I am back from my first community forestry trip! We went to Pred Nai in Trat, the most Eastern province of Thailand. It's a well-known community forest, one that I've read about too many times, so it was absolutely amazing to see it in person and meet the community in a personal context. I'm hoping to do several more trips there to write about a "story of change" for work. I met great folks who work as participatory researchers there, and they have been such a great resource in learning about the current stage of mangrove management and the challenges these communities face. Yes, I couldn't be more rejuvenated from the trip! More proof that this is what I must be doing.

Oh a sickening experience though: I had to take some pictures with a digital SLR. I actually thought it was something I could get use to, but then there were a few other people who took along their SLRS. While it's totally cool that other people love photography, I witnessed a method of taking photographs I could never partake in- one that was without consciousness. I couldn't bare it! Too much flash! Too much continuous shooting! And at times it really stood in the way of having a personal experience of a place and other people. That's when I don't agree with it at all. That's not my practice.