Paso Pacifico

I donate to Paso Pacifico because you can see exactly how the donations impact their conservation initiatives! It’s amazing to see how a small organization in Southern California is able to influence the ecosystem of a rainforest, the ocean, and animals 4,000 miles away!

I love Paso Pacifico and all the work it’s doing to help wildlife and communities in Central America. It’s been so great keeping up with, learning about, and sharing, via instagram and newsletters, Paso’s efforts especially their work with endangered species and I’m happy to be part of the solution.

I’ve been donating to Paso Pacifico for over 10 years and am so impressed by the work they do. The focus on community engagement in protecting vulnerable species is one aspect that makes Paso Pacifico so effective in its mission.

Paso Pacifico involves preservation of habitat, important animals and birds, while helping the economy and people of Central America. It works with people, including children, not against them.

Paso Pacifico does incredible and crucial work helping preserve and protect wildlife corridors in Central America.

I want to participate in any small way in the effort to preserve and rescue sea turtles and the ocean environment. I found this opportunity in Paso Pacifico. I love that Paso Pacifico works directly for the preservation of the sea turtles and that the organization works with the communities and children in these areas in Central America. The educational aspect of the programming is so crucial to ensure that future generations continue to respect and care for wildlife and the environment supporting the wildlife.
Each turtle nest protected by Paso Pacifico increases the survival of the sea turtle population. I love supporting these projects!

Paso Pacifico is a great non-profit to volunteer with! Sarah & Eliza were extremely accommodating and considerate of my work schedule and provided me with all the supplies needed to be a part of their team. The energy is always fun and gave me a feeling of accomplishment while volunteering. I definitely plan on volunteering with Paso Pacifico again and look forward to continuing to work with the team!

If you want to help animals and actually get updates choose Paso Pacifico. They make time to hand mail newsletters about how and what the animals are up to. I also donate monthly. Thank you so much Paso Pacifico for what you do!

My wife and I have supported Paso Pacifico for many years because they are directing money and efforts at a critically important but much neglected area , i.e, Central America. They are really making a difference through educating local kids to value and care for their own environment. This year I started to volunteer for them too. It's amazing what you can do with limited resources.

I love following the work that Paso Pacifico is doing to conserve lands, protect species, engage and enable communities, and inspire a future of environmental stewards. Paso Pacifico has such a broad reach of projects that are all so inspiring.

My daughter volunteers for Paso Pacifico and it is an incredible organization. The work they do is life changing for many people in Central America. It is eye opening to learn more about the environment from my daughter each day. This organization has amazing leaders and I am so glad my daughter can be apart of such a progressive non profit.

Great nonprofit. Very few overhead expenses. All donations go directly into the amazing projects that the team is working on.

I have the opportunity to work with Paso Pacifico and this allows me to develop as a biologist, but also to collaborate on a unique conservation project in Central America. I know the importance of organizations like Paso Pacifico in the study and conservation of ecosystems in Latin America, especially in environmental education.
Paso Pacifico's work has impacts that extend to social levels, which is a reflection of their vision. All of their projects are inspiring. In my particular admiration of the bird projects, they are exceptional.

My husband has worked for Paso Pacifico for a number of years. He was a US Park Ranger and was asked to come to Nicaragua to train their first cohort of community-based rangers. Their job was to protect the sea turtle nests. The eggs were often poached and sold to restaurants in Managua where they were considered a delicacy. The protection plan worked well as 100's of hatchlings reached the ocean. The Director of Paso Pacifico and my husband devised a junior ranger program that now reaches about a 100 kids a year. Paso Pacifico is changing the conservation of Southwest Nicaragua.

My wife Sarah Otterstrom is a co-founder at Paso Pacifico. Over the past seventeen years I have seen how the Paso Pacifico team works tirelessly to support local communities and protect wildlife. Paso Pacifico's team members in Central America are from local communities. By creating jobs and promoting a sense of pride, the organization makes a big difference in the future of the communities its serves. I am proud to be part of the organization indirectly.

