Annual report - WILDCOAST

WHAT IS THIS REPORT ABOUT?

At WILDCOAST, we believe in the power of community and science to drive lasting conservation. In 2024, we saw extraordinary progress across the regions we work in, from the wetlands of California to the vibrant underwater ecosystems of Mexico. This year’s annual report captures the measurable impact of our efforts to protect marine life, restore critical habitats, and empower local communities to drive conservation initiatives.

Inside, you’ll find stories of resilience—how mangroves are safeguarding coastal villages, how our we are tackling the plastic crisis at the US-Mexico border, and how advocacy is ensuring a safe future for iconic species like gray whales and sea turtles. You’ll also see the numbers that tell the story of what’s possible when generosity meets action: the acres we’ve safeguarded, the wildlife we’ve protected, and the donors and team members who make it all possible.

As we celebrate 25 years of protecting the wild places you love, we invite you to reflect on what we’ve achieved together—and what’s still ahead.

Let’s make the next 25 years even more impactful.

A MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDER

Dear Friends and Supporters:

If one word could capture WILDCOAST’s 2024, it would be “impact.” The impact of not one—but two—trash booms at the US-Mexico border, which combined with our community collection points will prevent 160,000 lbs of plastic, tires and other solid waste from entering the Pacific Ocean every year. The second boom was installed and inaugurated in October 2024, and will double our impact in tackling the environmental crisis at the border.

The impact of a 25,000-acre Indigenous Community Reserve we helped establish alongside local communities in Oaxaca this year, home to pristine tropical rainforests, a mangrove lagoon, and a vital sea turtle nesting beach. Through stewardship, education, training, and sustainable economic opportunities, this reserve is building resilience for both people and nature.

The impact of our Protect the Locals campaign, which called for responsible and safe whale watching practices amid a rise in unsafe tour activity in Southern California over the summer. The campaign video, which caught national and local media attention, garnered millions of impressions.

The impact of planting 21,081 mangrove seedlings as part of a new restoration project in Laguna San Ignacio this year. These mangroves play a critical role in addressing climate change through sequestering and storing carbon while also serving as natural barriers to storm surges, creating resilience for and protecting the local communities and adjacent ecosystems.

All of this impact is possible because of you. These wins, successes, and optimistic stories of conservation are possible only with your support – support that creates true, measurable change.

And with our boots-on-the-ground team, your gifts go farther.

This year, WILDCOAST is celebrating its 25th anniversary – that’s 25 years of protecting the wild places and wildlife you love the most.

For our coast and oceans,

Serge Dedina, Ph.D.

Executive Director

OUR MISSION

To conserve coastal and marine ecosystems and address climate change through natural solutions.

OUR PROGRAMS

OCEANS

California is home to the largest network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the world, covering 545,280 acres of ocean habitat. These underwater parks safeguard marine life and make California one of the best places on the planet for ocean recreation.

But MPAs face challenges like illegal poaching, climate change, pollution, and coastal development. That’s why, in 2024, WILDCOAST used cutting-edge radar technology to monitor activity in San Diego County’s MPAs, helping to identify poachers.

We also coordinated California’s MPA Watch network, a community science program that collects and shares important data to help guide state policy decisions. Plus, with our Tidepool Ambassador Program, we were able to connect over 3,000 people to their local MPAs through education—fostering a deeper appreciation for our coast while inspiring action to protect it!

WILDLANDS

WILDCOAST’s Valle de los Cirios Coastal Reserve is one of the largest privately owned land reserves in North America. Located in central Baja California, this stunning landscape has been protected since 2008 through land acquisitions that keep it wild and open to responsible recreation while preventing large-scale development from destroying its beauty.

In 2024, we expanded our biodiversity monitoring with camera traps and field surveys, supported by our dedicated community Park Ranger. We documented 276 species—including mountain lions, bobcats, mule deer, and two threatened species: the badger and the Mexican long-nosed bat.

To promote conservation and responsible tourism, we also installed eight new signs highlighting the area’s fragile habitats, unique ecology, and best practices for visitors.

COASTAL WETLANDS

Where California’s rivers meet the sea, wetlands and estuaries create essential habitats for both wildlife and people. These ecosystems store up to five times more carbon than forests and help buffer coastal communities from wildfires and rising seas—making them an incredible natural solution to climate change! Despite their importance, California’s wetlands have shrunk to just 10% of their original size, threatened by pollution, development, and climate change.

In 2024, WILDCOAST took action by bringing together 144 volunteers to help restore 70.5 acres of San Diego’s coastal wetlands to sequester 340 tons of carbon.

We also pushed for stronger state involvement and conducted new research to measure the carbon storage potential of our wetlands. These efforts not only protected vital habitats but also empowered communities to take an active role in conservation!

CORAL REEFS

Since 2011, WILDCOAST has been working in the Mexican Pacific to protect 1,652 acres of reefs across 10 Marine Protected Areas.

