georgia native plant society

What georgia native plant society does

The Georgia Native Plant Society (GNPS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1994 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, dedicated to the conservation of native plants and their habitats through education, restoration, propagation, and advocacy. The organization operates through nine regional chapters spanning Georgia — from the North Georgia Mountains to the Coastal Plain — and runs two community-supported wholesale propagation sites: the Stone Mountain Propagation Project (established 2007) and the Boy Scout Road Nursery in Byron (transferred to GNPS in 2023). Core programs include the Plant Rescue Program (relocating native plants from development sites), Habitat Certification at Silver and Gold levels ($40 application fee), the GNPS Educational Pathway online course (launched 2025, 231 enrolled as of May 2026), the bimonthly NativeScape newsletter, the annual Plant of the Year program (since 2000), and Weed Wrangle invasive-removal events.

GNPS has no proprietary technology platform; its digital infrastructure consists of a website (gnps.org), a NeonCRM member portal, a Bonfire online store, and a Facebook page. Revenue is generated through individual memberships ($25-$2,500 across eight tiers), tax-deductible donations, Habitat Certification fees, wholesale plant sales to community organizations and schools, and an annual business membership tier called the GNPS Support Network. The organization employs a small core staff — currently Eden Landwermeyer (Membership & Communications Coordinator), Kelley Hanada (Community Supported Propagation Manager), and Kenny Grieshop (Boy Scout Road Nursery Site Manager) — with the Executive Director position being recruited as of June 2026 following the tenure of Nikki Belmonte, the first-ever ED hired in 2023.

Name

georgia native plant society

Legal name

Georgia Native Plant Society

Website

https://gnps.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Georgia Native Plant Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1994 that conserves Georgia's native plants and habitats through nine regional chapters, two wholesale propagation nurseries, plant rescues, habitat certification, and member education programs serving individual gardeners, schools, and community organizations statewide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Forest Nurseries and Gathering of Forest Products (113210), Nursery and Tree Production (111421), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Native Species & Restoration Plant Nurseries (AFAMADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Plant Replacement, Transplanting & Garden Refresh Services (HSAIAFAG), Native, Pollinator & Drought-Tolerant Garden Installations (HSAIAFAL), Invasive Species Control & Site Restoration (Pre/Post Planting) (AFAMACAN)

Keywords

• Native plant conservation
• Habitat restoration
• Plant propagation services
• Conservation education
• Community gardening programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees ranging from $25 (Student/Limited Income) to $2,500 (Live Oak Keystone circle), with Individual ($40), Dual ($70) tiers. Members receive access to plant rescues, habitat certification, NativeScape newsletter, priority event registration, and the Educational Pathway.
2. Donations: GNPS accepts donations to support educational efforts, strategic plan initiatives, and organizational growth. Donations are tax-deductible as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
3. Plant Sales: GNPS grows and sells native plants through Community-Supported Propagation sites (Stone Mountain Propagation Project, Boy Scout Road Nursery) at wholesale pricing to community organizations, schools, and public entities for conservation projects.
4. Habitat Certification Fees: A $40 application fee is charged for the Habitat Certification program (Silver and Gold levels). Only GNPS members can apply for certification.
5. Support Network / Business Membership: The GNPS Support Network is an annual program for businesses and organizations to support the mission, functioning as a business membership tier.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Georgia Native Plant Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservation organization that promotes stewardship of Georgia's native plants and their habitats through education, plant rescue, community-supported propagation, habitat certification, habitat restoration, and advocacy. It operates nine regional chapters across Georgia and two native plant propagation nurseries, delivering programs to members, community organizations, schools, and public entities.