My experience with Paso Pacifico has been for many years. That they work to protect yellow nape parrots first caught my eye of this group. We have had one for about 40 years, born in our California valley. Recently our family found ourselves in Costa Rica. Suddenly we heard parrots squawking in a nearby tall tree. Of course, I sent up a prayer thanking the wonderful people of Paso Pacifico. Nearby were turtle nesting sites. How can one not think of Paso Pacifico protecting the eggs and young so diligently. Thank you Paso Pacifico for your protection, and just as important, for all you do to educate.

Paso Pacifico protects and preserves land and animals in critical areas all over Central America. Their work is outstanding and inspirational. I absolutely love following and volunteering for such an amazing organization. Thank you.

I have followed their great works through their constant updates. I support them in congratulatory posts and financially as I can. Thank you Paso Pacifico for the many great works you unselfishly perform!!

I first discovered Paso Pacifico through a friend at the Buddhist Church that I manage.
My friend supports this wonderful Program at Paso Pacifico. She introduced us to Sarah Otterstrom, who is doing amazing work to support endangered animals in Central America. The members of my very small congregation were able to undertake a really fun fundraiser : building and painting birdhouses to raise money for the protection of some Parrot friends in Central America. We are very proud to be supporters of this compassionate organization and the Administrators who care for our world so diligently. Thank you Paso Pacifico !

I first heard about Paso Pacifico through a story that featured their InvestEGGator decoy sea turtle eggs. I've since kept up with them and have loved seeing the work they do. I am looking forward to seeing all they accomplish, both with their InvestEGGator eggs and their other projects.

I’ve been following the work of Paso Pacifico closely as of recent. It is illuminating to see how the work of these individuals will benefit the biological and ecological state of Central America at large. I wholeheartedly believe that such work is vital for the survival of the environment and of the education and equity for affected communities.

Love seeing the tangible work paso pacifico does and watching it come to fruition. The people that work here are so passionate about what they do and it reflects in their work.

Paso Pacifico is doing undeniably vital work for the ecological diversity of Central America. It is truly inspiring and beautiful to see such a wonderful group of people contributing to such a cause!

Paso Pacifico has done amazing work in Central America. Watching all of their progress over the years has been wonderful to see. It truly is inspiring.

I work at Paso Pacifico and being able to witness the manners in which this organization brings in local community members in Central America to build climate resilience has truly shifted my perspective on climate change. For so many years the messaging surrounding climate change has made it sound hopeless, but the way Paso Pacifico's work uplifts the environment in the same stroke that it uplifts local community members fills me with hope for our ability to respond to climate change. I am extremely grateful to be able to be a part of an organization that is doing so much good for local communities and their environment.

As a land owner of acreage featuring 4 distinct bio zones, starting at Lake Nicaragua and stretching up the hills bordering Costa Rica, Sarah approached us with the concept of being an integral part of creating a wild corridor for birds, fora and fauna in which to safely migrate. What an opportunity of stewardship! Sarah/Paso Pacifico introduced my partners and me to the concept of trading carbon credits for the purchase of native trees to facilitate the reforestation our cattle and horse centric land.

Sarah organized the exchange, made the purchases and Paso Pacifico managed the planting of over 10,000 indigenous trees. This was about 15 years ago and we are happy to report that the land has reverted back to native habitat.

Paso Pacifico has observed many birds nesting and migrating thru this land, most importantly, the endangered yellow napped parrots. The land is also home to 3 varieties of primates: the white faced monkey, spider monkey and howler monkey. There are pasotes (so cute), sloth, fox, panther, salamanders, the terrifying fer de lance snake and spiders extraordinaire, to name but a fraction of the wondrous wildlife being observed by Paso Pacifico's very professional, caring, considerate field researchers.

