Quiet Parks International

Name

Quiet Parks International

Legal name

Quiet Parks International

Website

https://quietparks.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Quiet Parks International is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) non-profit that certifies and awards quiet natural places across Wilderness Quiet Parks, Urban Quiet Parks, Quiet Trails, Quiet Conservation Areas, and Quiet Stay categories, serving national parks, hospitality providers, and conservation organizations worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Certification

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parks, Recreation & Protected Areas Administration (BPAIAMAH), National Park & Protected Area Tours (THAJAIAA), Facilities Maintenance & Environmental Services (Waste, Water, Trail Maintenance, Restrooms) (THAAAGAI)

Keywords

• Quiet park certification
• Wilderness soundscape preservation
• Acoustic ecology certification
• Urban quiet park designation
• Quiet conservation awards

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: QPI is a 501-c3 tax-exempt charitable organization (EIN: 83-3766591) that relies on donations to fund sound measurement equipment procurement, field recordist deployment, and operations. Donors receive the QPI Album as a thank-you gift.
2. Paid Quiet Experiences: QPI charges US$15 per person for virtual forest bathing experiences led by certified guides. Group sizes can accommodate up to 100 people.
3. Certification and Award Processing Fees: QPI charges processing fees for Quiet Stay certification, Quiet Residence and Community certification, and Quiet Conservation Area awards. Quiet Conservation Area processing fee is $150.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Quiet Parks International designates, certifies, and promotes quiet natural places through awards (Wilderness Quiet Parks, Urban Quiet Parks, Quiet Trails, Quiet Conservation Areas) for public spaces and certifications (Quiet Stays, Quiet Residences/Communities) for private spaces. It also delivers guided quiet experiences including virtual forest bathing walks, free audio experiences from certified parks, the QPI Album, sound walk community events, education curriculum, and a research database on quiet and noise pollution effects.

Product overview

Quiet Parks International is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of quiet conservation programs through awards and certifications. The core offerings include Urban Quiet Parks, Wilderness Quiet Parks, Quiet Trails, Quiet Conservation Areas (public space awards), Quiet Stays, and Quiet Residences/Communities (private space certifications). Supporting programs include virtual forest bathing walks, the QPI Album sound recordings, Urban Sound Walk Project, Quiet Education curriculum, and Quiet Research database. The organization operates as a volunteer-led 501-c3 charitable organization (EIN: 83-3766591) founded by Gordon Hempton and Vikram Chauhan in 2019.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Urban Quiet Parks Award Award presented to natural areas near or in cities that offer culturally relevant quiet experiences to urban dwellers. Parks are evaluated by field recordists for noise levels and natural soundscape quality.
• Wilderness Quiet Parks Award Award presented to large pristine natural areas offering exceptional sonic beauty and opportunities for extended periods of pure natural quiet. Areas are evaluated for healthy bioacoustic activity with noise-free intervals lasting several hours.
• Quiet Trails Award Award presented to pedestrian and canoe routes that offer quiet experiences of nature. Trails are evaluated for noise levels and natural soundscape dominance along the route.
• Quiet Conservation Areas Award Award presented to geographic locations where land managers/owners actively seek to protect natural quiet. No acoustic test required; awarded based on Quiet Management Policy commitment. Award expires after 5 years unless renewed. Processing fee of $150 for application.
• Quiet Stays Certification Certification for hotels, resorts and accommodation providers who offer guests a quiet experience. Properties are assessed with natural sound dominating human-made sound. Three levels: Silver (acknowledged without on-site testing), Gold (certified with on-site testing), Platinum (certified with testing exceeding criteria thresholds).
• Quiet Residences and Communities Certification Certification for private residential areas whose inhabitants are committed to living in a quiet, low-noise environment. External noise sources must not exceed 45 decibels for more than 8 instances during daytime hours and no instances during sleeping hours. Three levels: Silver, Gold, Platinum.
• Virtual Forest Bathing Walk Virtual Forest Bathing Walk experience inspired by Japanese Shinrin-Yoku practice, led by certified guides. Conducted via Zoom connecting participants with nature sounds in their own locations. Price: US$15 per person, duration 2 hours, group size up to 100.
• Nightfall at Zabalo River Audio Experience Free audio recording experience from Zabalo River, Ecuador, the world's first certified Wilderness Quiet Park. Recorded by Cofan Tribe member Josh Borman. Duration: 32 minutes. Donations welcome.
• Urban Sound Walk Project Community initiative inviting communities to host sound walks, connecting participants with nature through mindful listening. Global celebration occurs each September with World Sound Walk Day. Free participation with guidance and support from QPI.
• QPI Album Limited-edition sound recordings album featuring Earth's last quiet places. Includes recordings from Glacier National Park, American Prairie Reserve, Boundary Waters, Niobrara River, and Ecuadorian Amazon. Available as thank-you for donors.
• Quiet Education Program Cross-curricular educational programs for grades 1-8 teaching students about listening, noise, noise pollution, and citizen science. Based on Next Generation Science Standards. Includes classroom programs and Bus Loads of Kids initiative.

