YBRA.org

Name

YBRA.org

Legal name

Yellowstone Bighorn Research Association

Website

https://ybra.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Field Research Station Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Conservation & Research Lodges (Citizen Science, Field Stations with Guests) (THAAAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB), Wilderness & Backcountry Lodges (Remote/Off-Grid) (THAGAIAB), Mountain & Wilderness Lodges (THAAAHAE)

Keywords

• Field station management
• Geology field education
• Earth science research facilities
• University field courses
• Nonprofit research organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Red Lodge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Field Course Hosting: YBRA hosts field courses for universities including University of Houston, Southern Illinois University, Missouri State, University of Pennsylvania, and others. Universities pay to use the facilities for their geology and science field programs.
2. Membership Fees: Annual membership program (2026 Membership) that provides access to the field station community and supports operations.
3. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations support the non-profit organization, including the 1936 Society planned giving program. The organization received grants including a Carbon County Historic Rehabilitation Grant for Fanshawe Lodge restoration.
4. Facility Rental: The field station rents cabins, facilities, and provides accommodations for researchers, artists (BAiR program), and community groups. Pricing varies by accommodation type.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

YBRA operates a historic non-profit field station on Mount Maurice above Red Lodge, Montana, providing lodging, classrooms, dining, and research infrastructure that universities, research institutes, teachers, and community groups use as a base for geology, paleontology, and earth science field courses, workshops, and research expeditions in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and Bighorn Basin. It supports credit-bearing field camps (2-6 credits) for 10+ universities annually and serves as a base camp for scientific research, K-12 teacher workshops, and citizen-science fossil digs.

Product overview

The Yellowstone Bighorn Research Association (YBRA) operates a historic field station as a single unified offering, providing accommodations, educational facilities, and research base services for geology and earth science programs. The organization serves as a base camp for field course operations for colleges and universities, hosting field camps, workshops, and scientific research expeditions. The facility includes cabin accommodations, classroom buildings, dining facilities, and event spaces. YBRA does not operate as a technology product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Elevation Science Institute: Founded by Jason Schein in 2017, the Elevation Science Institute (formerly Bighorn Basin Paleontological Institute) conducts paleontological field research in the Bighorn Basin using YBRA as its camp base. It hosts educational programs for college students and citizen scientists.
• YBRA Open House
• Beartooth Artist-in-Residence Program (BAiR)

Products and services

• YBRA Field Station Hosting (University Field Courses) Multi-week credit-bearing geology, paleontology, and earth science field courses hosted on-site for partner universities. Programs run 3-6 weeks during summer and award 2-6 academic credits. Partners include University of Houston (June 1-July 5, 2026; 3 or 6 credits), Southern Illinois University (June 14-July 26, 2026), Missouri State University (June 22-July 21, 2026; 2-6 credits), Penn State, Dartmouth, Eastern Washington University, University of Texas at San Antonio, and West Chester University. Target audience is undergraduate and graduate students in geology and earth sciences.
• Cabin and Accommodation Rentals Overnight stays in historic dorm and faculty-staff cabins at the YBRA field station. Cabins are named after notable geologists including Bowen, Hayden, Darton, Bucher, and others. The campus includes 17 dorms, 6 faculty-staff cabins, 5 staff cabins, 2 community washhouses, and the historic Fanshawe Lodge. Available to researchers, artists, and community guests.
• Research Base Camp Services Field research base camp providing lodging, meals, classrooms, and access to research sites for scientific investigators conducting field research in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and Bighorn Basin. Supports paleontological expeditions, structural geology studies, glacial mapping, and neotectonic research. Includes a permanent USGS GPS station collocated with seismic station RLMT and a live TempestWX weather station.
• YBRA Open House Annual community event featuring leaders in earth sciences who discuss current issues and advances in related industries. Typically held each August near the end of the field season for YBRA alumni, supporters, and the Red Lodge community.
• 2026 YBRA Membership Program Annual membership program providing access to the YBRA field station community, supporting the organization's operations and 90th anniversary activities.
• Geo-Paleo Tours Guided 2.5-hour Geo-Paleo Tours offered in partnership with Tippet Rise Art Center. Tours are guided by a YBRA geologist and Tippet Rise employees, exploring the landscape of the Art Center property. Tickets are $10 per person, coordinated through Tippet Rise.
• Beartooth Pass Tour Geology and ecology tour of the Beartooth Pass sponsored by the Carbon County Historical Society, requiring pre-registration and ticket purchase at $50 per person.
• Teacher's Workshop / Ecosystem Migration Academy Free professional development workshop for K-12 teachers and educators focusing on migration of ungulates, people, and waterfowl throughout Montana. Hosted at YBRA in partnership with Ripple: The Center for Education and Ecosystem Studies.
• Citizen Scientist Fossil Dig Expeditions Citizen-science paleontology expeditions and the ERTH 491 Field Paleontology course (July 4-18, 2026) operated by the Elevation Science Institute from YBRA since 2017. Targets amateur scientists, students, and the public interested in hands-on fossil excavation in the Bighorn Basin.
• YBRA Awards Programs Recognition programs honoring members for distinguished service and outstanding support of YBRA's mission. Includes the Russ Dutcher Award (established 2002) for exceptional service and the YBRA Uplift Award (established 2021) for outstanding support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7,000+ students educated since 1936
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and legacy.