Sarah radiates her passion to all her staff and they enthusiastically share their finding when we are lucky enough to be at the ranch when Paso Pacifico is there.

I have been so taken by Sarah's devotion to her vision and the dedication shared by her fine staff that I have gone from a land owner watching the magic to a donor supporting the cause.

The people at Paso Pacifico are wonderful and kind, and they do such incredible conservation work. I’ll continue to support them for as long as I can because I know they do important work that people should know about. Thank you to everyone at Paso, you all are incredible!

I work at Paso Pacífico and couldn’t be happier to be part of an organization that has been empowering communities in Central America since the early 2000s. Today’s youth is bombarded with messages of hopelessness about climate change that make the future seem bleak, but the more people engage with Paso Pacífico’s work, the more they realize that this is an organization worth investing in. Their community-based approach to conservation is shaping the next generation of eco allies in Central America, but their impact is far-reaching and has inspired countless others globally. Working with Paso Pacífico has given me newfound hope and optimism for the future of our planet, and for that, I am grateful.

I send the majority of my donation dollars to Paso Pacifico because I know the dedication of this non-profit to their environmental work in Central America. They have an excellent team of committed staff and volunteers. I particularly appreciate their Junior Ranger program. Encouraging the locals to become a vital part of preserving the environment is an important element of their effots. Ginger Woolley

I've had the great privilege of visiting many Paso Pacifico projects in Nicaragua. I've watched the women's oyster collective sustainably harvesting, visited the sea turtle hatcheries and protected nesting beaches, watched the junior rangers program in action, visited private lands that have been reforested and were now full of howler monkeys and birdlife, participated in a jaguar camera trap survey, and more. These guys are the perfect blend of science based conservation and community involvement. It doesn't really get any better than this. I'm proud to support them, both as a donor and as a conservation photographer.

I am from the United States i have never heard of Paso Pacífico untill I read an article about police arresting someone who had thousands of turtle eggs. They mentioned a organization who put gps trackers on fake eggs and i immediately had to find out what organization it was i contacted the editors and they referred me to Paseo Pacifico i am impressed by what this organization does to catch these illegal trafficers..

I have been involved in a number of conservation organizations over the past 40 years or so, as volunteer, site steward, and board president. Paso Pcifico came to my attention a few years ago, and I have visited one of its research and restoration sites in Nicaragua.

We are learning that environmentalism cannot focus only on wildlife and habitat, and that caring for human communities is a vital part of conservation in most cases. Paso Pacifico blends those concerns very effectively, and I am proud to be helpful to a small degree.
Tom Galdabini

Few nonprofits manage to involve local communities as effectively as Paso Pacifico. I am happy to support them and learn about the valuable work they do in Nicaragua.

I am a retired National Park Service employee. Because I served in the Peace Corps, I speak passable Spanish. When Paso Pacifico hired its first community-based rangers to protect turtle eggs from being poached and sold to restaurants in Managua and Costa Rica, they asked me to help these first rangers understand what rangers did, how they treated other people and what their role was in protecting the environment. PP is the most grass-roots organization with which I have ever worked. They are changing the environmental consciousness of the next generation of Nicaraguans. All the work is done by Nicaraguans in Nicaragua. PP facilitates the financial support. Their Junior Ranger program is outstanding.

I learned about Paso Pacifico when I was in grad school through a friend who was working with them. Learning more about them I started to donate as I was impressed with the mission and the approach to conservation work which focuses with how it actually works on the ground with the local communities. I appreciate the updates via the email newsletter on new projects and their work.

We donate to Paso Pacifico because it is a medium-sized organization that keeps its focus on conservation of local plants and animals together with local human communities. We feel that the organization stays mission-driven and that the work is effective.

