Lacey Rowley – 8 week research intern

I have always had a passion for conservation and a desire to understand the world around me. I grew up traveling and eventually settled in Florida for a while with my parents, but after working with exotic and Florida wildlife for a few years, I felt the need to broaden my horizons and find a new adventure. I fell in love with hornbills at the zoo I was employed in a few years ago and that eventually extended to a love for the wildlife and biodiversity that exists in Southeast Asia, and specifically Thailand. I discovered KSES through one of my employers and really resonated with the message of the project. Being in the village provides a simple kind of happiness that is hard to find elsewhere, and the opportunity to contribute in any way I can has been a meaningful experience.

During my time here, I’ve been tasked with completing two projects of my choice; I chose renovating the garden and updating the biodiversity drive. The garden has been a cathartic adventure and I’ve enjoyed seeing the progress from a mangled forest to the perfect chili garden that continues to enable Aislinn’s spice addiction. But I’ve had the most fun adding onto the biodiversity drive. Although we’ve had some technical difficulties here and there (i.e., The Great Drive Corruption of 2023 resulting in the temporary loss of everything), it’s been highly rewarding, as I’ve expanded my own knowledge on local animals and hopefully aided future interns and visitors in exploring the wonderful critters in the area. After all, the world is far more exciting and easier to connect to when you take the effort to get to know it better.