The Ecostudies Institute is an environmental activist organization focused on avian conservation efforts within the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The organization is reportedly funded almost entirely by government grants. ^{1 2 3}

Background

The Ecostudies Institute was initially founded in 2001 to advocate on avian study and conservation efforts within the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It previously worked within the state of Florida as well, but following a merger with conservation programs from the Center for Natural Lands Management, the institute reorganized to focus entirely on environmental advocacy in the Pacific Northwest. ^{1 4}

Finances

For 2023 the Ecostudies Institute reported $4,412,173 in revenue, of which $4,407,508 derived from contributions and grants. It reported $4,046,227 in expenses, of which $2,279,402 was spent on salaries and compensation, $488,228 on field research, and $179,670 on repairs and maintenance. It ended the year with a net income of $365,946 and $1,109,124 in net assets. ³

Neary all the group’s funding in 2023 came from government grants, amounting to $4,404,092. ³

Activities

The Ecostudies Institute’s main mission is avian conservation within the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, and the group partners with local organizations to track certain bird species while developing strategies for maintaining and protecting their natural habitats. ⁵

The Institute manages the Willamette Valley Fire Collaboration, an environmental program aimed towards initiating “prescribed burns” within certain local ecosystems meant to facilitate environmental health. The program seeks to increase the number of women and “two-spirit” people involved in the fire industry and characterizes the program as connecting native people to “fire and cultural burning.” It reports that in the first two years of the program it has burned over 1,000 acres of land and trained 37 Native Americans in controlled burn practices. ²

Leadership

Gary Slater is the founder and executive director of the Ecostudies Institute. From 2014 to 2020, Slater was the avian conservation manager at the Center for Land Management. ^{6 4}

1. “About Us.” Ecostudies Institute. Accessed May 19, 2025. https://ecoinst.org/about-us/.
2. “Willamette Valley Fire Collaboration.” Ecostudies Institute. Accessed May 19, 2025. https://ecoinst.org/willamette-valley-fire-collaboration/.
3. Ecostudies Institute. Return from an organization exempt from taxation (990). 2023 Part I, IX.
4. Plank, Dennis. “Ecostudies Institute Broadens Its Conservation Capacity and Vision.” Prairie Appreciation Day, November 6, 2020. Accessed May 19, 2025. https://www.prairieappreciationday.org/2020/11/04/ecostudies-institute-broadens-its-conservation-capacity-and-vision/
5. “Avian Conservation.” Ecostudies Institute. Accessed May 19, 2025. https://ecoinst.org/conservation-programs/avian-conservation/.
6. “Our Staff.” Ecostudies Institute. Accessed May 19, 2025. https://ecoinst.org/about-us/our-staff/.