I became aware of Paso Pacifico's conservation work in Central America over a decade ago, in part because my research interests in tropical dry forest (TDF) ecology overlapped with their ongoing initiatives. While many nonprofit organizations are organized and working in well-trodden tourist destinations of the region like Costa Rica, Paso Pacifico has chosen to focus the bulk of their conservations efforts in two countries that are sometimes overlooked by the international NGOs: Nicaragua and El Salvador. They've also chosen to focus on the relatively more endangered tropial deciduous forests of the Pacific slope of Central America, rather than lowland tropical rain forests.

I joined the Paso Pacifico board in early 2020 and have been thoroughly impressed by their professionalism, as well as the breadth and depth of their projects. Whether they are working on overall habitat connectivity or on preserving specific endangered species, they always use the best science to guide their objectives. There is a clear focus on bringing local stakeholders together with research scientists on the ground to jointly develop viable conservation plans that also consider rural livelihoods. My overall impression is that Paso Pacifico is a model of how international conservation nonprofits can help to protect and improve the global environmental commons while simultaneously empowering local communities to reinforce and build their own prospects for sustainability (social, economic, environmental).

I have had the privilege of working with Paso Pacifico for over two years as a volunteer and graduate student and can attest to the terrific work of this organization. From their extensive biodiversity conservation and monitoring programs to their work empowering local communities, women, and children, Paso Pacifico has been a leader in integrative, effective, and socially-minded conservation in the region. Beyond Paso Pacifico's conservation work on the ground, the organization has a strong commitment to fostering the next generation of leaders and change makers in conservation through its Junior Rangers program and support of students and young professionals such as myself. I have truly appreciated the opportunity to work with Director Sarah Otterstrom and the rest of the Paso Pacifico team and thank them for their incredible work!

Paso Pacifico does great work and has an ongoing commitment to protecting ecosystems that is admirable and so very needed. Education in this regard is key, and they go to great lengths to train and educate communities, to convey what it means to truly care for and restore our environment. Thank you for the work that you do!

We have a small foundation and have worked with Paso Pacifico since 2012. We chose Paso because of it's Executive Director, Sarah Otterstrom who works tirelessly to promote environmental education to save and strength the dry tropical forests and coastal ecosystems in the countries of Latin America. They are saving turtles, parrots, monkeys in Nicaragua and El Salvador. We worked with Sarah and Lisa, the country director in Nicaragua, on educational and medical programs in the country trying to enhance the educational program by building a library, donating much needed school supplies to the rural schools and purchasing drugs for medical clinics in rural areas. We could not have accomplished this program without Sarah, Lisa and Henningston. We have worked with other non profits but Paso Pacifico has always been our favorite mostly because of the heart and soul of Sarah. She is an amazing woman who has created an outstanding program. Thank you Sarah for all that you do!

Paso Pacifico has worked tirelessly for almost 20 years to promote their mission. The restoration and protection of the endangered dry tropical forest as well as coastal ecosystems of Mesoamerica’s Pacific Slope has been their unwavering commitment. I am proud to have served on Paso Pacifico’s Board and continue to support their vision.

Paso Pacifico is a science-based, hands on conservation organization that straddles two time scales - it invests in long term, sustainable improvement for ecological systems in Central America while doing immediately impactful work every day in collaboration with the communities who reside there. Many nonprofits choose to work in one time scale or the other but Paso Pacifico successfully conducts actions that protect turtles, moneys, birds, and working landscapes while also building a healthy future for these ecosystems and the people who live in them. I am a donor and a volunteer and can’t recommend this organization highly enough.

I first heard of Paso Pacifico and the great work that they do through a friend. Much later I was fortunate enough to be a conservation intern. Paso Pacifico's team is made up of skilled individuals with so much passion, this includes their team in Nicaragua and El Salvador! All of the conservation project that they do are critical and their approach is affective. By working with local landowners and emphasizing education of local communities Paso Pacifico is making lasting change. Some of the projects and successes I found most admirable include their junior ranger program, this program has reached hundreds of children encouraging them to be active participants in conservation efforts. Paso Pacifico has also established a community ranger program, these rangers collect scientific data, protect turtle nesting sites, setting camera traps and so much more!

