Team
Introducing the Tropica Verde team
The work of TROPICA VERDE e.V. is based on the voluntary support of all its members and sponsors. The Board of Directors represents the association and is elected from among the members. The committee is the body of the members, is also elected from their ranks and monitors the implementation of resolutions and the purpose of the association in accordance with the articles of association. The members of the Executive Board and the Committee all work on a voluntary basis and receive no remuneration for their commitment.
The organizational chart provides an overview of the structure of TROPICA VERDE.

Michael Ott
Chairman of the Management Board
has been an active member of the Tropica Verde Board of Directors as Treasurer since 1993 and has been the successor to Dr. Stefan Rother since 2010.
Chairman of the Management Board. He is a banker and has supported the work of Tropica Verde for many years. In his previous role, he was also responsible for membership and donor management. He is responsible for the legal and organizational aspects of the association.

Gabriele Schaar-von Römer
Deputy Chairwoman of the Executive Board
is a long-standing member of Tropica Verde and was elected to the association’s board in July 2024.
Her main focus in the team is the implementation of the education and event program. She has experience in educational events and the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through her many years as head of the Hanau Environmental Center. From 2013 to 2024, she supported the activities of Tropica Verde on the association’s committee and, together with the board, contributed to the protection of the rainforest in Costa Rica through numerous projects.

Andrea Delbrück
Treasurer
was responsible for projects in Latin America for many years in Peru and at the development bank KfW.
She was particularly enthusiastic about tropical forest conservation, which could not function without private commitment such as that of Tropica Verde. She is responsible for finance on the Executive Board and has succeeded Alejandro Villalobos since October 2023.
Lina Herr
Secretary
is the secretary of Tropica Verde. She was born in Frankfurt and studied physical geography in Marburg and Frankfurt.
studied. She has been interested in the rainforest since she was a child and was able to spend 3 months in Costa Rica as part of her Master’s thesis on the Tropica Verde conservation area Finca Curré. There she was able to get to know and love this special forest and also visit the other projects. Lina now works in environmental planning and has 2 children. Rainforest protection and environmental education are more important today than ever and she really enjoys being part of the Tropica Verde team!
Heribert Becker
Committee Chairman
has been supporting Tropica Verde’s projects for many years. He knows the projects very well thanks to several trips.
Heribert Becker has been a member of the association committee since 2014.
Prof. Dr. Martin Scholz
Committee member
is a long-standing member of Tropica Verde, was on the association’s board and joined the committee in July 2024.
Martin studied biology in Frankfurt and has been a founding member of TROPICA VERDE since 1989. He sees the protection of tropical habitats and thus the stabilization of the global ecological balance as one of the most important challenges for future generations. Together with the Tropica Verde team, he wants to make a significant contribution to this.
Sabine Schiller
Committee member
is a graphic designer and owner of a communications agency. She first traveled to Costa Rica 25 years ago and fell in love with the country and its magnificent nature.
As a native of Frankfurt, she was pleasantly surprised to find an association in her home town of all places that has been working to protect the rainforest in Costa Rica for over 30 years. Since 2020, she has therefore been supporting Tropica Verde e.V. on a voluntary basis in the areas of design and public relations. She was elected to the committee in July 2024.
Dr. Stefan Rother
Project coordinator
is a founding member of Tropica Verde, was head of the association’s public relations for several years and was a member of the board of directors from 2002
Chairman of the Management Board until 2010. After leaving Germany in 2010, he remained closely associated with the association and today supports the team as project coordinator and scientific advisor. As a biologist, animal photographer and rainforest expert, he also offers lectures, e.g. for schools or public events on the subject of rainforests.
Ingrith Carolina Tilly
Head of Information Office
has gained valuable experience in various countries and developed her skills in different areas.
such as field sales, the fashion industry and online marketing. Her deep commitment to nature and her passionate dedication to protecting our environment are the driving force behind her professional commitment. She was born in Colombia.