Hello! My name is Kristen Haley and I'm from Fort Kent, Maine - a small town on the Canadian Border. I am a junior at Colby College in Waterville, Maine and I am studying biology. I am a huge fan of cross-country and downhill skiing, water-skiing, hiking and mountain biking and painting. I chose to go on the SFS Rainforest Studies Program for many reasons. First of all, I am fascinated by the relationships between plants, animals and people, and the SFS program in Australia is a chance to learn about an ecosystem I had only read about. Also, this program deals with reforestation and forest management, which are both important issues in Maine. Even though rainforests and pine forests are not quite the same, I think the approach to the issues facing them can be similar; I might gain more insight into the situation at home through this program. Finally, I am excited to meet and work with other people who truly care about what happens to the environment and are trying to find practical ways to protect it.