I discovered Paso Pacifico on State Farm's Neighborhood of Good, and I contacted them and became a Research and Writing Intern. This has been a wonderful experience; as an intern, I have learned much about the various flora and fauna they protect in their biological corridor and throughout Nicaragua and El Salvador. They work hard to educate the public both in Central America and in the U.S., as well as to involve local communities in ecological protection. One example was that they sponsored World Oceans Day Ventura in 2019, bringing out hundreds of people to appreciate the ocean through speeches by activists, music, and an environmentally conscious raffle. Other key projects include protecting yellow-naped Amazon parrots, protecting sea turtles from poaching, and running a junior rangers program in Nicaragua to encourage children to be environmentally-minded.

This non profit did a great job with their Oceans Day event in Ventura. I had a great time with friends and being able to help with such a great cause was so rewarding. I will definitely be attending any events they have in the future.

I originally heard about Paso Pacifico through an article I read about their Investeggator project that they have been working on. This innovative project led me to look up the company, and I became pretty interested in their mission. I donated and then joined their mailing list, and I have been nothing but impressed with what I have seen.

Over the last few months, Paso Pacifico has led multiple projects throughout Mexico and Central America related to habitat and species conservation of important organisms. These projects all not only help solve an important biological problem, but they also all employ local employees native to the regions they work in. This idea of supporting the environment while also supporting the communities around it is one that many nonprofits like to tout, but few actually follow through with. PP actually actively seeks out opportunities to help in this way, and for that I admire them greatly.

I also have gone through their publicly-published tax forms and they really appear to be sustainably funding their projects and not overpaying or dealing out any huge bonuses to the leadership teams in the U.S. This is one of the main things I look for while deciding where to donate my money, as I see integrity in the handling of money as a sign that there will be integrity elsewhere. They also appear to really be using donations to make important strides with their projects, which makes me happy to know my money is being put to good use.

I first heard about Paso Pacifico on PBS and then checked out their website. I was impressed with the conservation projects they have generated, and told my family about their work. This led to my daughter applying for and getting an internship there this summer.
Through her experience I have seen that Paso Pacifico is incredibly innovative, creative, and truly dedicated to connecting local human populations with the conservation of fragile ecosystems. Locally in Ventura, PP initiated the first World Oceans Day Celebration in June bringing awareness and a fun event to their own hometown.

I have worked alongside Paso Pacifico, beginning in 2009 and spanning over the last decade, as a participant, volunteer and supporter of their programs I have been impressed by their mission, dedication and care for both ecosystems and local communities. Their programs have clear and strategic outcomes and also ripple effects that carry over long into the future. I have no doubt the work they do is powerful, sustainable and positive.

My family has been working with Paso Pacifico for several years. I have had the pleasure of seeing first hand the positive impact the organization makes for both the environment and the wonderful people of Nicaragua.

Paso Pacifico does amazing work to help wildlife and local communities in Nicaragua. I had the opportunity to visit and see first hand some of the animals that are being helped and the wonderful people of the communities who work to make it possible. We met Junior Rangers, Turtle Rangers, Women Oyster Farmers, people who work w/ Monkeys and Parrots and Landowners, all of whom were so proud to show us what they do to help the environment. Founder and Executive Director, Sarah Otterstrom and her team are the best...Conservationists who work tirelessly and care so deeply for this important mission in this critical area of need, bringing such pride to the people who live here.

