As we count down to San Diego’s inaugural Climate Week, we had the honor of interviewing one of the region’s most inspiring environmental leaders. Serge Dedina is a lifelong San Diegan and co-founder and Executive Director of WILDCOAST, an organization dedicated to conserving coastal and marine ecosystems. As the Climate Champion sponsor of San Diego’s Climate Week, Serge and WILDCOAST are inspiring the community to protect the planet– starting right here in San Diego. Growing up in Imperial Beach, Serge Dedina learned to surf in 1977, riding waves from Coronado to Cardiff. The Tijuana River Estuary was a cherished part of his childhood and shaped his love for San Diego’s coast— But through the years, he has witnessed its destruction. “There’s about 45 million gallons of sewage discharged on the beach about four and a half miles south of the border that washes north and is polluting all of northern Baja and basically from Imperial Beach to Coronado.” He explained that these challenges reveal the fragility of San Diego’s coastline, “While we have these wondrous and amazing coastal and ocean ecosystems, they’re really fragile, and things can go south immediately.” Serge has watched ecosystems devastated within his own lifetime, “It’s been really sad to watch — but it also just highlights why we do the work we do.”
WILDCOAST: Protecting Coastal Ecosystems
Motivated by a vision to protect wild places. Serge co-founded WILDCOAST along with Wallace J. Nichols in 2000. “The idea behind WildCoast was to save coastal and marine ecosystems — wild places filled with wildlife.” Over 25 years, WILDCOAST has conserved 38 million acres of globally important coastal and marine ecosystems, from Southern Mexico all the way to Northern California. In Central Baja, they own and protect 40,000 acres and 40 miles of coastline in partnership with the Mexican National Park Service. In Oaxaca, they collaborate with indigenous communities to preserve coastal tropical forests and some of the world’s most important sea turtle nesting beaches.
San Diego’s Coastline, A Unique Treasure
From North County lagoons to South San Diego Bay, kelp forests off La Jolla, and the rocky reefs of Sunset Cliffs — San Diego is a biodiversity hotspot. “What makes San Diego so interesting is the diversity of the ecosystems and the well-preserved status of some of our really important areas.” Serge marvels at the region’s unique blend of urban and natural wonders. “How many places in the United States can you go off a big city and then swim with a schools of sevengill sharks?” Beyond our shoreline lies one of the world’s most important ocean migratory corridors, stretching from Alaska to the Galapagos. But this corridor is under threat. Whales, sharks, sea turtles and other marine life depend on it as a sort of migratory superhighway, “Climate change is the game changer. The increase in ocean temperatures is having a big impact on ocean acidification, changing migratory patterns, and causing the die-off of food that ocean animals like gray whales depend on.” The consequences are devastating: “This year we had more than 90 gray whales die in the lagoons of Baja California and on the beaches of southern Baja.” It’s urgent reminders like this that demonstrate why education and collective climate action in San Diego are more important than ever.
WILDCOAST x San Diego Climate Week
When Serge heard about San Diego Climate Week, he was immediately on board, “The minute I saw something about Climate Week, I was super excited — jumping for joy, excited.” San Diego Climate Week, unites San Diego’s vibrant community to tackle climate challenges, “The work that goes on around climate change in San Diego is really important.” Bringing climate week to San Diego is a “no-brainer.”
Join WILDCOAST at San Diego Climate Week
WILDCOAST will be leading and collaborating on several events:
- October 3rd: Moderating a panel discussion on the Tijuana River Estuary.
- October 7th: Field trip to Batiquitos Lagoon in Carlsbad with the Batiquitos Lagoon Foundation.
- October 8th: At Scripps Seaside Forum, co-hosting the Blue Carbon Collaborative Symposium with Coastal Quest, the Port of San Diego, and others.
“It’s more important than ever that we get together in person, work with each other, and learn from each other.”
Join the Change
For Serge, climate action starts at home, “Hands-on volunteering gets people excited,” he says. “We get in the mud, get our hands dirty, and really do something positive.” Through WILDCOAST, Serge has seen how our intentional actions can transform ecosystems, “What I always find extraordinary is how little it takes to actually make a difference for wildlife. Wildlife and ecosystems know when things are getting better.” San Diego Climate Week (October 1–8, 2025) brings this vision to life, offering diverse events where everyone can contribute — whether your passion is art, cycling, conservation, or exploring innovative climate solutions. From hands-on restoration projects to inspiring story slams and community panels, there is a place for you in the movement.
Serge’s enthusiasm reminds us to approach this work with joy and a collective spirit, “Find joy in the work. You need to recharge in nature and connect with people who are fired up.” Get fired up and join WILDCOAST and the San Diego community as we connect, collaborate, and take action for a resilient future. Explore events, sign up to participate, or even host your own at sdclimateweek.com. Together, we can move forward — one action, one connection, and one joyful step at a time.
Meet the Interviewer
Ella Cronin is an eager climate advocate, boldly emerging into the world of sustainability. She is currently studying Sustainability with a minor in Spanish at San Diego State University and working as an intern for San Diego Climate Week. Passionate about building a resilient future and connecting with others who share that vision, Ella is excited to learn, collaborate, and make a positive impact.
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