The A A C Watershed Stewa

What The A A C Watershed Stewa does

Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy (WSA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2009 and headquartered at 975 Indian Landing Rd in Millersville, Maryland, with a staff of 1-10. The organization trains and mobilizes community leaders to reduce polluted stormwater runoff and restore local waterways in Anne Arundel County and the City of Annapolis, operating at the intersection of environmental restoration and grassroots community organizing. Its core programs are RePlant Anne Arundel (launched 2020 with the County and Helena Foundation, 20,000+ trees planted), RePlant Annapolis (launched 2023 with the City, 280+ trees planted), the Tree Trooper volunteer training and certification program (adapted from the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay), the Backyard Buffer seedling distribution program, and the Groves of Gratitude native tree bundle initiative. Adjacent programs include Repollinate Anne Arundel, Save Our Trees, Stormwater Success, and Wildflowers in a Weekend Kits, alongside a Watershed Steward Certification Course and an annual Spring Into Action conference offering CEUs.

Name

The A A C Watershed Stewa

Legal name

Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy

Website

https://aawsa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy (WSA) is a Millersville, Maryland 501(c)(3) nonprofit that trains community leaders and mobilizes volunteers to plant trees, restore forest canopy, and reduce stormwater runoff across Anne Arundel County and the City of Annapolis.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Restoration Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF), Sustainability Engagement, Training & Behavior Change Programs (On-site) (BPABALAK), Environmental Justice & Community Environmental Health (BPAGAGAL)

Keywords

• Watershed restoration services
• Community tree planting
• Volunteer environmental training
• Stormwater management programs
• Urban canopy restoration

Headquarters

HQ city

Millersville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grants and Government Funding: WSA receives significant grant funding from Anne Arundel County Bureau of Watershed Protection and Restoration, City of Annapolis Department of Planning and Zoning, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and Chesapeake Bay Trust. These grants support tree planting programs and organizational operations.
2. Donations and Fundraising: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, WSA relies on charitable donations from individuals and organizations. Donations are tax-deductible (Tax ID: 27-3502329). The Groves of Gratitude program generates donations through suggested per-grove and per-tree contributions ($20 single trees, $45-$60 groves). The Annapolis Baygrass Music Festival generates proceeds from ticket, food, beverage, and merchandise sales.
3. Annual Conference Revenue: The annual Spring Into Action conference generates registration revenue ($100 general admission, $40 college students) as well as sponsorship revenue from partners and exhibitors. CEUs are offered for professional attendees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy (WSA) trains and mobilizes community leaders to drive change for sustainable landscapes and clean waters in Anne Arundel County and the City of Annapolis. Its core offerings include large-scale tree planting initiatives (RePlant Anne Arundel and RePlant Annapolis), volunteer certification programs (Tree Trooper training and Watershed Steward Certification Course), subsidized native tree and seedling distribution (Backyard Buffers and Groves of Gratitude), pollinator habitat restoration, and an annual environmental conference.

Product overview

Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy (WSA) operates as a community-based environmental organization rather than a technology company. WSA's programs are centered around watershed restoration and tree planting initiatives across Anne Arundel County and the City of Annapolis. The core programs include RePlant Anne Arundel and RePlant Annapolis, which coordinate large-scale tree planting efforts, supplemented by the Tree Trooper volunteer training program, Backyard Buffer seedling distribution, and Groves of Gratitude tree bundle sales. Additional offerings include the Watershed Steward Certification Course, annual conference, and various community programs like Repollinate Anne Arundel, Save Our Trees, and Stormwater Success. The organization functions as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit focused on training community leaders and mobilizing volunteers for environmental restoration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• RePlant Anne Arundel: Tree planting initiative created in response to forest loss in Anne Arundel County, with a goal to plant 20,000 trees and engage residents in restoration efforts.
• RePlant Annapolis
• Groves of Gratitude
• Backyard Buffers
• Tree Troopers

