Santiago Ramírez Said is a Colombian/Lebanese biologist,  educator, and National Geographic Explorer working on interdisciplinary initiatives to address socio-environmental challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, Sargassum accumulation, deforestation, gender/sexual identity discrimination, and the refugee crisis. Growing up in a multicultural and multireligious family circle, Ramirez Said thrives in diverse, inclusive, and intercultural groups. This has led him to work on four National Geographic Society-funded projects since 2020 to support Indigenous communities in Panama and Colombia to advance forest and ethnobotanical conservation; implement photography and storytelling workshops to empower Indigenous youth in South America; support local communities in coastal Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil, the United States and Colombia to repurpose Sargassum into circular economic opportunities; and work with local conservation leaders in the Peruvian Andes to better monitor Yellow-tailed Woolly Monkeys and Spectacled Bears. Finally, Santiago has worked with several organizations, including The Refugee Center, Witness Change, and Bogota’s government, to highlight the experiences of underrepresented groups like refugees, LGBTQ+ people, and women in Latin America and the Middle East. Santiago's work has been featured on Telemundo, in Colombian, Canadian, and Panamanian Museums, and Egypt's national educational materials. He holds a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of the Andes, a specialization in geographic information systems (GIS) from the University of California Davis, and a Master of Science in natural resource sciences from McGill University.

Santiago has worked as an Expedition Expert for National Geographic Expeditions and Ponant since 2022, participating in Expeditions between Central and South America. He is particularly fond of macrophotography, ultraviolet light photography, and drone flying but also enjoys photographing birds and monkeys. Ramirez loves teaching about ecology, nature conservation, climate change, and botany through storytelling and enjoys sharing about his work with Indigenous Peoples and Refugees, highlighting the importance of their knowledge and support for a better future.

Spoken languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese (fluent)

Photo credit: ARR