named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
A Bridge Too Far Field Trip
Field trip to SUNY ESF Newcomb Campus to examine flood damage, infrastructure repairs, and academic responses to flooding
Exploring Rivers and Resiliency
Guided walk along the Raquette River examining the relationship between rivers, wetlands, and climate resilience
Living Shorelines Workshop
Hands-on workshop where participants collect and identify macroinvertebrates to assess water quality and shoreline health at Greenleaf Pond
When Waters Rise Conference
Half-day conference featuring panel discussions, breakout sessions, and field trips focused on flood risk, community response, and resilience in the Adirondacks
activities · 8 groups
What they do
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Onsite & Outreach Environmental Education Programs 2 activities
- Deliver educational programs and workshops for students and visiting groupsProvides curriculum-based, 30–45 minute in-person and virtual field trip programs featuring live animal ambassadors and hands-on science learning; offers private educational sessions for visiting groups and operates the Junior Naturalist Program where students complete nature-based activities to earn recognition patches.
- Operate community and seasonal initiatives in the AdirondacksManages the Community Maple Project each spring, involving maple sugaring operations including sap handling, fire management, syrup bottling, and equipment cleaning; leads outdoor educational activities such as insect catching, naturalist walks, and play-based learning on campus grounds.
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Wildlife Monitoring and Field Research 1 activity
- Conduct climate and environmental researchFunds and conducts primary scientific research on regional climate impacts, moose populations, and loon ecology in the Adirondacks, supporting data collection, interpretation, and integration into exhibits and educational narratives.
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Community Festival & Event Production 1 activity
- Host public engagement events and seasonal programmingOrganizes recurring public events such as Troll Tuesdays during summer months featuring crafts, secret message decoding for troll tokens, and environmental stewardship themes; hosts special events like the photography contest for Adirondack environmental images and virtual "Wonderful Distractions" programming for hospitalized children in partnership with the Ahmad Butler Foundation.
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Nature Preserve Management and Public Access 1 activity
- Operate indoor and outdoor exhibit spaces for public explorationManages 54,000 square feet of indoor exhibit space featuring animal encounters, live shows, educational films, aquariums with native New York fish, and river otters, alongside 115 acres of outdoor trails, natural areas, and attractions including the Wild Walk, Pines Play Area, and Fen Trail with interactive wetland exhibits.
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Documentary Film Production 1 activity
- Produce cultural and science storytelling contentCreates and publishes storytelling videos such as "Ways of Knowing: Haudenosaunee Stories and Culture" featuring Indigenous knowledge keepers and experts, and delivers science narratives through exhibits like Planet Adirondack and Science on a Sphere presentations.
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Museum Volunteer Engagement & Operations Support 1 activity
- Provide visitor services, facility maintenance, and retail operationsOffers front-line visitor support at the Information Desk, manages café and retail store operations including customer service and stocking, and performs facility upkeep such as trail and exhibit cleaning, garden maintenance, invasive species removal, and infrastructure construction.
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Youth Leadership Development Programs 1 activity
- Support youth climate leadership and capacity buildingRuns the Adirondack Youth Climate Summit and year-round Youth Climate Program for high school and college students, and supports replication of this model in other U.S. and international locations to build youth capacity for climate action.
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Uncategorized 1 activity
- Host regional conferences and resilience education programsConvenes the "When Waters Rise" conference on flood resilience in the Adirondacks in collaboration with regional partners, including flooding-themed educational programs and optional field trips to affected sites.
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financials · form 990 · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$8.03M
Contributions & grants$5.91M74%
Program service revenue$1.31M16%
Investment income$356K4%
Other revenue$451K
expenses
Total expenses$7.27M
Program expenses68%
Admin / overhead20%
Fundraising12%
Salaries & benefits$3.73M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$36.40M
Cash$2.50M
Investments$12.46M
Liabilities$518K
Net assets$35.88M
Liquid reserves24.7 mo
6 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue +14.5%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
paid leadership · 5
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEPHANIE RATCLIFFE | EXECUTIVE DI | 40 | $245K |
| HILLARIE LOGAN-DECHENE | DEPUTY DIREC | 40 | $174K |
| ROBERT KRONENBERGER | DIRECTOR OF | 40 | $143K |
| JENNIFER KRETSER | EMPLOYEE | 40 | $110K |
| PHILLIP WAGSCHAL | EMPLOYEE | 40 | $105K |
board members · 20
- ALLISON BIRDSONG — TRUSTEE
- BEN IRELAND — TREASURER
- BROOKS REYNOLDS — TRUSTEE
- CHARLES S FRENETTE — TRUSTEE
- CHARLES SVENSON — TRUSTEE
- DAVID FADDEN — TRUSTEE
- ED FORBES — TRUSTEE
- ELIZABETH LOWE — TRUSTEE
- GEORGE CIGALE — TRUSTEE
- JACK RYDER — TRUSTEE
- JOEL TREISMAN — TRUSTEE
- JOSEPH G BECK — TRUSTEE
- JUAN RODRIGUEZ — TRUSTEE
- KAREN THOMAS — CHAIR
- LARRY CLIFFORD — TRUSTEE
- LINDA ROSENSTOCK — VICE CHAIR
- LYNN FOX — TRUSTEE
- MEADOW HACKETT RUTENBAR — TRUSTEE
- MICHAEL A BETTMANN — TRUSTEE
- NANCY HOWARD — TRUSTEE
relationships · 27
Who they work with
- Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation Partner — Collaborates as a special guest at Troll Tuesdays events to support environmental programming.
