Haruka Wakimoto, Scott Sonnenberg, and Sam Haas of Newton South High School traveled to Thailand this summer to volunteer with rescued elephants. The teens traveled as part of Loop Abroad, a Newton-based family business that takes high school and college students from all over the world on trips to the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand.
The Elephant Nature Park is home to 40 elephants who have been rescued from logging, trekking, and forced breeding programs and whose only job is to be elephants. Their care and maintenance is provided by volunteers like Sam, Haruka, and Scott. Volunteers prepare the elephants' food, clean their shelters, feed and bathe them, provide medical care, and help with general grounds maintenance.
Loop Abroad encourages local high school students to apply if they are interested in volunteering with elephants next summer. Financial aid and fundraising assistance are available.
