Native Plants at the Heart of San Diego’s Wild Side: Outreach at Coastal Roots Farm
On July 24, the California Native Plant Society San Diego Chapter took part in a special outdoor panel discussion and film screening at Coastal Roots Farm in Encinitas: San Diego – America’s Wildest City.
Held on the Leichtag Commons, the event drew a large and engaged crowd of all ages. The CNPS San Diego Chapter hosted an outreach table, spoke with visitors about native plants and their essential role in supporting the biodiversity featured in the film, with support from local members of Native Plants for Encinitas (NP4E).
Throughout the evening, we connected with dozens of attendees—families, gardeners, students—who were eager to learn how native plants make it possible for wildlife to thrive in our region. Many visitors were surprised to learn that San Diego County is the most biodiverse county in the contiguous United States. For some, this was the first time they had made the connection between that biodiversity and the native plants all around them—the foundation that makes life possible here.
Being a San Diegan means living alongside an extraordinary diversity of plants and animals—many found nowhere else, and many increasingly under threat. With each native plant we choose to grow or help protect, we help keep that legacy alive.
Before the screening, a panel discussion moderated by Rebecca Handelsman, Senior Director of Communications and Exhibits at the San Diego Natural History Museum, brought the film’s themes into focus with stories and insights from the people behind the project.
Panel highlights included:
- Award-winning Filmmaker (Writer and Producer for this film!) Nate Dappen shared how discovering San Diego’s biodiversity after moving here inspired the project, and how this film—unlike his previous work—was intentionally created to engage local audiences. He also shared a few surprising highlights from the filming process, including footage of a roadrunner preying on hummingbirds at Roy Toft’s feeders, the dramatic grunion run along the coastline, and microscopic scenes of fish eggs hatching—captured on camera for the first time.
- Award-winning Wildlife photographer and Biologist Roy Toft described the stunning images he captured using remote cameras on his Ramona property during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how “messy,” wildlife-friendly gardens can welcome everything from bobcats to nesting hummingbirds.
- Urban ecologist Dr. Rachel Larson introduced the Healthy Canyons Project, which studies the diverse animal life in San Diego’s urban canyons. She encouraged attendees to document wildlife sightings using the iNaturalist app to support ongoing research and community-based monitoring.
The panelists emphasized that even simple changes at home—planting native species, offering a water source, letting gardens grow a bit wilder, avoiding pesticides, and keeping cats indoors—can make a real difference for local wildlife.
The California Native Plant Society San Diego Chapter was grateful for the chance to connect with so many curious and thoughtful attendees. Events like this remind us how powerful a single conversation can be—and how quickly the importance of native plants becomes clear when people see their direct connection to local wildlife and the landscapes we all share.
Want to see the full story? San Diego: America’s Wildest City is available to stream through Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Nature. The shortened version, Wild San Diego, plays daily at the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park.
Interested in helping more people connect with native plants and local biodiversity? Join our outreach team and be part of future events like this one. Reach out to us at publicoutreach@cnpssd.org to learn how.
Together, we are growing a deeper understanding of what it means to live in—and care for—America’s Wildest City.
