If you are looking for a way to get involved in saving the earth, there are many ways to get involved in already productive environmental organizations in San Diego. Here are the top 7 environmental organizations in San Diego that will gladly welcome you, encourage and engage you in actions.
Let’s take a look.
Table of Contents
Top 7 Environmental Organizations in San Diego
The top 7 environmental organizations in San Diego include
1. Center for Sustainable Energy
Also known as CSE, it is a non-profit environmental organization in San Diego, California. It is also a social advocacy organization and charity organization. Its simple mission is to ‘decarbonize’.
A natural resource conservation organization, they seek to accelerate the transition to a sustainable world powered by clean energy by focusing on the issue of energy conservation and environmental public policy.
They focus on transportation. Particularly, Reducing transportation emissions. They strive to achieve set energy goals, save money while at it and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They are funded through lobbying at the state and local levels.
They receive government funding and tax-deductible donations. They service a wide range of entities- governments, regulators, businesses, property owners, and consumers.
They also adopted a market-based approach consisting of electric vehicle market adoption and overcoming dealership barriers.
2. Wildcoast
Founded in 2000 and located in Imperial Beach, California, Wildcoast is another non-profit natural resource conservation organization.
It is also a Social advocacy organization, Wildlife protection organization, Animal organization, and Charity organization. When encapsulated, their work encapsulates land, and water conservation, animals, wildlife, and the environment.
They are funded by fundraising events, operating internationally, community engagement and volunteering, and utilizing tax-deductible donations.
Wildcoast is one of the environmental organizations in San Diego with a known passionate, dedicated staff. They aim to conserve coastal and marine ecosystems and wildlife, especially the endangered ones.
- Helped conserve 545,280 acres of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
- Engaged hundreds of students as MPA stewards through the Explore My MPA Program.
- Secured the protection of 2,634 acres of mangroves in the Gulf of California.
- Trained numerous national park staff on best tourism practices.
- Helped conserve miles of nesting beach where 3.8 million sea turtles laid eggs producing 58.8 million hatchlings between 2017- 2019. They also engaged students in this – 503 local students from five communities.
- Carried out cleanups with 255 volunteers collecting 1,350 pounds of trash in the Tijuana River.
- Engaged more than 6,000 people as coral reef, mangrove, and sea turtle conservation stewards in the Mexican Pacific.
In 2020, WILDCOAST launched the #1MILLIONMANGROVES Campaign planting one million mangrove samplings in Northwest Mexico. Mangrove forests absorb atmospheric carbon lowering greenhouse gases. They also buffer coastal communities and the ecosystem against sea level rise and intense storms such as tsunamis.
In total, at the end of 2019, more than 10,000 residents and students from local communities were trained as conservation stewards.
3. I Love A Clean San Diego
This is a remarkable example of an environmental organization in San Diego. It is particularly, a pollution abatement organization. It was founded in 1954 and is also known as ILACSD.
It is a nonprofit environmental organization in San Diego, a civic or social organization, and a charity organization that educates San Diego communities to conserve and enhance the environment and leads them in taking action.
I Love a Clean Diego receives its funding through lobbying at the state or local level, receives government funding, community engagement, volunteering, and tax-deductible donations. 
ILACSD is focused primarily on youth education and community beautification. Apart from the coastal areas, ILACSD also carried out cleanups in inland areas, such as creek beds, canyons, parks, and urban areas. They also engage in recycling outreaches.
I Love A Clean San Diego operates a call center and online database which offer useful information and answers to questions about waste disposal and recycling to San Diego County residents.
These efforts have diverted tonnes of waste from San Diego landfills to appropriate disposal. And have even reduced waste generally due to their recycling campaigns.
In 2020 alone, ILACSD recorded a whooping 29,904 answers to recycling questions from their website and call center WasteFreeSD.org and 1-800-237-BLUE. Additionally, they conduct environmental education. Educating the public about a variety of topics concerning the environment.
Their environmental education includes classroom presentations and hands-on learning for children and teens, as well as a full slate of adult education activities designed for local businesses, individuals, and families, turning them into environmental stewards as they go.
4. San Diego Bike Coalition
The activities of this environmental organization in San Diego revolve around advocating and education. They see cycling as a mainstream means of transportation and promote it as such.
San Diego Bike Coalition also known as SDBC advocates for better and safer bikeways around San Diego to ensure that biking in San Diego is safe and attractive.
They offer community services such as cycling teaching sessions, bike safety classes for employers and schools, resources on bikeways throughout San Diego, and group riding events.