Products and services

• RePlant Anne Arundel County-level tree planting initiative partnering with Anne Arundel County that has planted over 20,000 trees and engaged over 4,300 residents since 2020 to restore forest canopy.
• RePlant Annapolis City-funded tree planting program focused on helping the City of Annapolis achieve 50% urban tree canopy by 2050; over 280 trees planted since 2023 at residences, businesses, community centers, and congregations.
• Tree Trooper Program Free online training program that certifies volunteers to coordinate grassroots tree planting projects for neighborhoods, congregations, schools, and other community sites.
• Watershed Steward Certification Course Training course that certifies community members as Watershed Stewards, teaching them to engage their communities to reduce pollution and restore local waterways.
• Backyard Buffer Program Program providing bundles of 12 tree/shrub seedlings to homeowners at a suggested donation of $12 per bundle to create native woodland buffers near waterways and drainage areas.
• Groves of Gratitude Fundraising initiative providing single native trees ($20) and pre-designed native tree bundles ($45-$60 per grove, including Edible, Pollinator, Legacy, and Screening Groves) to residents for suggested donations, with proceeds partially funding partner nonprofits.
• Tree Ambassador Program Community-based tree planting program targeting underrepresented communities, especially in urban areas of Anne Arundel County, to ensure equitable access to tree planting resources.
• Annual Spring Into Action Conference Annual environmental restoration conference bringing together Watershed Stewards, stormwater professionals, government officials, business owners, educators, and community leaders for sessions on wildlife habitat, climate, and waterway protection. CEU credits offered.
• Repollinate Anne Arundel Program focused on restoring pollinator habitats through native plant installations.
• Save Our Trees Program dedicated to tree conservation and protection efforts in Anne Arundel County.
• Wildflowers in a Weekend Kits Program providing native wildflower planting kits to residents for weekend planting projects.
• Stormwater Success Program providing resources and guidance for stormwater management on residential properties.
• Residential Site Assessments On-site assessments for residential properties to evaluate watershed conditions and recommend stewardship actions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20,000 trees planted since 2020 through RePlant Anne Arundel, engaging over 4,300 residents.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• City of AnnapoliscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023WSA partners with the City of Annapolis on RePlant Annapolis, a city-funded tree planting program to help the City achieve 50% urban tree canopy by 2050. Since 2023, over 280 trees have been planted at residences, businesses, community centers, and congregations. The City provides funding through the Department of Planning and Zoning.
• Anne Arundel CountycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020WSA partners with Anne Arundel County to run RePlant Anne Arundel, a tree planting initiative launched in response to the county losing over 2,500 acres of forest from 2013-2017. The County provides funding through the Bureau of Watershed Protection and Restoration. RePlant Anne Arundel has planted over 20,000 trees since 2020.
• Maryland Department of Natural Resources (Nursery)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor large seedling orders, WSA directs residents to order directly from the MD DNR nursery. Additionally, MD DNR's Underserved Areas Map is used to determine eligibility for free or subsidized trees.
• Alliance for the Chesapeake BaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay provides the Tree Trooper training content. WSA's Tree Trooper training is a customized version of the Alliance's Tree Stewards Training, specific to Anne Arundel County.
• Annapolis Baygrass Music FestivalcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWSA is a proud beneficiary partner of the Annapolis Baygrass Music Festival. The festival, held September 19-20, 2026, is a conservation and community-focused event dedicated to protecting the Chesapeake Bay. WSA conducts educational workshops at the festival; a portion of proceeds from tickets, food, beverage, and merchandise sales supports WSA.
• The Light House Homeless Prevention Support CenterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFor the 2025 Groves of Gratitude program, The Light House (a local nonprofit providing shelter, transitional housing, and support services to people experiencing homelessness in Anne Arundel County) receives 50% of proceeds from every Groves of Gratitude purchase.
• Pre-Qualified Tree Planting ContractorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWSA maintains a list of pre-qualified contractors (B&C Lawncare, Breaking Boundaries Environmental LLC, Cavalla Construction, Earthstar Gardening LLC, Severn Grove LLC, Welspryng LLC, Womack Construction for 2024-2026) for sites requiring professional tree installation. These contractors are engaged through a Request for Qualifications process.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Chesapeake Bay Foundation: The largest nonprofit dedicated solely to restoring the Chesapeake Bay. Comparable mission around watershed restoration, tree planting, and policy advocacy, but operates across the entire Bay watershed with larger staff, boats, and a broader program portfolio than WSA.
• Sierra Club (Maryland Chapter): State chapter of a large national environmental organization with overlapping tree planting, conservation, and advocacy work in Maryland. Differs in that it is a volunteer-led advocacy and outdoor recreation organization rather than a tree-planting operator.
• Chesapeake Bay Trust: Maryland-based nonprofit grantmaker that funds WSA and many similar watershed restoration organizations. Functions as a funder, convener, and programmatic partner for community-based tree planting and stormwater projects across the Bay watershed.

Direct peers

• Blue Water Baltimore: Baltimore-area nonprofit focused on restoring Baltimore's rivers and streams through tree planting, stormwater management, and community engagement. Operates a nearly identical volunteer-driven urban tree canopy model in an adjacent Maryland jurisdiction.
• Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay: Regional nonprofit focused on restoring the Chesapeake Bay watershed through tree planting, stewardship, and community engagement. WSA's Tree Trooper training is explicitly a customized version of Alliance's Tree Stewards Training, making it a direct operational and programmatic peer.
• Anacostia Watershed Society: Washington, D.C.-area nonprofit focused on restoring the Anacostia River watershed through tree planting, trash removal, and volunteer stewardship. Highly comparable model combining volunteer training, residential tree distribution, and government-funded restoration programs.
• Alice Ferguson Foundation: Maryland-based environmental education and watershed stewardship nonprofit. Operates similar teacher/volunteer training, environmental education, and Potomac River watershed programs in a comparable geographic and operational footprint.

Regional players

• Parks & People Foundation: Baltimore-based nonprofit focused on creating and sustaining green spaces in underserved urban communities. Operates adjacent programming in urban forestry, community gardens, and environmental education, with significant overlap in target audience.
• Baltimore Green Space: Baltimore-area nonprofit focused on acquiring and restoring vacant land as green space for community use. Operates a similar community-led environmental stewardship model in an adjacent Maryland jurisdiction.

Emerging players

• Chesapeake Conservancy: Nonprofit focused on using technology and mapping to accelerate Chesapeake Bay watershed conservation. Complementary stakeholder that emphasizes landscape-scale conservation, with partial overlap in reforestation and stewardship priorities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/H2Oshedstewards
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aawsa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 The A A C Watershed Stewa