About Me: I'm a graduate student in Conservation Biology & Sustainable Development at the University of Wisconsin, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. I'm currently in Kenya, in a little coastal town called Watamu, conducting research for my Masters thesis. My research is on local people's attitudes towards a protected forest called Arabuko-Sokoke and the effectiveness of Integrated Conservation and Development Projects for improving people's livelihoods and conserving biodiversity. I'm going to be in Kenya for 6 months, from June-December 2007. This blog is an attempt to keep in touch with close family and friends, and keep those who are interested updated on what I'm doing here. Feel free to e-mail me and/or post comments on my updates. I have limited internet access but would like to stay in touch as much as possible!