I worked directly with Paso Pacifico to support their female-ran collective aquaculture development project in southwest Nicaragua. I travelled to remote locations to consult Paso Pacifico in development of rock oyster growing operations. This NP has a clear goal to provide sustainable seafood options for rural communities, while promoting cultural development and opportunities for women. What a fantastic combination! The team at Paso Pacifico are among the most motivated and hard working people I know, and I look forward to any opportunity to collaborate with them again. Cheers : )

Paso Pacifico is a small nonprofit that has accomplished major conservation goals in Nicaragua, empowering locals to care for their environment through tree planting, wildlife monitoring, entrepreneurship, and many other avenues. Their education programs have reached hundreds of children, encouraging them to become stewards for the environment by picking up trash, exchanging slingshots for birding binoculars, and many other fun and engaging activities. Paso Pacifico has trained former poachers to become turtle rangers, patrolling beaches for illegal activities and providing them with meaningful employment and respectable wages. The organization has also pledged their support to women, creating and supporting female-owned cooperatives and businesses.
I had the great pleasure of working for Paso Pacifico in their US headquarters for several years, and helped create a small spider monkey sanctuary for the organization. I maintain that the Founder and Executive Director, Sarah Otterstrom, is one of the most kindhearted, driven, and passionate women I have ever met. I continue to be impressed by what she and her team are able to accomplish each year.

I am a teacher in Santa Barbara, CA and visited Paso Pacifico in Nicaragua with my family in June 2017. We were very impressed by the extensive work being done at the Mono Bayo reserve to educate others about the importance of protecting the spider monkeys as well as sea turtles and other wildlife. The rangers were extremely knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating to my family and I. We left feeling very confident about the important work being done by Paso Pacifico to protect Nicaragua's wildlife .

I am the founding board president of Paso Pacifico, a conservation organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the Pacific slope ecosystems of Central America. From its inception, Paso Pacifico has been clear about its mission, has collected passionate followers, talented and skilled staff and the commitment and involvement of local communities. Crossing the three program areas of Science, conservation and education, this impressive organization has developed innovative models and programs to study and protect the needs of all the species in this biological hotspot. Flagship species include the back-handed spider monkey, the yellow-naped Amazon parrot, four species of endangered sea turtles and jaguars.
The projects are implemented by dedicated staff and volunteers, which include college students, community leaders and seasoned scientists.
The unique and creative programs developed by Paso Pacifico have been recipients of many awards and accolades from the conservation community for providing viable tools for addressing biodiversity loss and climate change. Most recently, a Hollywood special effects artist worked with a Paso Pacifico ecologist to create fake sea turtle eggs that are actually GPS-enabled decoys. These decoys have enabled Paso Pacifico to track the eggs from the beach to market and help put an end to illegal poaching networks.
I am continually inspired by environmental programs targeting the youth through education to ensure the commitment and dedication of conservation for the future. The Junior Rangers, ages 8-14, engage in regular workshops focused on environmental knowledge and stewardship. The students earn badges for each educational module and then serve as proud ambassadors for conservation in their communities. The Junior Rangers also engage in bi-monthly monitoring of birds and primates in forests neighboring their farms and communities. It is so inspiring to watch these youngsters gain skills in data management, wildlife observation and cooperation with their peers.
I have no doubt that Paso Pacifico will continue to make a difference to people and our planet in transformative ways.

Even before it was founded, I wrote about Paso Pacifico's founder, her research, and the needs this NGO addresses. At the time, I was producing environmental education curricula in the Czech Republic for a non-profit I eventually directed. I was genuinely inspired by the founder's story and how clearly she saw the tough choices faced by conservationists in the developing world. A few years later, after spending time in Central America and growing passionate about the need for economic development and biodiversity conservation in the region, I grew more involved with the organization.

Paso Pacifico is a U.S.-based 501c3, but it has genuine community buy-in throughout Nicaragua. The first time I visited the Paso del Istmo, everyone I met would use the pronoun "we" to talk about Paso Pacifico's work. These were not employees or even volunteers. These were local farmers, fishermen, landowners, entrepreneurs, and kids who were bursting with pride to be a part of such an important movement in their part of the world.

I know from my time in Washington, D.C.'s world of public policy that a lot of the big environmental NGOs spend your donation dollars on lobbyists. Paso Pacífico, on the other hand, puts my donation dollars directly to work in the field, protecting critically endangered wildlife habitat and empowering local communities.

