discover life in america

What discover life in america does

Discover Life in America (DLiA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1998 and headquartered in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, that serves as the designated nonprofit science partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The organization leads the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI), a long-running effort to document every species living in the park, and since its founding has added more than 12,000 species to park records, including 1,095 species new to science. As of available data, the park is documented to host 22,000+ species overall.

DLiA's core technical work combines DNA barcoding (genetic sequencing for species identification, conducted via partners including Mycota Lab and the DNA Learning Center at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) with community-science data collection on the iNaturalist platform. These capabilities support multiple programs: MycoBlitz (fungi-focused community surveys, with ~4,000 of an estimated 17,000+ fungi species cataloged to date), the iScience education program, Nature Neighbors (a public outreach partnership with NRCS), Smokies Most Wanted, BioBlitz events, and the Discover Life in America Podcast. DLiA maintains a small staff (11–50 employees) and operates a dense partner network spanning the National Park Service, TVA, TCWP, the University of Tennessee, NRCS, and corporate sponsors.

DLiA's business model is donation- and event-driven. Revenue streams comprise individual donations, corporate sponsorships, private foundation funding, planned giving through the Legacy for Discovery program, and premium fundraising events such as Fireflies at Norton Creek, a ticketed private-property firefly viewing experience priced at $325 per person. Public engagement channels (BioBlitzes, Conservation on Tap, iScience) are largely free to attend. As of August 2026, DLiA is undergoing an executive leadership transition, with longtime Executive Director Todd Witcher stepping down and the organization conducting a public search for a successor alongside a published Strategic Plan 2026–2028.

Name

discover life in america

Legal name

Discover Life in America

Website

https://dlia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Discover Life in America is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that serves as the designated science partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, leading the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory through DNA barcoding, community science, and education programs supported by donations, sponsorships, and fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biodiversity Research and Conservation Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Biodiversity Baseline Studies & Long-Term Monitoring Programs (EUAHAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Interpretation & Ranger-Led Education Programs (Visitor Education) (THAAAOAJ), Natural History Museums (THAJADAC)

Keywords

• Biodiversity research
• Community science
• Citizen science programs
• Conservation education
• Species documentation

Headquarters

HQ city

Gatlinburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Individual Giving: Individual donations from supporters who contribute to biodiversity conservation mission
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support the organization through financial contributions
3. Premium Fundraising Events: Ticketed events such as Fireflies at Norton Creek generate significant fundraising revenue
4. Legacy for Discovery: Legacy giving and planned giving programs for long-term donor relationships

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Discover Life in America (DLiA) is the nonprofit science partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park leading the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) since 1998 to document every species in the park. The organization delivers DNA barcoding research, community science events (BioBlitzes, MycoBlitzes), biodiversity education programs, and conservation outreach. It sustains operations through individual donations, corporate sponsorships, foundation grants, and premium fundraising events.

Product overview

Discover Life in America (DLiA) operates as a nonprofit science partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The organization's primary offering is the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI), a comprehensive scientific framework to document all species in the park. Supporting this core program are community science initiatives including MycoBlitz for fungi documentation, iScience education programming, Nature Neighbors conservation outreach, Smokies Most Wanted species prioritization, the Discover Life in America Podcast, and signature events like BioBlitz community surveys and the Fireflies at Norton Creek fundraising experience. These programs collectively advance the organization's mission of biodiversity discovery, conservation, and public education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI): A comprehensive research initiative to catalog and document every species living in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
• Nature Neighbors
• iScience
• MycoBlitz
• Fireflies at Norton Creek
• Smokies Most Wanted

Products and services

• All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI)
• MycoBlitz
• iScience Education Program
• Nature Neighbors
• Smokies Most Wanted
• Discover Life in America Podcast
• Fireflies at Norton Creek
• BioBlitz Community Science Events

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,095 new-to-science species discovered since 1998
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Integration3 records