SC’s mission is to advocate for and protect the rights of, all people who ride bicycles either for transportation or recreation, acting as a voice for all bicyclists to policymakers.
Since 1987, SDCBC has been
- Advocating for hundreds of miles of bike paths, lanes, and trails all across San Diego.
- Spreading awareness about bicycling issues.
- Teaching children and their parents how to safely ride on the road together.
- Reviews infrastructure improvements.
- Generally promoting awareness of bicyclists.
- Hosting bicycle events, such as Bike the Bay, where bikers experience life on two wheels and create community with each other.
5. Solana Center for Environmental Innovation
Solana Center for Environmental Innovation’s impact has made it to the top 7 environmental organizations in San Diego.
Solana Centre for Environmental Innovation is a nonprofit organization that focuses on waste, water, and soil.
They help communities achieve community goals by providing community education and professional services to reduce waste, conserve water, and build healthy soil.
They also provide consultation services on how to recycle food waste in compliance with state laws.
For instance, they help enthusiasts to start their compost, teach how to conserve rainwater, and ideas to reduce food waste.
In short, they believe in innovation as a viable approach to environmental issues.
With expertise in multiple areas of sustainability, they have been able to help the San Diego area with:
- Educating communities on environmental problems and their solutions.
- Reducing global warming by diverting waste from landfills.
- Conserving water and protecting watersheds from contamination.
They also aim to: - Increase innovative programs for food recycling like Food Cycle 2.0.
- Increase environmental outreaches where passionate volunteers can come together and take action for the environment and community.
- Continue their education gardens for p visitors and children.
6. Environmental Health Coalition
Environmental Health Coalition is a nonprofit environmental organization in National City, San Diego, that was Founded in 1980.
It is a social advocacy and charity organization focused on the issues of health, pollution, land and water conservation, environment, and human rights.
It operates internationally but has grassroots organizing to confront the unjust consequences of toxic pollution, discriminatory land use, and climate change.
They offer pollution abatement and control services. They are involved in political advocacy.
The Coalition is famous for securing affordable transit-oriented homes in National City.
EHC played a significant role in approving the Chula Vista bayfront natural resources management plan that prioritizes fish and wildlife protection—amongst others.
They are also dedicated to achieving social justice. Organizing low-income neighborhoods of color and empowering them through education to advocate against pollution from industries and vehicles.
The aim is toxic-free communities. Initiatives include Healthy Kids, Climate Justice, Leadership Development, and Toxic-Free Neighborhoods. EHC provides resources in English and Spanish.
The Coalition also organizes Climate Justice Campaigns, advancing an extensive strategy to reduce greenhouse gases from industries, transportation, and energy sources to maximize benefits in low-income communities.
They are funded through lobbying, fundraising events, and tax-deductible donations. They also receive government funding.
7. Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center
Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center is a San Diego environmental education program Located in National City.
Founded in 2009, it is concerned with historical preservation. Its mission is to educate children, students, teachers, families, and volunteers to be healthy and active citizens.
It is a platform for children to learn practically. Learning within an organic garden. Children from the nearby urban communities come to explore connections between plants and components of life such as history, science, art, literature, math, and nutrition.
They grow organic produce which is used for nutrition classes, cooking demonstrations, and workshops.
Their operations have been successful in motivating people and connecting and also motivating those from diverse backgrounds through engagement in organic gardening, environmental stewardship, and learning.
Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center run 3 main operations:
- Property preservation of a historic 8-acre property donated by the Walton family in 2006. They open the house to the public to partake in the enjoyment of the gardens and connect to the agricultural history and each other.
- Children’s garden and nutrition education program which comprises gardening, practical science, and nutrition classes.
- And the adult education program has impacted more than 2000 participants.
Conclusion
Environmental Organizations in San Diego – FAQs
How do I get the city of San Diego environmental jobs
There are different jobs that you can do in environmental organizations in San Diego. To access current jobs, go to verified hiring sites such as indeed.com, simplyhired.com, ihiredenvironmental.com, and LinkedIn.com A few are Environmental Health Specialist, Environmental Planning Analyst, Environmental Specialist, Safety Coordinator, and Environmental Compliance Specialist.
City of San Diego environmental services phone number
If you have any question or environmental concern about San Diego, the phone number of San Diego Environmental Service is +1 858-694-7000.
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Precious Okafor is a digital marketer and online entrepreneur that got into the online space in 2017 and since then have developed skills in content creation, copywriting and online marketing. He is also a Green activist and hence his role in publishing articles for EnvironmentGo