• Tippet Rise Art CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 July 2026YBRA partners with Tippet Rise Art Center to offer Geo-Paleo Tours guided by a YBRA geologist and Tippet Rise employees. These 2.5-hour tours explore the majestic landscape of the Art Center property. Tours are coordinated through Tippet Rise with ticket sales at $10.
• Ripple: The Center for Education and Ecosystem StudiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRipple conducts Teacher's Workshop programs at YBRA, including the 2026 Ecosystem Migration Academy focusing on migration of ungulates, people, and waterfowl throughout Montana. YBRA provides facilities for this free professional development course.
• Elevation Science InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerElevation Science Institute (founded by YBRA board member Jason Schein) conducts Citizen Scientist Program (fossil dig expeditions) and ERTH 491 Field Paleontology course at YBRA. The organization has been conducting paleontological field research in the Bighorn Basin since 2017.
• Carbon County Historical Society & MuseumcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Historical Society sponsors community events at YBRA including the annual Fun Run for Charities, Camp Tour and Picnic, and the Beartooth Pass Tour. They also produce educational videos about regional geology and ecology.
• University of HoustoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Houston operates the geology field camp at YBRA (successor to the original Princeton-YBRA field course that started in 1936). The program runs June 1-July 5, 2026 for 3 or 6 credits and has been sending students to YBRA for over 18 years.
• Sibanye-StillwaterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSibanye-Stillwater (operator of Stillwater and East Boulder platinum group metal mines) donated a 2014 Ford F-150 truck to YBRA in 2024. Matt Knight, YBRA President, was formerly Training and Development Manager at Sibanye-Stillwater.
• Princeton UniversitylegacyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrinceton University Geology Department initiated the Red Lodge Project in 1930, which led to the founding of YBRA in 1936. Princeton faculty (Taylor Thom and Richard Field) selected the site, and Princeton Geological Association originally owned the land before transferring it to YBRA in 1942.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• University of Texas McDonald Observatory / Field Programs: Large university-affiliated research and education facility in Texas hosting public and academic programming in a remote setting — comparable only in scale and remote-site accommodation, but not a geology-focused peer.
• Biosphere 2 (University of Arizona): Large-scale university-affiliated research and education facility with residential and visitor programming; broader science focus but comparable as a destination research/education site.

Direct peers

• Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest: Long-term ecological research site in New Hampshire hosting university researchers and field-course participants with on-site lodging. Comparable academic field-station use case and revenue profile.
• University of Colorado Mountain Research Station (Niwot Ridge): University-operated high-altitude research station hosting academic field courses, lodging, and research logistics in Colorado — directly comparable function and facility profile.
• Indiana University Geological Field Station: University-run geology field camp in southwestern Montana; operates under a similar credit-bearing summer-course model serving multiple universities with comparable lodging and field-trip infrastructure. Most directly comparable U.S. geology field station.
• Colorado College Geology Field Station (Trout Creek): Colorado College's Rocky Mountain field station hosts summer geology field camps for multiple institutions in a mountain setting — directly comparable academic field-station model to YBRA.
• Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory: Independent, non-profit field research station in Gothic, Colorado that hosts university courses, researchers, and citizen-science programs in a mountain setting. Closest peer in operating model and revenue mix (courses, lodging, grants, donations).
• Kellogg Biological Station (Michigan State University): Long-established university research and teaching station offering field courses, lodging, and research basecamp services to academic users — comparable field-station structure to YBRA.
• Toolik Field Station (University of Alaska Fairbanks): Remote Arctic research station offering full-service lodging, dining, and lab facilities to university research groups and field courses; highly comparable remote field-station operating model.

Others

• Carbon County Historical Society & Museum: Local heritage/educational non-profit partnering with YBRA to deliver community programming (camp tours, Beartooth Pass Tour, video content). Adjacent ecosystem participant, not a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@YBRA1936
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ybra

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 YBRA.org