Today we’d like to introduce you to Zachary Plopper.
Hi Zachary, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I grew up walking distance from the beach and naturally gravitated to the waves, the animals, the smells, and the beauty of the ocean. I started surfing regularly at age 9 and that sent me on a path that never steered too far from the beach. I studied at UC San Diego and then UCLA (where I received my master’s degree in urban planning) and was offered a position with WILDCOAST the summer after graduating. That was in 2008 and I have been with the organization ever since.
WILDCOAST is an international conservation team founded in 2000 that conserves coastal and marine ecosystems and addresses climate change through natural solutions. I am the organization’s Associate Director and oversee our operations in California and Mexico.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road to where I am today has had its challenges but none that I could not overcome with a little patience, guidance from my mentors, perseverance, and good decision making.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
WILDCOAST conserves coastal and marine ecosystems and addresses climate change through natural solutions. What this means is that we are helping to protect some of the most important coastal places in the world – from the rocky reefs, wetlands and kelp forests of California to the carbon-storing mangroves, coral reefs and sea turtle nesting beaches of Mexico. Our work is driven by collaboration among governments, indigenous groups, scientists, and nonprofit partners
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I believe that one creates their own luck. Many of the “lucky” things that have happened in life and for my business have directly or indirectly been a result of enabling conditions that had been developed over time.
Contact Info:
- Website: wildcoast.org
- Instagram: @wildcoastcostasalvaje
- Facebook: @wildcoast
- Twitter: @wildcoast
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Wildcoast