At other organizations, I have been disappointed by financial impropriety, philosophical inconsistencies, incompetent leadership, arrogance, or a lack of dedication. This is NOT at all the case at Paso Pacifico, where people are honest, dedicated, passionate, humble, and responsible stewards of their resources.

Everyone at Paso Pacifico listens to the children and other community members in the areas where they work. Paso Pacifico researchers stay on top of cutting-edge research in conservation science, bringing technology to bear in remote parts of Central America, and using insights from the social sciences to build successful programs that respect people and protect endangered species and wildlife habitat.

I could not be prouder to be a longtime Paso Pacifico collaborator and contributor.

I have volunteered with Paso Pacifico since 2014, first assisting with the native stingless bee keeping program, then leading a project to inventory native bee species in the Paso del Istmo, the region of focus for Paso Pacifico. I have also helped with compiling the data generated by Paso Pacifico's Audubon Christmas Bird Count, which it has organized since 2015.

To me, what is most exemplary about Paso Pacifico's work is how it creates opportunities for local community members to learn, achieve, and contribute in the realm of conservation. This means investing considerable resources in training local people and trusting them to carry out responsibilities like counting sea turtle hatchlings, tracking Yellow-naped Amazon Parrots with radio telemetry, taking care of hundreds of planted trees, collecting specimens of obscure insects, following spider monkeys through rugged terrain, and leading the way in oyster farming on Nicaragua's Pacific Coast.

Paso Pacifico's patient, persistent investment in people, on the ground, demonstrates a long-term vision and commitment to biodiverse, ecologically intact, prosperous, sustainable communities. Perhaps Paso Pacifico's greatest conservation success is its Junior Ranger Program, which affirms the idea that conservation of ecosystems in Nicaragua rests firmly in the hands of the young generation of Nicaraguans.

Conozco la labor de Paso Pacífico desde hace algunosa años, entre otras tareas deseo destacar la preocupación por la capacitación de las personas vinculadas al Proyecto. Particularmente los Guardaparques, que han sido enviados hasta... Argentina! Y la formación ambiental de los niños para lograr adultos ambientalmente comprometidos. Felicitaciones

I am a spatial ecologist with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, with many years of experience working in Central and South America. Having had the opportunity to work with Paso Pacifico staff and student researchers, I highly support its mission and focus on fundamental conservation issues in a key portion of the Central American isthmus. Paso Pacifico's reforestation efforts and initiatives to protect endangered wildlife species and habitat with strong cooperation of Nicaraguan citizens is a testament to their successful approach for conserving areas of high biodiversity. I look forward to future collaborations with them.

I admire Paso Pacifico's effort to engage community members, Nicaraguan staff, students and biologists, as well as international collaborators to conduct local-regional level biodiversity conservation work very much. After doing ecological research in Latin America for years, I have come to the realization that action-oriented conservation that involves participatory mapping/research is badly needed. Paso Pacifico is an excellent example of how citizen science in conservation is applied in the real-world problem-solving contexts.

I am a retired employee of the US National Park Service. I have had extensive experience in Latin America as a conservation consultant. Paso Pacifico is the most grass-roots organization with which I have ever worked. All the work it does in the fields listed above is almost exclusively done by Nicaraguans in Nicaragua. I worked on training their rangers who were selected from communities near beaches where marine turtles annually come to nest. These rangers have revolutionized the villagers' attitudes toward turtle egg poaching. On one beach, for 25 years, no baby turtles crawled to the sea. All the eggs were dug up and sold. Last year, due to the ranger's protection and their educational efforts in the community, thousands of turtles made it back to the Pacific Ocean. These rangers have becone leaders in their communities, demonstrating that the sustainable use of resources is a viable way to feed, clothe and educate their children. Paso Pacfico's work in all areas of conservation is ourstanding.