Friends of Ballona Wetlands

What Friends of Ballona Wetlands does

Friends of Ballona Wetlands (FBW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation founded in 1978 by Ruth Lansford, headquartered in Playa del Rey, Los Angeles. Its mission is the restoration and protection of Los Angeles' last coastal wetland — a 577-acre ecological reserve — combined with environmental education and community stewardship programs. The organization operates on-site at the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve (Saltwater Marsh), the Ballona Freshwater Marsh, and Ballona Discovery Park in Playa Vista.

FBW delivers a portfolio of programs including the Explore Ballona! Environmental Education Program (pre-K through 8th-grade field trips aligned to NGSS standards and a summer Nature Camp), Community Habitat Restoration volunteer events, the Grow Native! gardening club, docent-led guided tours (birding, Salt Marsh, Freshwater Marsh), and conservation initiatives such as the Tree Swallow Nest Box Program. Digital extensions include a virtual interactive tour (English/Spanish) and Ballona @ Home remote learning content. Operational technology centers on environmental restoration science — invasive species removal, native plant propagation, wildlife and habitat monitoring — rather than proprietary software.

The revenue model blends individual donations and monthly sustaining memberships, foundation and government grants (e.g., California Coastal Commission Whale Tail Grant, UCLA Philanthropy as Civic Engagement $40K award), event fundraising (Moonlight on the Marsh gala), and corporate volunteer/sponsorship partnerships (e.g., SoCalGas, PwC). Programs are largely free or donation-based (suggested $5/person), with grant funding covering transportation for underserved schools. The organization is governed by a 20+ member Board of Directors, runs a ~10–15 person staff, and works in coalition with Heal the Bay, Surfrider Foundation, Los Angeles Waterkeeper, Trust for Public Land, LMU, and the California Department of Fish & Wildlife on the Wetlands Restoration Principles Coalition and Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project.

Name

Friends of Ballona Wetlands

Legal name

Friends of Ballona Wetlands

Website

https://ballonafriends.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Friends of Ballona Wetlands is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1978 that restores and protects LA's last coastal wetland through habitat restoration, K-12 environmental education (Explore Ballona!), community volunteer events, and coalition advocacy with Heal the Bay, Surfrider, and CDFW.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wetland Conservation and Environmental Education

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wetlands, Rivers & Freshwater Nature Tours (THAJAIAH), River & Wetland Ecotours (Canoe/Kayak, Mangrove/Swamp Tours) (THAAAEAE), Native, Pollinator & Drought-Tolerant Garden Installations (HSAIAFAL)

Keywords

• Wetland habitat restoration
• Environmental education programs
• Community conservation services
• Native species preservation
• Volunteer ecological stewardship

Headquarters

HQ city

Playa Del Rey

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations and Memberships: The organization receives donations from individual supporters, including monthly sustaining members. Donations fund restoration activities, educational programs, and operational expenses.
2. Foundation and Government Grants: FBW receives grants from foundations (California Coastal Commission Whale Tail Grant, UCLA Philanthropy as Civic Engagement, Pardee Properties 20/20 Giving Program) and government agencies to fund specific programs.
3. Event Revenue: Special events such as Moonlight on the Marsh generate fundraising revenue. Suggested donations of $5 per person are requested for tours and restoration events.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate groups sponsor and participate in restoration events, sometimes providing financial support or in-kind donations (parking, food, supplies).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Friends of Ballona Wetlands restores and protects Los Angeles' last coastal wetland, the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve (577 acres), and delivers hands-on environmental education programs and community engagement opportunities. Its core deliverables include habitat restoration workdays (invasive species removal, native plant installation), NGSS-aligned school field trips (Explore Ballona!), a summer Nature Camp for children, docent-led wetland and birding tours, the Grow Native! gardening club, and the Tree Swallow nest box conservation program, supported by digital resources such as a multilingual Virtual Interactive Tour and Ballona @ Home online content.

Product overview

Friends of Ballona Wetlands is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1978 that operates environmental education and habitat restoration programs at Los Angeles' last coastal wetland. The organization offers a portfolio of programs centered on its core mission of restoration, protection, and education. Primary offerings include the Explore Ballona!® Environmental Education Program (field trips and nature camp), Community Habitat Restoration Events, Grow Native! Gardening Club, Ballona Discovery Park visitor center, and various guided tour programs. The organization also provides digital offerings including a Virtual Interactive Tour and Ballona @ Home online resources. All programs are designed to educate diverse communities about coastal wetland ecology while actively restoring habitat for native species.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Explore Ballona!: Environmental education program that includes school field trips for pre-kindergarten through 8th grade and the Explore Ballona! Nature Camp.
• Grow Native!
• Moonlight on the Marsh

