Sarah Otterstrom

Sarah is an intrepid conservation scientist with over 20 years of experience in Central America. After learning firsthand of the unique beauty of tropical dry forests and Pacific coast habitats, she decided to dedicate her life to protecting them. In 2005, she founded Paso Pacífico and has been our executive director since then. Sarah’s scientific research has focused on the ecological impacts of fires in tropical forests and the cultural practices that influence tropical fire regimes. As a conservation scientist, she serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Biotrópica. She has also served in the Association for Fire Ecology and the Sociedad Mesoamericana para la Biología y Conservación. She is an Ashoka Fellow and the recipient of honors such as the Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award.