacy participation and project funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Reserva is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that empowers young people to fund, advocate for, and directly participate in creating protected nature reserves. Its core activities include establishing and expanding youth-supported reserves (starting with the Dracula Youth Reserve in Ecuador), running the 1 Million Letters advocacy campaign that matches each letter with $3 to conservation projects, and coordinating an international Youth Council of 130+ members from 30+ countries to lead fundraising, expeditions, and policy engagement.

Product overview

Reserva: The Youth Land Trust operates as a nonprofit youth-led conservation organization rather than a traditional software product company. Its core offerings consist of: the Dracula Youth Reserve (flagship land conservation project in Ecuador co-managed with Fundación EcoMinga), the 1 Million Letters Campaign (youth advocacy program matching letters to world leaders with $3 donations per letter), the Youth Council (international network of 130+ youth ambassadors), Field Notes (editorial blog platform), Classroom Resources (educational materials), and the Teemill Store (merchandise). These programs work together to empower young people to create measurable differences for threatened species through conservation, education, and storytelling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dracula Youth Reserve The flagship youth-funded nature reserve established in Ecuador through Reserva's fundraising efforts, created in partnership with Fundación EcoMinga to protect cloud forest habitat from mining threats. Participants fund, advocate for, and conduct field research at the reserve.
• 1 Million Letters Campaign

Quantifiable outcome

• Established first youth-funded nature reserve: Dracula Youth Reserve in Ecuador
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Fundación EcoMingacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary conservation partner managing Dracula Reserve and protected lands in Ecuador's Chocó biodiversity hotspot. Co-founded by Lou Jost, EcoMinga works with Reserva on youth-led conservation campaigns, land protection, and scientific research expeditions. The partnership established the world's first youth-funded nature reserve (Dracula Youth Reserve) and continues to expand protected corridors.
• Orchid Conservation AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner in the 1,050-acre expansion of Dracula Reserve corridor in Ecuador's Carchi Province in 2023. The partnership connects Reserva's youth-led funding model with Orchid Conservation Alliance's orchid conservation expertise.
• The Leatherback ProjectsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for youth-led satellite tag tracking project to protect critical migratory corridors for sea turtles in Panama's Pearl Islands. Reserva provided funding for 10 satellite tags through youth fundraising.
• Friends of AldabrasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCampaign partner in successful effort to halt a luxury hotel development threatening the Aldabra World Heritage Site in Seychelles. Reserva joined the campaign to ensure permanent conservation of this globally unique ecosystem.
• INABIO (National Institute of Biodiversity)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcuadorian government research institute providing scientific expertise and specimen collections for educational outreach. Herpetologists from INABIO participated in Reserva expeditions and provided museum specimens for community exhibit.
• IUCNsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerReserva is a member of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), connecting the organization to the global conservation community.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• One Tree Planted: Nonprofit that translates small individual donations into tangible conservation/restoration outcomes and partners with local organizations for execution. Directly comparable donation-to-impact model and donor experience.
• Global Greengrants Fund: Environmental grantmaking organization that channels donor funding to grassroots conservation and community-led initiatives globally. Comparable in mobilizing small-dollar, youth-oriented donor engagement for biodiversity.
• Fauna & Flora International: Long-established biodiversity conservation NGO focused on threatened species and habitat protection through partner-led field projects. Closely comparable partner-driven, site-specific conservation model.
• Rainforest Trust: Specializes in purchasing and protecting rainforests and critical habitat, often in partnership with local NGOs in Latin America. Directly comparable to Reserva's Dracula Youth Reserve and Caquetá Titi Monkey acquisition model.
• Re:wild: Species-and-habitat focused conservation organization protecting biodiversity through protected area establishment and partner networks. Directly comparable mission with overlapping partner-style operational model.
• Plant-for-the-Planet: Youth-led global environmental organization founded by a then-teenager, focused on ecosystem restoration, advocacy, and youth climate leadership. Directly comparable youth-empowerment-led environmental model.

Broad incumbents

• World Wildlife Fund (WWF): Global incumbent in biodiversity conservation with extensive protected-area programs and policy influence. Comparable mission but broader portfolio including wildlife trade, oceans, and climate.
• The Nature Conservancy: Largest global conservation NGO with a heavy focus on land protection and protected-area creation. Highly comparable to Reserva in mission (biodiversity conservation, land acquisition) though vastly larger in scale, budget, and geographic footprint.
• Earth Alliance: High-profile environmental organization focused on biodiversity, climate, and environmental justice with strong storytelling and media positioning. Comparable storytelling-first brand approach.

Others

• Fundación EcoMinga: Ecuadorian conservation NGO that manages Dracula Reserve and protected lands on the ground. Reserva's primary operational partner and most directly comparable field-execution peer, though smaller and locally focused.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reservaylt

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Reserva: The Youth Land Trust