Two years ago Abigail Rome '78 was ready to come home. A well-traveled conservationist and former Peace Corps volunteer, she had just finished leading a Colby Jan Plan on ecology and conservation in Ecuador. Now she was looking forward to settling in the U.S., perhaps even buying a house. But then she received an offer: How would she like to be the director of Maquipucuna Reserve high in the mountains of Ecuador? To Rome, the offer was an opportunity to fulfill a long-time dream--to actually help save some tropical rainforest. The job, she says, was simply "too good to turn down." Today, Rome is convinced staying in Ecuador was the right decision.		Not only is she living and working in the heart of one of the country's last remaining stretches of cloudforest, she also is helping to lay the foundation for protection of similar habitats everywhere. Directing biological research and environmental education and ecotourism programs, Rome is using her wealth of skills to literally save the rainforest. That is no small task. Located two hours northwest of Quito, Maquipucuna Reserve encompasses more than 10,000 acres of largely undisturbed forest and rugged mountainous terrain. Rich in animal and plant species, many of which are endangered, the reserve is connected to a region considered one of the 10 most biologically diverse in the world.
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