T
woyear-;;agoAhigail Rome '78wa ready to
known of the natural history and ecology of these
A well-traveled consen·ationcome home.
"In order ro manage them well. area ,"Rome said.
1st and former Peace Corps \'Olunteer. he
we must know more."
had )LIS[ finished leading a Colby Jan rlan
Rome is currently coordinating a oil ecology
Now she un ecology and consen·ar1on in Ecuador.
re,earch project in which scientist� from the Uni
, per wa lollking torward to ettling in rhe U ..
\ er,iry nfGenrgia and the Uni\'ersity of Chicago
haps even buying a hou-e.
are parti ipacing._he and her raff are frequent
But then she recei\'eJ an offer: How would she
ho-rs to scientists from throughout the world and
like to be the director of Maquipucuna Re·en·e
want ro encourage e\·en more to come and u e
high m the mountain of Ecuador.To Rome, the
their first-cla·s research station and laboratory.
dream-to actually help -a\-e some tropical rain
resen·e.
forest.The iob, she say-, was simply "roo glxi.:l to
ecornuri ts, and since then Rome ays there has
turn do\\n."
been a steady stream of student , conservarioni ts
ntfer wa, an opportunity ro fulfill a long-time
Today, Rome i · cmwinced raying in Ecuador
But cientists aren't the only one- to vi it the Last year Maquipucuna opened to
and other \·acatinners.
or only does ecotourism
was the right decis1 )n. Not only is she lh·ing and
generate much-needed income for the re en-e, it
workmg in rhe heart of one of the country' last
al ·o pre·ent:i an opronunity to teach other about
remammg stretches of cloudfore t, she also is
tropical forest consen·ation.And in a country
helpmg to lay the foundation for protection of
11·here rouri:im ha_ long been a leading- ·er n t
-imtlar habitat e\'er)where. D1rectmg b1olog1cal
alwavs nature-friendly-indu:itry, Rome has helped
re earch and environmental education and
make Maquipucuna a model of what ecotourism is
ecotounsm programs, Rome is using her wealth of
meant to be-respon·1ble tra\·el that helps u rain
�kill- to literally a\·e the ramforesr.
local economies as well as natural area .
That ts no �mall ta k. Located two hour north-
Henry Terper, director of the New Hamp hire
we tnfQuito, Maquipucuna Re-er\'e encompa� e
Office of The
more than 10,000 acres of largely undisturbed
�1aquipucuna for the fir r time m the spring of
ature Consen·ancy, visited
fore t and rugged mountainous terram. Rich in
1995. Ar that time, he ays, it was a new and
pecies, many of which are
"tentati\·e" operation, a place he would "not ha\·e
endangered, the re�en·e is connected to a region
recommended to the average touri t." One year
animal and plant
10
later he returned, rhis
mo·t b1olog1cally di\·erse
time leading a group of
considered one of the lil the world.
But it al o i
25 ecotourists, and ays one of
he wa- ama::ed at what
the mo·t endangered. All
he aw. From self-guided
around Maquipucuna,
nature trails to delicious
timber cumng, agricul
Ecuadorian cuisine and
ture, catrle grazing and
the beautiful ecolodge,
charcoal rroduction are
built of all-natural ma
cau ing the tropical for
terials, Tepper say the
est to di appear. In the
operation had improved
a
bination of Abi and her
race to hair the Je truc
t1on, Rome, who ha
master' degree in plant
ecology, ay it 1 1mpera ttve that be and other
learn a much a po ible
immen ely. "The com
colleague
running the
ecotouri m ide of the reerve i
working ex
tremely well," Tepper
about the e preciou re
aid. "They have come a
source . "There is little
long way in a very hort