Products and services

• Explore Ballona! Environmental Education Program School field trip program for pre-K through 8th grade students at the Ballona Wetlands and Ballona Discovery Park, aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and led by certified interpretive guides covering wetland ecology, native wildlife, and habitat conservation. Transportation for underserved schools is grant-funded.
• Explore Ballona! Nature Camp Summer nature camp providing children with hands-on outdoor experiences learning about urban ecology and wetland environments at Ballona Wetlands.
• Community Habitat Restoration Events Volunteer events where community members participate in removing invasive plant species and planting native vegetation to restore coastal wetland habitats, including Friday Habitat Restoration and Saturday Community Habitat Restoration programs.
• Grow Native! Gardening Club Volunteer gardening club focused on beautifying Ballona Discovery Park by clearing invasive vegetation and planting native species; activities recommended for ages 7 and up.
• Ballona Discovery Park Open-air educational and cultural Ballona Watershed learning center featuring native plant gardens at 13110 Bluff Creek Drive in Playa Vista, developed in partnership with Loyola Marymount University.
• Guided Tours Program Docent-led tours including Salt Marsh & Dunes Tours, Freshwater Marsh Tours, Beginner Birding Tours, and Birding with Bob sessions, offering educational experiences across various wetland habitats.
• Virtual Interactive Tour Online virtual tour of the Saltwater Marsh providing audio narration in English and Spanish, with images, videos, and 360-degree views for those unable to visit in person.
• Tree Swallow Nest Box Program Conservation program installing, maintaining, and monitoring artificial nest boxes for Tree Swallows at the Ballona Freshwater Marsh and Riparian Corridor to compensate for lack of natural tree cavities in the urban environment.
• Ballona @ Home Online Education Resources Remote educational content and at-home activities about wetlands, native plants, and wildlife launched during the pandemic to continue connecting the community to Ballona Wetlands when in-person visits were restricted.

Quantifiable outcome

• 250+ bird species observed at Freshwater Marsh since 2003, with some nesting for first time in 70+ years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and minor.

• Ballona Wetlands ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose operational partner in restoration advocacy and trail rehabilitation. Both organizations work together on wetland protection and restoration efforts. FBW staff member Catherine Tyrrell serves as President of Ballona Wetlands Conservancy.
• Heal the BaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in Wetlands Restoration Principles Coalition. Collaborated on EIR comment letters and restoration advocacy. Long-standing environmental organization partnership.
• Surfrider FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in Wetlands Restoration Principles Coalition. Worked together on EIR comments and restoration support.
• Los Angeles WaterkeepercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in Wetlands Restoration Principles Coalition. Collaborated on restoration advocacy.
• Trust for Public LandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in Wetlands Restoration Principles Coalition. Worked together on restoration project support.
• Loyola Marymount University (LMU)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Center for Undergraduate Teacher Preparation for Project WET educator training workshops. LMU's Dr. James Landry serves as Board Delegate for FBW. Service organization Espérer from LMU volunteers at wetlands.
• California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDFW is the lead agency for planning, implementation, and management of the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve restoration. FBW advocates for science-based restoration and is the primary community partner.
• Playa Vista / Playa Vista InstitutesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfter decades of litigation, FBW and Playa Vista reached settlement creating $18 million mitigation plan for freshwater marsh and riparian corridor. Current collaboration includes documentary about wetlands history and Ballona Discovery Park.
• SoCalGasminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate volunteer group that participated in Earth Day 2023 habitat restoration event, providing employee volunteers for invasive plant removal.
• PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate volunteer group that participated in Earth Day 2023 habitat restoration, providing employee volunteers for invasive plant removal.
• Wetlands Restoration Principles CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFBW is a founding member of this coalition, which developed 9 Restoration Principles. Steering Committee includes FBW, Heal the Bay, Surfrider Foundation, Los Angeles Waterkeeper, and Trust for Public Land. Coalition crafts joint advocacy letters and coordinates restoration support efforts.
• Ballona Discovery Park PartnerssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership between FBW, LMU, and Playa Vista creating educational park space. Catherine Tyrrell served as founding president through 2019.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Nature Conservancy (California): Large-scale national conservation organization operating across California on land protection, restoration, and science — comparable mission but with much broader portfolio, geographies, and budget than FBW.
• Restore America's Estuaries: National coalition of estuary-focused nonprofits where FBW's communications manager previously worked. Operates with overlapping restoration, education, and advocacy mission at multi-site scale rather than single-site.
• Sierra Club (Los Angeles / Angeles Chapter): Established environmental nonprofit with active LA chapter running outings, conservation advocacy, and volunteer programs. Comparable volunteer-driven community model and regional conservation focus, but at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Heal the Bay: Los Angeles-based environmental nonprofit focused on coastal and watershed protection. Directly comparable as a regional conservation nonprofit running education, volunteer cleanup, and advocacy programs — and an active FBW coalition partner.
• Surfrider Foundation: Coastal environmental nonprofit with strong SoCal chapter activity, beach cleanups, and water-quality advocacy. Operates the same volunteer/education/advocacy model as FBW and is a Wetlands Restoration Principles Coalition partner.
• Trust for Public Land: National land conservation nonprofit working to protect urban and natural landscapes, including active involvement in California coastal wetlands. Comparable in land-protection advocacy and a coalition partner of FBW.
• Audubon Society (Los Angeles chapter): Wildlife-focused nonprofit running birding tours, habitat restoration, and education in the LA region. Strong functional overlap with FBW's birding tours and bird-species outcomes (300+ species observed).
• Los Angeles Waterkeeper: LA-based water-focused nonprofit combining legal advocacy, cleanups, and education. Closely comparable mission around protecting LA waterways and coalition partner with FBW on Ballona restoration.
• Ballona Wetlands Conservancy: Closely allied organization dedicated specifically to Ballona Wetlands restoration and trail rehabilitation. Operates in the same site and on overlapping programs, sharing board and staff ties with FBW.

Regional players

• California State Parks Foundation: California-focused nonprofit supporting state parks through advocacy, education, and volunteer programs. Comparable education/advocacy nonprofit serving California natural areas, though with focus on state parks rather than coastal wetlands specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ballonafriends
• Facebookfacebook.com/BallonaFriends
• Instagraminstagram.com/ballonafriends
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friends-of-ballona-wetlands

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Friends of Ballona Wetlands