Sara Cuadra (she/her) is a conservation biologist based in Southern California who provides guidance to local land managers and stakeholders to preserve and restore monarch overwintering sites. She also supports Xerces staff and the community in the annual Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count. Sara found her grounding in ecology at Cal State Long Beach, where she earned her undergraduate degree in organismal biology. She also holds a master’s degree from UC Irvine, where her capstone work examined the effect of functional traits in coastal scrub plants on biodiversity at multiple trophic levels. Before joining Xerces in 2023, she worked with several organizations in the Los Angeles-Orange County area to restore coastal habitats and engage with the community through environmental education. Outside of work, Sara enjoys record collecting, rock climbing, and going for nature walks.