Serenity 1 week intern –

As I reflect on my time working with the KSES project and immersing myself within the lives of the Karen Hill Tribe I will forever hold an immense amount of gratitude for this amazing experience. It has been a thoroughly unique chapter in my life and I am most certain I will treasure the enlightenment and the memories I have made here.

Within this adventure you will aquire a vast knowledge regarding semi-captive Asian elephants, the state many of these elephants unfortunately find themselves in within the tourist industry, and just how crucial it truly is in returning them to the wild.

I feel passionate about this ideal and just knew I wanted to support this cause while immersing myself in an experience unlike any other.

The team at KSES Project, who are such an extraordinary, passionate and insightful group of people helped make that possible. Their extensive knowledge and passion for these beautiful and strong creatures solidified the rightfulness of my decision to come here and help capture the beauty these magnificent creatures deserve.

Because of this project a mother elephant and her child were happily reunited. This separation lasted far too long due to the high demands of the logging and tourist industry. After a long journey, with too many years spent apart, they ran to each other immediately and now spend their time foraging and creating their own path together.

This project helped me build upon the lesson that each living being is more connected than we ever realized. We all want the same things. To be given the choice to do with this life what we want and to spend time around the ones we deeply care about and above all else… to play.

Every morning after meeting at base we would hike to the elephants. This required some serious traversing atop the mountain in search of them. I believe there is a certain fortitude in that daily hike that expresses the dedication of this project.

These beautiful creatures should never be easy to find or ever subjected to the touristic lifestyle where they are forced to stray from their natural life and behavior. We spent a great deal of time observing and collecting data on their behavior, while capturing their beauty to help the project grow. This entire experience has truly sparked my interest in wildlife conservation and field research while also reigniting my spark for photography. Above all else, it opened my eyes to the cultural community I was immersed in from day one. We spent time in the small nursery teaching the children English and helping with trash pick-up around the village. I learned about the ecobrick project and was welcomed into the homes of the local Karen Tribe where they fixed us the most delicious meals.

I’m so grateful for my time here, with nature, the community and the elephants.