“We are extremely lucky to live in a place with such rich biodiversity,” said Dr. Michelle Thompson, director of conservation biology at the San Diego Natural History Museum. “It is our responsibility to help create a future where nature and people thrive together.” 

Thankfully, many individuals and organizations are working hard to protect San Diego's biodiversity. Earlier this year, experts from different sectors—government agencies, academic institutions, Tribes, and community organizations—gathered at the San Diego Biodiversity Conservation Summit at the San Diego Natural History Museum to take a big step toward conserving the region’s biodiversity. 

The event, co-hosted by SANDAG and facilitated by The Nonprofit Institute, culminated in a preliminary report that highlighted the discussions held around the state of wildlife and habitats in our region. The report, titled San Diego Collaboration for Conservation: Sustaining the Region’s Legacy of Biodiversity Conservation, was presented at the State of Biodiversity Symposium and opened for public comment before being finalized. 

Now public, this report outlines the key needs, gaps, and opportunities for regional biodiversity conservation and defines what success could look like. The report identifies five priority areas where significant needs exist, and both the cost of inaction and the opportunity for action is great.

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But the work doesn't end there—the information in the report will be leveraged by future working groups and convenings to identify specific needs and funding, and pathways and actions that will support San Diego’s long legacy of biodiversity conservation.