3 weeks at KSES

By Ruby STephens - 3 week intern

I have had a wonderful few weeks at KSES—to see and contribute to this project has been a transformative experience, both personally and professionally.

It has, of course, been a lifelong dream to study and work alongside elephants in their natural environment; being in the presence of such intelligent, charismatic megafauna is breathtaking and has been a highlight of my time at KSES. However, contributing to this project has been more than checking off a bucket-list item. As an undergraduate student studying conservation, I took this semester off to better understand specifically what, and how, I will do my research in the future. Being at KSES has shown me the significance of community conservation and how local knowledge and leadership are essential to preserving species and entire ecosystems sustainably.

This internship program offers a truly unique opportunity to connect with the local people and environment. The homestays, for one, are an incredible way to learn about Karen culture and the village life—and, not to mention, to enjoy some great cooking and group meals! Daily hikes to the elephants and weekly bio hikes presented many opportunities to observe and take in all the biodiversity that Northern Thailand has to offer. Learning from the mahouts about the elephants’ foraging habits and seeing their long-standing, mutual trust with the elephants is fascinating, heartwarming, and often silly (particularly Junior and his antics).

The field work, data collection, analysis, and final presentation have allowed me to add capacity to the ongoing citizen science at KSES while also gaining transferrable skills. I am certainly going to miss this place and community (and Libre, the toilet-paper-stealing, bull).