Stream now with KPBS Passport on KPBS+ / Watch Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026 at 8 p.m. on KPBS TV + Encore Sunday, Jan. 25 at 2 p.m. on KPBS TV and 8 p.m. on KPBS 2
San Diego isn’t just America’s Finest City; it’s America’s wildest city. Despite its 3.3 million human residents and an utterly transformed landscape, San Diego County is the most biologically diverse county in America. Witness its hidden wonders in NATURE “San Diego: America’s Wildest City.”
San Diego is an oasis at the intersection of hostile worlds: the dividing line between the Mojave Desert to the East and the Pacific Ocean to the West; the Sierra Mountains to the North and Mexican border to the South.
Meet the diverse array of wildlife thriving incongruously in a transformed landscape of manmade wilderness. From the dramatic rituals of grebes and the playful antics of ground squirrels to the thrilling hunts of orcas and the moonlit spawning of grunion, witness nature's resilience and beauty amidst the urban sprawl.
“The first day I arrived in San Diego and walked to the beach at sunset, I looked out at the ocean and listened to the sound of surf, seagulls, and seals and knew this wonderful place would become my home,” said writer and director Nate Dappen. “What I didn't realize on that day was just how rich this landscape was. I began to explore and was stunned by the diversity of ecosystems here - deserts, mountains, chaparral, and the great Pacific Ocean all within an hour drive. I knew I wanted to create a film that celebrates a different, spectacular side of America's most biodiverse county."
Watch On Your Schedule: NATURE "San Diego: America's Wildest City" is available to stream with KPBS Passport on KPBS+, a new free streaming video app designed for ease and enjoyment everywhere you watch including Roku, smart TVs and mobile devices. It’s locally curated for San Diego by the KPBS programming team. With a clean and intuitive design, discovering and enjoying KPBS and PBS content on-demand has never been easier.
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Credits: A production of The WNET Group, Terra Mater Studios GmbH and Day’s Edge Productions. The documentary is written and produced by Nate Dappen and Neil Losin. For Terra Mater Studios, Ivo Filatsch and Sabine Holzer are executive producers. For NATURE, Fred Kaufman is Executive Producer, Bill Murphy is series producer and Janet Hess is series editor. NATURE is a production of The WNET Group.
