Fabiola was born into a large family in a rural area of Puerto Rico, with some members living on the coast and others in the mountains. She quickly learned to value an island’s natural diversity. Her upbringing shaped who she is today; an enthusiastic nature advocate and a pursuer of knowledge of the natural world through science. Her highest degree is a Master of Science in Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles, with a thesis on leatherback sea turtles. As a growing professional, she has had the chance to work for numerous private organizations and public sector entities including the US Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Department of Agriculture, US Bureau of Land Management and the National Audubon Society. With the knowledge she has acquired throughout the years, Fabiola founded Conservation Opportunity, a nonprofit incorporated in Puerto Rico that connects people with opportunities focused on wildlife conservation. As the nonprofit grows, environmental stewardship-oriented programming is being further developed to reach underserved communities on the archipelago of Puerto Rico.
About their film: "La Voz en Nuestra Manos" is a Spanish short film highlighting Puerto Rico's deaf community's experience with the environment and accessibility. Featuring deaf people from different backgrounds that connect with natural spaces in their own unique way. The film will follow members of the deaf community, and supportive organizations that will teach us about the culture, experiences, and accessibility and inaccessibility that comes for this community in the outdoors. Unfortunately, deaf people in Puerto Rico are a marginalized community that lacks access to a wide range of topics; climate change, environmental health, laws, policies, weather, day to day news, and so much more - mainly due to not providing the proper interpretation tools to include this community in the conversation for subjects that affect them.