AI capability4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2026TVA partners with DLiA on BioBlitz events at locations like Worthington Cemetery Trail and Muscle Shoals Rockpile Trail. TVA provides access to public lands for biodiversity surveys, and DLiA conducts scientific species documentation at these sites.
• Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning (TCWP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 September 2026TCWP partners with DLiA and TVA for BioBlitz events at Oak Ridge Barrens and Worthington Cemetery Trail. TCWP maintains the Oak Ridge Cedar Barrens to preserve unique plant communities.
• Great Smoky Mountains National ParkflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerDLiA is the official nonprofit partner of GSMNP, leading the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) to document every species in the park since 1998. This is the organization's flagship partnership.
• Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRCS partners with DLiA on the Nature Neighbors program, raising awareness of biodiversity importance in East Tennessee through public education focused on increasing local species diversity.
• Mycota LabcoreTechnology or IntegrationMycota Lab is a nonprofit laboratory in Plymouth, Michigan that provides DNA sequencing for DLiA's MycoBlitz fungi specimens. They seek to build a comprehensive biodiversity survey of all macro fungi in North America.
• DNA Learning Center at Cold Spring Harbor LaboratorycoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides DNA barcoding equipment and supplies to DLiA for species identification research, enabling DNA analysis of specimens collected in the Smokies.
• University of TennesseecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Tennessee professors and students collaborate with DLiA on research, including mycologist Brandon Matheny co-leading MycoBlitz events and graduate student Django Grootmyers sorting specimens.
• Legacy Parks FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLegacy Parks Foundation works on conservation projects in the region. Their Executive Director Carol Evans was featured speaker at DLiA's Conservation on Tap event.
• Dollywood Parks and ResortsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDollywood Parks and Resorts Culinary Team provides catering for DLiA's premium Fireflies at Norton Creek fundraising event.
• Hemlock House at Norton CreekminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPrivate property owners provide their Hemlock House venue for DLiA's exclusive Fireflies at Norton Creek events, supporting biodiversity fundraising.
• Smokies LifeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSmokies Life collaborates with DLiA on content, with volunteers from Smokies Life participating in MycoBlitz events and co-publishing articles in Smokies Life blog.
• Friends of the SmokiesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor supporting DLiA's work in discovering, understanding and conserving biodiversity in the Smokies.
• Firefly AerospaceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor of DLiA's biodiversity conservation work.
• Microbial InsightsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor supporting DLiA's mission.
• The SwagminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor of DLiA's biodiversity conservation work.
• KaTom Restaurant SuppliesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor supporting DLiA's work.
• C. Randall De Ford ArchitectureminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor supporting DLiA's mission.
• Buckhorn InnminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor of DLiA's biodiversity conservation work.
• Retirement Planning ServicesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor of DLiA.
• Citizens National BankminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate sponsor of DLiA's biodiversity work.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• iNaturalist: iNaturalist is the leading global community-science biodiversity platform; DLiA uses it for citizen science data collection and its MycoBlitz/BioBlitz programs operate in the same citizen-science-for-biodiversity category.
• NatureServe: NatureServe provides authoritative biodiversity data, conservation status assessments, and mapping for North American species; it is the closest direct peer in the biodiversity informatics and baseline-monitoring space.
• Friends of the Smokies: Fellow nonprofit partner of Great Smoky Mountains National Park supporting park programs through fundraising and volunteerism; directly comparable as a park-affiliated conservation nonprofit with overlapping donor base.
• Cornell Lab of Ornithology (eBird): Operates eBird and related citizen-science biodiversity platforms; comparable as a research institution running large-scale community-science species documentation programs that drive both science and public engagement.
• Earthwatch Institute: Engages volunteers in scientific field research expeditions focused on biodiversity and conservation; directly comparable as a nonprofit that combines citizen-science expeditions, education, and donor-funded research.

Broad incumbents

• National Audubon Society: Large national conservation nonprofit combining advocacy, citizen science (e.g., Christmas Bird Count), and habitat protection; overlaps with DLiA on community-science-driven biodiversity monitoring but at far larger scale.
• The Nature Conservancy: One of the world's largest environmental nonprofits operating across land conservation, science, and policy; comparable as a science-driven conservation organization but with a vastly broader geographic and programmatic mandate.

Regional players

• Appalachian Mountain Club: Regional conservation and outdoor recreation nonprofit focused on the Northeastern Appalachians; comparable in mission and member/event-driven model, but operates in a different regional geography.
• Appalachian Trail Conservancy: Nonprofit steward of the Appalachian Trail focused on conservation, trail maintenance, and volunteer engagement; comparable as a regional Appalachian conservation nonprofit with membership/events and educational programming.

Others

• Ecological Society of America: Professional scientific society supporting ecologists through journals, conferences, and policy engagement; comparable as an adjacent ecology/biodiversity ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/discover-life-in-america

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about discover life in america