Megan Isadore

Megan Isadore

Co-founder, Executive Director

I’m all about conservation based on science, community, and public education. I graduated from the College of William & Mary with a degree in English, never suspecting I would spend my career in one kind of science or another. I began as a medical writer, then produced continuing medical education programs and publications in medical risk management. After moving to Marin in 1998, I turned my attention to watershed ecology while working with the critically endangered coho salmon of Lagunitas Creek. The intensity and beauty of salmonid lives led me to an abiding interest in watershed ecology. After beginning to delve into the webs of inter-relations that make up our beloved watershed ecosystem, river otters swam into my view in Lagunitas Creek. River otters as the flagship species for conservation are a natural fit. Their charm, playfulness, and their remarkable ability to touch hearts are among the many attributes that make them ideal ambassadors for watershed conservation and wetland restoration.

Awards and Honors:

  • 2022 Bay Nature Magazine “Local Hero” Award, Environmental Education
  • 2018  “Otter Oscar” for Conservation, International Otter Survival Fund
  • Appointed Deputy North American Coordinator, IUCN/SSC Species Survival Commission
  • Congressional Certificate of Excellence, 2017
  • Congressional Certificate of Excellence, 2014
  • Gold Medal Winner: Environmental Leader of Marin Award, 2014
  • John Muir Conservation Award, Nonprofit Organization, 2014
  • County of Marin Supervisor’s Commendation, 2014

Memberships:

  • Society of Northwestern Vertebrate Biology
  • International Union for the Conservation of Nature, Otter Specialist Group
  • Salmon Protection and Watershed Network
  • International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council
  • California Council of Wildlife Rehabilitators
  • Environmental Action Committee of West Marin

Publications:

  • Isadore, M. & Merkle, W. 2016. Chapter 21: North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis). Edson, E., Farrell, S., Fish, A., Gardali, T., Klein, J., Kuhn, W., Merkle, W., O’Herron, M., and Williams, A., eds. (2016). Measuring the Health of a Mountain: A Report on Mount Tamalpais’ Natural Resources.
  • Paola Bouley, Megan Isadore & Terence Carroll 2015. Return of North American River Otters, Lontra canadensis, to Coastal Habitats of the San Francisco Bay Area, California. Northwestern Naturalist, 96(1):1-12.
  • Articles and brochures in medical risk management topics including HIV/AIDS, Diagnosing Cancer, Managed Care, Medication Errors, Follow-up Systems, Informed Consent. 1993 – 1998.

Return to the WHO WE ARE page.