Nature Explore Competitors

Air, water, food, shelter, income: nature sustains every aspect of our lives. That's why protecting and conserving nature isn't just a matter of common sense. It's the smartest investment we can make. Since our founding in 1951, The Nature Conservancy has harnessed the power of nature to help solve our planet’s most challenging problems. And while the stakes are high, so is our resolve: to create a world where everyone thrives alongside nature for generations to come. We do this by working hand in hand with communities around the world. By committing to a science-based, non-partisan approach that’s stood the test of time. And by bringing people together, from all walks of life, to find common ground in nature.

Environmental science in nature’s classroom NatureBridge provides hands-on environmental science programs for young people. Our multi-day programs take place outdoors in the magnificence of nature’s classroom, where students are immersed in the wonder and science of our national parks in Yosemite, Golden Gate, Olympic and Prince William Forest. Founded as Yosemite Institute in 1971, today NatureBridge welcomes more than 700 schools and 30,000 students and teachers annually to our four campuses. After more than 50 years of teaching and inspiring students, NatureBridge has provided life-changing experiences for more than one million participants and is a national leader in the field of environmental education. Providing access for all students NatureBridge environmental science programs are inclusive. We work intentionally to bring students from underserved communities to our programs and to offer culturally relevant and transformative experiences in our national parks. Almost 50% of our participating schools receive scholarship support and more than 30% of our students are from underrepresented communities. The NatureBridge business model is fueled by a powerful combination of earned and contributed revenue. More than 70% of our revenue comes from the tuition associated with our environmental science programs and the remaining 30% comes from donations. As a 501(c)(3) we rely on generous donations to advance our mission, to provide scholarships, and to support new curricula development and program extensions into classrooms. Making an impact Our staff of environmental science educators is at the core of our organization. Working with small groups of elementary, middle, and high school students, our educators bring science to life in national parks through engaging environmental science lessons paired with walks, hikes, scrambles, explorations and overnight backcountry expeditions to the best spots in each park.

The Wild Center is located in the heart of the Adirondacks in upstate New York. The Adirondacks are unique in the world. Surrounded by people, they house great expanses of nature interspersed with small towns and communities. They can be an example for a future where man and the rest of the natural world thrive in the same place. This Center, dedicated to understanding this rare place, is committed to helping people explore not a small collection, but one that lives and breathes across the entire expanse of the natural world. The Wild Center is science-based, and its experiences, exhibits and programs are designed to open new ways to look into the latest discoveries made by natural scientists. There may be no more important issue facing humankind than discovering better ways to thrive with the rest of the natural world, and there may be no better place to understand that effort than in the Adirondacks. The Center is the place to see and appreciate the natural side of that vital story.