Through monitoring, education, mooring buoy installation, and outreach, we’re ensuring these critical ecosystems thrive—providing coastal protection and sustainable tourism opportunities for local communities.

In 2024, we partnered with the Corals Conservation of the Mexican Pacific Network (CCMPN) and Mexico’s National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (CONANP) to assess coral health in seven MPAs. We also hosted a collaborative meeting to explore strategies for mitigating the impact of the 2023 El Niño event on reefs and shared our findings with CONANP to inform future management decisions.

Additionally, we trained Isla Isabel National Park staff in diving, educated Huatulco National Park tour operators, and developed a tourism guide for Revillagigedo National Park. We even installed eight signaling buoys in the Balandra Wildlife Protected Area to improve marine safety and conservation.

MANGROVES

Mangroves are nature’s superheroes! These coastal forests store up to 10 times more carbon than land-based forests, shield communities from storms, and support incredible biodiversity. But in Mexico, they face threats from deforestation, pollution, invasive species, and climate change.

Since 2019, WILDCOAST has worked with CONANP and local communities—including two women’s cooperatives—to restore and protect these critical ecosystems. Our work includes training programs, environmental education, biological monitoring, habitat restoration, community cleanups, and invasive species control. We also secure authorizations to ensure long-term protection and host summits for women in mangrove restoration.

In 2024, we planted 40,000 mangrove seeds—bringing our total to 178,000 in Laguna San Ignacio—and began restoring 99 acres in the Bay of La Paz. In Oaxaca, we’re partnering with Afromexican communities for mangrove monitoring. Our efforts have also created dozens of blue jobs, providing sustainable livelihoods while conserving these vital ecosystems. In total, these efforts support the mitigation of 201,640,240 lbs of carbon.

MARINE DEBRIS

At the US-Mexico border, the Tijuana River Watershed is a biodiversity hotspot, covering 1.1 million acres and storing vast amounts of carbon. Unfortunately, illegal dumping in Tijuana’s canyons and ravines sends a flood of trash into the Pacific Ocean—harming marine life and coastal communities.

WILDCOAST is tackling this crisis head-on.

In 2024, we installed a second permanent trash boom in Tijuana’s El Pato neighborhood, following the success of our first boom in Los Laureles Canyon in 2021.

With the help of 130 volunteers dedicating over 15,000 hours, we stopped nearly 40,000 pounds of trash from polluting the Pacific in just one year—proving the power of community action!

SEA TURTLES

The Oaxaca coast is an incredibly culturally and biologically diverse region, home to five of Mexico’s seven sea turtle species. Since 2009, WILDCOAST has been working to protect 63.8 miles of sea turtle nesting beaches through legal protections, monitoring, predator control, and education.

In partnership with indigenous communities and CONANP, we’re safeguarding these beaches from poaching, development, and climate change. Thanks to years of advocacy, Morro Ayuta Beach—one of the most important nesting sites for olive ridley sea turtles—was federally protected on January 8, 2024! This 224-acre sanctuary welcomed an incredible 9,377,736 olive ridley hatchlings this season, bringing our total hatchlings to over 130 million. We also installed new signs on five nesting beaches, trained 30 community members to support conservation efforts, and engaged over 3,000 people in education and outreach programs.

Additionally, we launched a new initiative to protect 30 miles of nesting beaches that support 80 critically endangered leatherback turtle nests. Through daily monitoring patrols, egg protection, ID tagging, and educational programs, we’re working alongside Afromexican communities to boost leatherback populations in this essential habitat.

MEDIA REACH

HOW WE’RE FUNDED

PARTNERSHIP HIGHLIGHTS

RESPECT THE LOCALS

In 2024, WILDCOAST and Open Water teamed up to develop a tee with Canned Goods Clothing, a gen-z-led brand with a commitment to reducing plastic waste.

As a result of this partnership, hundreds of shirts were sold and our brand reached a whole new generation of environmentalists.

CLEAN OCEAN INITIATIVE

In 2024, WILDCOAST and Pure Project joined forces to raise funds for our Marine Debris Program that installs trash booms in the Tijuana River Valley Estuary.

As a result of this partnership, we were able to raise thousands of dollars in the matter of weeks! Since, we have successfully installed a second trash boom at the border and built multiple temporary booms for the rainy season, resulting in over 100,000 lbs of trash predicted to remain out of our ocean each year.

MEDIA HIGHLIGHT

PROTECT THE LOCALS

An extension of the Respect the Locals partnership, Protect the Locals became an effort to keep one of our favorite groups of locals safe: the whales that call our coast home.

In partnership with Xplore Offshore, we created educational content sharing best practices for ethical whale watching, emphasizing the importance of keeping a safe distance, reducing noise pollution, and respecting marine wildlife, reaching an audience of over 50,000 individuals.