Westworld Alberta
Issue link: http://westworldmagazine.ama.ab.ca/i/68789
opened the Chiang Mai Elephant Nature Park, where elephants are adopted into a car- ing environment. Volunteer opportunities exist for both professional veterinarians and ordinary travellers wanting to experience these wonderful animals up close. "The work was easy, fun and relaxing," says Kara Sorensen, a 47-year-old massage therapist from Victoria, B.C., of her January 2010 visit. "We spent time preparing their food, washing pesticides from produce, shucking corn, collecting pumpkins, hack- ing down corn, and picking oranges. We also collected and bagged sand as bedding for baby elephants." Accommodation at the nature park is rustic – simple thatched, open-air huts with mosquito nets – but the camarade- rie among staff and volunteers is heart- ening and the food delicious. The highlight for Sorenson was a hike with other volunteers into the nearby hills for a camp-out with a couple of ele- phants, giving the animals the opportunity to graze on plants and trees in a natural set- ting. A local woman who has worked with the elephants for many years leads the group. "She cooks a great Thai feast and tells a wonderful story," says Sorensen. A fee of $400 per week covers volunteers' food and lodging and also helps fund the elephant park. elephantnaturepark.org Care for Guatemalan orphans Guatemala's stunning volcanoes, ancient Mayan ruins of Tikal and El Mirador, rainforests and Spanish colonial treasures have long made it a favourite among travellers to Latin America. However, the country, where indigenous Mayans still account for more than 50 per cent of the population, has had a troubled modern his- tory of civil war and enduring poverty. Sadly, 3 40 WESTWORLD >> JUNE 2012 Peter McDermott, Stefano Paterna/All Canada Photos