Our mission
To inspire stewardship of San Diego's native biodiversity through environmental education and conservation.
What is biodiversity?
Biodiversity refers to the immense variety of life on the planet. A biodiversity hotspot is a region that contains at least 1,500 endemic plants - plants that exist nowhere else on the planet, and one that has lost at least 70% of its original habitat.
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San Diego is known as a biodiversity hotspot, containing greater diversity of life than any other county in the continental United States, and home to the greatest number of plant and animal species threatened with extinction anywhere in the country.
Why is biodiversity important?
The variety of life on the planet sustains humanity in a myriad of ways, including:
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Provisioning of food, fresh water, fuelwood, fiber, and biochemicals used for medicine
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Water and air purification
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Climate regulation
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Pollination
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Disease regulation
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Pollination​
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Disease regulation
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Erosion Control
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Regulation of water flow
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Regulation of extreme weather events
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Soil formation & retention
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Cycling of elements critical to live (ie: nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus)
When we understand our interconnectedness with and dependence on the natural world, it is easy to understand how the current extinction crisis puts us all in peril.
Our Impact
40,000+
Children received science-based, hands-on environmental education.
20,000+
Plants planted to restore native habitats on conserved lands.
15,000+
Volunteer hours of conservation stewardship activities.