Product overview

Georgia Native Plant Society operates as a membership-based nonprofit offering a portfolio of interconnected conservation and education programs rather than a unified software product. Core offerings include the Plant Rescue Program (relocating plants from development sites), Community-Supported Propagation (operating Stone Mountain Propagation Project and Boy Scout Road Nursery for native plant cultivation), Habitat Certification (Silver/Gold levels), and Habitat Restoration support. Educational programs include the GNPS Educational Pathway (online curated learning), NativeScape Newsletter (bimonthly member publication), and Plant of the Year Program. The society coordinates nine regional chapters across Georgia, organizes plant swaps and the Weed Wrangle invasive removal initiative, and hosts an annual symposium. Membership tiers provide access to programs, events, plant rescues, habitat certification eligibility, and the member-exclusive newsletter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NativeScape: The official bimonthly newsletter of the Georgia Native Plant Society, providing updates on current events and content from botanists, landscapers, horticulturists, naturalists, and gardeners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 volunteers contribute ~1,500 hours/year at Stone Mountain Propagation Project; >50 volunteers contribute >1,000 hours/year at Boy Scout Road Nursery.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Atlanta Botanical GardenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partnership resource on the GNPS website under the Resources > Partnerships section. Atlanta Botanical Garden and GNPS collaborate on native plant education and conservation initiatives.
• Birds GeorgiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partnership resource on the GNPS website. Birds Georgia (Georgia Audubon) and GNPS share mutual conservation goals related to habitat for birds and pollinators.
• State Botanical Garden of GeorgiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partnership resource. The State Botanical Garden of Georgia and GNPS collaborate on native plant conservation and educational programming.
• Stone Mountain Memorial AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGNPS operates the Stone Mountain Propagation Project within Stone Mountain Park under an agreement with the Stone Mountain Memorial Association. The association provides facilities for workshops and propagation activities.
• Juniper Creek NativesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJuniper Creek Natives partnered with the Fringed Campion Chapter of GNPS to establish the Boy Scout Road Nursery in 2023. The owner initially established BSRN with GNPS's Fringed Campion Chapter before operations transferred to GNPS.
• Flat Creek NativesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlat Creek Natives in Perry partnered with the Fringed Campion Chapter to host workshops on topics such as propagation, irrigation, and saving seeds.
• Monarch Joint VentureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGNPS collaborated with Monarch Joint Venture to provide volunteer training focused on monitoring monarch butterflies and their habitat using the Integrated Monarch Monitoring Program (IMMP).

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• California Native Plant Society: Statewide native plant society with chapter network, plant sales, habitat programs, and policy advocacy. Operates the same model as GNPS at a substantially larger scale, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Native Plant Society of Texas: Statewide native plant society with regional chapters, native plant sales, educational programming, and conservation advocacy. Closely mirrors GNPS's chapter-based community model in a different state.
• Florida Native Plant Society: Statewide native plant society offering chapters, plant sales, certification-style habitat programs, and educational events. Highly comparable operating model to GNPS in the Southeast.
• North Carolina Native Plant Society: Statewide native plant society with regional chapters and conservation programs across the Carolinas. Direct functional peer to GNPS in a neighboring state.
• Tennessee Native Plant Society: Regional native plant society with chapters, plant sales, and educational programming. Comparable chapter-based nonprofit operating in a neighboring Southeast state.

Broad incumbents

• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: National-scale native plant conservation and education institution with extensive demonstration gardens, native plant databases, and research programs. A broader incumbent in the same mission space.
• Pollinator Partnership: International nonprofit dedicated to pollinator health and habitat conservation. Shares the conservation-education mission with GNPS and overlaps on native plant habitat work.
• Audubon Society: National conservation nonprofit with state-level chapters and bird habitat programs. GNPS already partners with its Georgia affiliate (Birds Georgia), making Audubon a structural peer at scale.
• Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation: National nonprofit focused on invertebrate habitat conservation, including native plant recommendations that support pollinators. Adjacent conservation organization with overlapping native plant education agenda.
• Center for Plant Conservation: National nonprofit coordinating rare plant conservation across botanical institutions. Mission-adjacent peer focused on conservation rather than the broader native plant community engagement that GNPS provides.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/161264557226411
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/georgia-native-plant-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries2 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 georgia native plant society