Quantifiable outcome

• Noise exposure affects 97% of U.S. population from aviation and highways (Bureau of Transportation Statistics)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Anza-Borrego FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2024Foundation supporting Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Received Quiet Conservation Area award in September 2024 recognizing the park's commitment to preserving natural soundscapes.
• Friends of Mt. Tabor ParkminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 202322-year-old non-profit providing volunteers for trail stewardship, weed removal, urban nature walks, and visitor center operations at Mt. Tabor Urban Quiet Park.
• Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2023City agency maintaining, stewarding and managing public greenspaces including Mt. Tabor Park. Received Urban Quiet Park award May 26, 2023.
• Save the Boundary WaterscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 March 2023Non-profit organization working to protect BWCAW from copper mining. Collaborated with QPI on wilderness quiet park designation. Partnered for soundscape data collection and protection efforts.
• WaerbekecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 October 2021Sociiocultural movement based in Flanders, Belgium that raises awareness of silence and tranquility. Originated from Dender-Mark Quiet Area collaboration agreement signed October 30, 2001 by multiple municipalities and provinces.
• Noise Abatement Society (UK)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 18 July 2021UK organization working with government, local authorities, industry and public on noise issues. Shared award for Hampstead Heath Urban Quiet Park.
• Recal TravelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner logo displayed on QPI Partners page. Travel company focused on quiet/recalibrated travel experiences.
• Nestwell HospitalityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner logo on QPI Partners page. Hospitality company offering Quiet Stay certified properties.
• ANFT (Association of Nature & Forest Therapy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner logo on QPI Partners page (ANFT.earth). ANFT certified guides host virtual forest bathing experiences on QPI platform.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Leave No Trace: Leave No Trace is a nonprofit that sets and promotes ethical outdoor practices through training, certification, and education—comparable to QPI's role in establishing a protected-areas standards framework for soundscape stewardship.
• ANFT (Association of Nature & Forest Therapy): ANFT is a QPI partner that certifies forest therapy guides and delivers Shinrin-Yoku-inspired experiences—the same certified guides host QPI's $15 virtual forest bathing walks, making ANFT a directly comparable experience provider and partner in the quiet/wellness space.
• Soundscape Association of Taiwan: Founded by QPI advisor Laila Fan, the Soundscape Association of Taiwan spearheads acoustic ecology work that led to Yangmingshan's Quiet Park designation—a direct ecosystem peer collaborating on QPI's Asia-Pacific initiatives.
• World Land Trust: World Land Trust funds land purchase and protection for conservation globally—comparable to QPI in working with indigenous and conservation partners (e.g., Cofan Nation) to safeguard ecologically significant areas.
• National Park Trust: National Park Trust acquires land and funding for U.S. national parks and partners with park agencies on conservation initiatives—comparable to QPI in mobilizing private/nonprofit resources to support protected area designations and programming.
• Quiet Mark: Quiet Mark awards the Quiet Mark certification to products, appliances, and buildings that meet noise-reduction criteria—comparable to QPI in building a consumer-facing certification ecosystem around quiet, though focused on products/places rather than natural areas.
• World Forum for Acoustic Ecology: The World Forum for Acoustic Ecology is an international association of practitioners devoted to the study of soundscapes and acoustic ecology—closely aligned with QPI's intellectual foundations and overlapping community of acoustic ecologists and field recordists.
• DarkSky International: DarkSky International certifies dark-sky places worldwide—directly analogous to QPI's model of certifying protected areas for an environmental quality (light vs. sound). Both run multi-tier certification programs, partner with parks and reserves, and leverage a global network of volunteers.

Broad incumbents

• IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature): IUCN is the global authority on biodiversity conservation and protected-area standards—comparable to QPI as a higher-level standards body for protected areas, though vastly larger and focused on ecological rather than acoustic criteria.
• The Nature Conservancy: The Nature Conservancy is a large, established environmental nonprofit operating globally across land, water, and climate—comparable in mission space but vastly broader in scope, capital base, and programmatic depth than QPI's acoustic-focused niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/quietparksint
• Facebookfacebook.com/quietparksinternational
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/quiet-parks-international

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Quiet Parks International