Max 1 week intern-

Last week I had the opportunity to be a research intern with Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary. This was an incredible experience, from the moment I arrived at the village until the second that I left.

When I first signed up for the program, I was a bit apprehensive about the entire project, in spite of the great reviews I had read online. Having had zero background working with elephants in the past, or animals at all for that matter, as well as no prior experience living in a remote village, or even another state outside of New York, this was set up to be a complete shock to my previously stable and comfortable life. When it was all said and done, however, the week that I spent at KSES and in the Karen village of Ban Naklang was truly eye-opening, in the most amazing way possible.

From the perspective of the elephant research, in just a short period of time, I was able to learn so much about the elephants and their behaviors, as well as the interactions that take place between them and their environments. They are an incredibly intelligent species and highly social, which becomes obvious within minutes of observing their habits in the sanctuary. The staff at KSES does a remarkable job of teaching the interns while also seamlessly integrating them into the program from day one. Being able to study the associations among the different elephants, as well as tracking specific behaviors for certain elephants, provided for an extremely unique and thorough learning experience that is rare to find at other parks, and seldom offered. KSES can hopefully serve as a model to other organizations that wish to bring elephants back and ease them into their natural habitat in the forest, while also spreading awareness about their magnificent capabilities.

With respect to life in the village, this proved to be an equally impactful part of the trip. Living among the Karen people was an invaluable experience – they have such an interesting culture, centered around family and community, which I found to be inspiring. Being able to learn from a completely different way of life, and seeing how welcoming and accepting they were of me, a total outsider, shed light on the kindness and openness that there is across the entire globe. Additionally, the time spent teaching English at the nursery and school were both such heartfelt moments, my personal highlight being an intense game of Uno with some of the students at the school (and the big crowd that gathered to watch). I am forever grateful for the smiles and warm interactions that we shared in my week at their home.

My decision to volunteer at KSES was rewarding beyond my highest hopes. I would like to give a special thanks my homestay, Noh Boh and her family, and the rest of Ban Naklang for allowing me to join your community and have the experience of a lifetime. To the entire staff at KSES, you are all so passionate about the project and about working with the elephants at the sanctuary – it was this attitude that you brought everyday that made it such a joy to be a part of, so thank you all very much!