Phillips Wharf Environmental Center

Name

Phillips Wharf Environmental Center

Legal name

Phillips Wharf Environmental Center INC

Website

https://phillipswharf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Education Services

NAICS

Aquaculture (11251)

SIC

Fishing, Hunting And Trapping (900)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH), Marine Shellfish Farming (e.g., oysters, mussels, clams) (AFAEAAAB)

Keywords

• Environmental education
• Oyster restoration
• Chesapeake Bay stewardship
• Citizen science programs
• STEM marine education

Headquarters

HQ city

Easton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Private nonprofit supported by community donations through PayPal, MidShoreGives, Facebook, and mailed checks. Tax-deductible donations support staff, animals, and programming. Annual GivingTuesday campaigns with goals of $5,000.
2. Education Program Fees: Fees for Fishmobile programs, education program deposits and payments, and event tickets. Programs available for schools, organizations, and public events.
3. Government Grants: Partially funded by the State of Maryland through the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Participation in Marylanders Grow Oysters statewide program.
4. Volunteer Support: Volunteers support operations including Fishmobile work, animal care, and event staffing. Microsoft Bing rewards and iGive.com shopping donations also support operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Phillips Wharf Environmental Center operates a Fishmobile traveling aquarium that brings Chesapeake Bay animal encounters and STEM education to schools and events, delivers NGSS-aligned on-site education programs, and runs the Tilghman Islanders Grow Oysters (TIGO) community oyster restoration program along Harris Creek and Broad Creek. Additional offerings include oyster gardening workshops in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, an online shop for program bookings and merchandise, and seasonal educator staffing.

Product overview

Phillips Wharf Environmental Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that offers environmental education programs focused on the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. Its core offerings include the Fishmobile (a traveling aquarium), Education Programs (aligned with Next Generation Science Standards), and the Tilghman Islanders Grow Oysters restoration program. Additional offerings include Oyster Gardening workshops in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, an e-newsletter (Heron Herald), an online shop, and seasonal educator positions. The organization operates primarily in Maryland, bringing hands-on STEM education about marine ecosystems to schools, events, and the community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fishmobile Traveling Aquarium Program A traveling aquarium equipped with 13 live animal tanks and 2 interactive display tanks featuring Chesapeake Bay animals, available for school visits and events from April through November, combining STEM education with hands-on learning.
• Education Programs Pre-made and tailored environmental education programs aligned with Next Generation Science Standards, combining STEM education with hands-on Chesapeake Bay ecosystem experiences for schools, organizations, and public events.
• Tilghman Islanders Grow Oysters (TIGO) Restoration Program Community oyster restoration program where volunteers host juvenile oysters in cages from their docks for approximately 9 months, after which staff plant them on wild oyster reefs in the Harris Creek Sanctuary under the statewide Marylanders Grow Oysters initiative.
• Oyster Gardening Workshop Workshop offered in partnership with the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum teaching participants oyster gardening techniques and practices.
• Online Shop (Program Bookings, Event Tickets, Merchandise) Online store selling education program deposits, Fishmobile program bookings, event tickets such as the World Turtle Day Celebration, and merchandise including t-shirts and educational materials.

Quantifiable outcome

• 840,000+ juvenile oysters planted since 2011 in Harris Creek Sanctuary
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Marylanders Grow Oysters ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011Statewide oyster restoration initiative run by Oyster Recovery Partnership. Phillips Wharf joined in 2011 and operates the Tilghman Islanders Grow Oysters (TIGO) program, distributing spat on shell to volunteer growers along Harris Creek and Broad Creek.
• Oyster Recovery PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinates the statewide Marylanders Grow Oysters program. Provides juvenile oysters (spat on shell) to Phillips Wharf for distribution to volunteer oyster growers in the TIGO program.
• Chesapeake Bay Maritime MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Oyster Gardening workshops. Workshops are conducted at the museum and tickets are purchased through cbmm.org.
• Horn Point Oyster HatcherycoreOthersUniversity of Maryland facility that produces spat on shell for the Marylanders Grow Oysters program. Provides juvenile oysters to Phillips Wharf for the TIGO program.
• St. Michaels Farmers MarketminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partnership for outreach presence at Saturday markets to engage with public about programs including Tilghman Islanders Grow Oysters sign-ups.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Oyster Recovery Partnership: Coordinates the statewide Marylanders Grow Oysters program of which Phillips Wharf is a participating partner. Directly comparable as a Maryland-based oyster restoration nonprofit that recruits volunteer oyster growers and coordinates spat distribution and reef plantings.
• ShoreRivers: Eastern Shore Maryland watershed nonprofit focused on river and Bay protection through community science, restoration projects, and education. Comparable as a Talbot-area nonprofit engaging citizen volunteers in restoration and offering fee-based and free education programming.
• Chesapeake Bay Foundation: The largest Chesapeake Bay-focused conservation nonprofit, with K-12 environmental education programs (e.g., Chesapeake Classrooms, canoeing programs) and Bay restoration work. Highly comparable in mission, education delivery model, and donor base, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum: St. Michaels, MD museum that delivers oyster gardening workshops jointly with Phillips Wharf. Comparable as a Mid-Atlantic nonprofit offering hands-on environmental and maritime education with direct visitor programming and ticketed workshops.
• Living Classrooms Foundation: Mid-Atlantic nonprofit operating hands-on STEM and environmental education programs for K-12, including on-the-water and urban ecology experiences. Directly comparable in mission (environmental education for underserved youth), funding model (mix of fees, donations, and grants), and delivery format (mobile, experiential programs).

Others

• Chesapeake Bay Trust: Maryland-based nonprofit grant-maker funding Bay-restoration and environmental education projects across the watershed. Comparable as a Chesapeake-region ecosystem player, but functions as a funder (potentially a future grant source for Phillips Wharf) rather than as a direct program operator.

Broad incumbents

• Smithsonian Environmental Research Center: Edgewater, MD-based research and education institution running Chesapeake Bay ecosystem science and public outreach programs. Comparable in regional conservation education focus and use of citizen science, though anchored in research rather than volunteer oyster growing.
• Audubon Mid-Atlantic: Regional conservation nonprofit delivering bird- and habitat-focused environmental education across the Mid-Atlantic. Comparable in nonprofit environmental education model and reliance on volunteers and donors, though oriented toward bird/habitat rather than marine citizen science.
• National Aquarium: Baltimore-based major aquarium and conservation nonprofit delivering Chesapeake Bay education, conservation programming, and live-animal exhibits. Comparable in marine education and conservation mission but operates at incumbent scale with on-site rather than mobile programs.

Emerging players

• Anacostia Riverkeeper: Washington, DC-area watershed advocacy and restoration nonprofit. Comparable as a citizen-science-driven environmental nonprofit operating restoration and education programs in the Chesapeake watershed, though focused on advocacy and monitoring rather than oyster propagation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PhillipsWharfEnvironmentalCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phillips-wharf-environmental-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/phillipswharf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Phillips Wharf Environmental Center