- Adirondack Climate Outreach and Resilience Network (ACORN) Partner — Collaborates with The Wild Center to present the "When Waters Rise" conference on flood resilience.
- Adirondack Council Partner — Co-presents the "When Waters Rise" conference and moderates a panel on community flooding resilience.
- Adirondack Experience Partner — Participates as a regional partner in the "When Waters Rise" conference, contributing an arts panel on climate and water.
- Adirondack Watershed Institute Partner — Leads hands-on workshops on macroinvertebrates and shoreline health assessments during the conference.
- Ahmad Butler Foundation Partner — Collaborates to deliver virtual "Wonderful Distractions" programming for hospitalized children.
- Ausable Freshwater Center Partner — Co-leads a breakout session on geomorphology and flood risk modeling with The Wild Center.
- BOCES Government — Approved provider for BOCES Co-Ser program, enabling school districts to access funding assistance for programs.
- Bovis Lend Lease Partner — Served as construction manager for the museum building project.
- Buffalo Bill Historical Society Network — Provided support for the museum project during development.
- Cambria Hotel Lake Placid Partner — Featured lodging partner offering accommodations for visitors to The Wild Center.
- Central Park Conservancy Network — Provided support for the museum project during development.
- Haudenosaunee - Mohawk people Partner — Recognizes the ancestral lands and original territory of the Haudenosaunee-Mohawk people and affirms the value of their traditional ecological knowledge.
- Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum Partner — Selected as lead architectural firm to develop the Master Plan for the museum, including building design and exhibit concepts.
- Hotel Saranac Partner — Featured lodging partner offering special rates to Wild Center visitors.
- Missouri Botanical Garden Network — Provided support for the museum project during development.
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Partner — Collaborated on the development and installation of Planet Adirondack, a Science on a Sphere exhibit.
- Paul Smith's College Partner — Contributes staff from the Adirondack Watershed Institute to lead field activities and workshops on aquatic ecosystems and flood resilience.
- SUNY ESF Partner — Hosts an offsite field trip at its Newcomb Campus to showcase flood damage, infrastructure repairs, and academic integration of flood response.
- Six Nations Iroquois Cultural Center Partner — Features artists and storytellers from the center in the "Ways of Knowing" video series.
- Talking Wings Partner — Participates as a special guest at Troll Tuesdays events.
- The Forest Business Partnership Program Partner — Collaboration with businesses committed to sustainable and vibrant communities.
- The Nature Conservancy Partner — Participates in the conference with a breakout session on resilient culvert design and flood risk reduction.
- The Wild Center Network — NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF THE ADIRONDACKS operates as The Wild Center
- Thomas Dambo Partner — Collaborates on the traveling exhibit TROLLS: Save the Humans.
- Tupper Lake Motel Partner — Featured lodging partner offering discounted rates to Wild Center visitors.
- voco Saranac Lake Partner — Featured lodging partner offering special rates to Wild Center visitors.
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Community-Engaged Education and Volunteeringmethodology: community-engaged-educationBy involving communities through participatory education, volunteer roles, and local partnerships, the museum deepens public investment in environmental stewardship, because personal involvement fosters ownership, connection, and sustained engagement.
- Experiential Engagement for Environmental Stewardshipmethodology: experiential-educationBy designing hands-on, immersive, and emotionally resonant experiences in nature, the museum fosters lasting connections that inspire individuals to take action for environmental stewardship, because emotional and sensory engagement drives behavioral change.
- Indigenous Knowledge as Foundational Frameworkmethodology: indigenous-knowledge-integrationBy integrating Indigenous knowledge—particularly from the Haudenosaunee-Mohawk people—as a core guide, the museum advances human-nature coexistence, because traditional ecological knowledge provides time-tested, culturally grounded models for sustainable relationships with the natural world.
- Living and Immersive Exhibits to Bridge Museum and Naturemethodology: immersive-exhibitsBy using living exhibits, indoor-outdoor integration, and elevated immersive trails, the museum dissolves boundaries between institution and ecosystem to create direct, multisensory engagement with nature, because physical and perceptual immersion strengthens ecological understanding and connection.
- Nature-Based Solutions as Regional Demonstration Modelmethodology: nature-based-solutionsBy applying science-informed, nature-based solutions in the Adirondacks as a living laboratory, the museum demonstrates that human economies and natural systems can coexist and thrive, because real-world, localized models make abstract ecological principles tangible and replicable.