By Steve Puterski & Ann Van Leer
For as long as he can remember, Dr. George Sardina, 89, has been a conservationist. Whether animals or land, Sardina has long held preservation close to his heart and has been determined to protect as much land and wildlife as possible.
A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Sardina’s life was one of heartbreak. His father passed away when he was three. Several years later, his mother left the family, leaving Sardina an orphan. He grew up in an orphanage in upstate New York, and that is where he was first exposed to nature.
Young George thrived in school and earned top marks at James Madison High School in New York City. His efforts led him to Columbia University and then to Albany Medical College, where he graduated in 1960.
A few of Dr. Sardina’s friends had moved to California, and they urged him to join them. Lucky for California, he, too, came to the Golden State. He came to San Diego County after medical school.
“(San Diego) was rich in many fields of opportunity that made a significant contribution to attaining my field of expertise in internal medicine,” said Sardina.
His experience in California led to a long and successful medical career, including caring for people who could not afford healthcare.
During the later stages of his medical career, Sardina would provide free medical care for farm workers in California’s Central Valley.
Traveling is another passion for Sardina. He has visited almost 200 countries, with only six explicitly avoided as being too dangerous; some of his trips were with Doctors without Borders. Sardina’s travels have also taken him to every U.S. state, Canadian province, and Latin American country.
Dr. Sardina has used his money to help purchase and save conservation land around the globe. In San Diego County, he’s been a donor and supporter of numerous conservation organizations, including the Escondido Creek Conservancy (Conservancy), the Volcan Mountain Foundation, the San Dieguito River Park Conservancy, and the Anza Borrego Park Foundation. His support of the Escondido Creek Conservancy helped create two new preserves in North San Diego County as part of the Conservancy’s Save 1,000 Acres campaign from 2015-2018.
The Conservancy has conducted many difficult land transactions, but Save 1,000 Acres was uniquely complicated. During stressful campaign times, Dr. Sardina would call Ann with words of encouragement.
While he was a generous financial supporter, it was those phone calls and his visits that lent his calm reassurance that the Conservancy will long remember. To honor his contributions to the campaign, the Conservancy board of directors named one of the now-protected properties the Dr. George Sardina Preserve.
“We need to save the land and protect nature the best we can,” Sardina said.
Sardina was drawn to the Conservancy and other conservation nonprofits in the county because they are local organizations dedicated to the same values and mission he has lived by for more than eighty years. In addition to preserving land, the Conservancy also works to repair and manage the landscape, enhancing ecosystems and wildlife protection, which is dear to Sardina’s heart.
A current resident of Sunrise at La Costa in Carlsbad, Dr. Sardina has also supported projects leading to reintroducing one of California’s most charismatic species, the endangered Sonoran pronghorn. Pronghorn are Sardina’s favorite animal. He admires their grace and is in awe of their speed.
At his core, he said animals are” a service to mankind,” and he donates to organizations that help assure the survival of wildlife around the globe. According to Leif Olsen of the San Diego Chapter of Safari Club International, Dr. Sardina played a critical role in recovering the Sonoran pronghorn species when he donated towards completing the Pronghorn Reintroduction Plan.
The plan aims to preserve and protect the pronghorn and its habitat to secure its long-term survival (federalregister.gov).
“Dr. Sardina’s support of the planning effort elevated the importance of saving the Sonoran pronghorn,” said Olsen.
Dr. Sardina has long loved southern California but has supported important conservation work elsewhere in California, including that of the Northern Sierra Partnership, the Trust for Public Land and Save the Redwoods.
Lucy Blake, the president of the Northern Sierra Partnership, appreciates Dr. Sardina’s understanding of the importance of preserving large landscapes; his donations helped the Northern Sierra Partnership complete a series of strategic acquisition projects.
Like Ann, Blake also benefited from Dr. Sardina’s encouraging phone calls, describing them as a “shot in the arm.”
“Dr. Sardina showed such generosity of the heart. He was so quick to share gratitude about the progress of our work to protect the Northern Sierra,” said Blake.
People can support conservation in many ways. Even small donations are helpful, but sometimes, an encouraging word is what makes the difference. Dr. Sardina leads with his heart, which led him to a rich life and a legacy few can match.
Steve Puterski is a media consultant and lives in Carlsbad. Escondido resident Ann Van Leer is the executive director of The Escondido Creek Conservancy.
