I. First progress report (July 9, 2008)
Activities undertaken:
1. Building both institutional and technical capacity of target population: community rights and management of natural resources, effects of mono-quick cash crop, integrated farming, toxic-free farming, organic compost production, etc
2. Demonstrating humid-retaining in watershed area (building humid-retaining weirs)
3.Demarcating five community forests and forest surveillance of 18 locations
4. Increasing threatened native species in community cultivated areas ( at least 6 species)

Results of activities:
1. Increased capacity of community groups of various locations witnessed through ability to manage its own group and share experience, through continuous cooperation and synergies ? reducing conflicts in demarcation amongst those who had not cooperated before
2. 60 members demonstrating capacity in analyzing situation on expense of chemical fertilizer and awareness to focus more on using available local materials
3. Clearer zones on community forest with reduced illegal logging
4. Evinced reduction of rate of soil erosion and increased of humidity in forest area

Project communication:
1. Through meetings with community members and other stakeholders
2. On 29 June 2008, staff members of NBT television visited the project and interviewed project leaders on community forest management approach and approach for forging networks

Experience ,lessons learnt, problems and issues:
The project did not relate any substantial lessons learnt but submitted that working with various groups of communities required transparencies in all aspects, participatory approaches and solicitations of major stakeholders.

Project expense:
The project report the expense of US$ 4, 326.77 out of the first disbursement of US$ 10,295.85 .

II. Second progress report (February 6, 2009)
Activities undertaken:
1. Building both institutional and technical capacity of target population. RE: sharing results of activities among networks agreement to inter-village demarcation, environmental watch, reduction of chemical, chemical-free farming
2.Demarcating five community forests and forest surveillance of 18 locations
3. Demonstrating humid-retaining in watershed area (building humid-retaining weirs)
4. Disseminating project results by setting up mobile exhibition /forum and producing documentar

Results of activities:
1. Emergence of collective management plans among a number of networks confirming initial accomplishment of management of environment by people sector
2. Emergence of four pilot groups on chemical-free farming with support from Thung Hua Chang Tambol Municipality and the Regional Social Welfare Development Office
3. Evident diminution of conflicts on area of community forest and cultivated land in two villages resulting in diminution of community forest encroachment
4. Village committees being aware of changes in status of community forests , especially once trees being felled down illegally
5. Appearing effectiveness of humid retaining weirs resulting in collective conservation awareness of husband?s groups, housewife?s groups, youth?s groups and public sector, and contribution to this activity as follows:
? THB: 15,000 from Thung Hua Chang Tambol Municipality
? THB: 10,000 from Centre of Social Development
? THB: 90,000 from Village Development Budget
6. The exhibition receiving attention from local administrative organizations , being requested to launch the exhibition in Thung Hua Chang Tambol Municipality and Thung Hua Chang District Office
7. The mobile forum resulting in more understanding of community members who later cooperating more with project activities ? additional in-kind contribution thus reducing project budget

Project communication:
1. Through meetings with community members and other stakeholders
2. On 20 August 2008, a recorded video on forest ordination in Baan (village) Thung Hua Change was given to the Lampoon Provincial Office for communication.

Experience ,lessons learnt, problems and issues:
1. Fluctuating (low) price of agricultural products prompted some community members to return to illegal logging for sales
2. Land speculation in Thung Hua Chang District may hinders project implementation
3. Current global economy and redundancy of industrial sectors prompting labour forces returning to farming area might impose conflict on resources uses.

These three issues would be coped by persistent launch of participatory process for management , open forum to make the project more understood.

Project expense:
The project report the accumulated expense of US$ 15,027.16 out of the sum of two disbursements of US$ 20,591.70.

III.Monitoring visit by the NC and one NSC member ( April 25, 2009)
Findings and Observation:
The project location is situated in the vicinity of Mae Li Forest Reserve and Doi Pha Muang Wildlife Sanctuary under the Sri Lanna-Khun Tan terrestrial complex where target population from 18 villages in Tambol Thunghuachang, Baanpuang and Takhianpom of Thunghuachang District earned their living mostly from agricultural practice (seasonal crops and husbandry), and the provisions of forest and fresh water ecosystems thereby. Majority of the population dwelled in cultivated low land area, which buffered the forest reserve of hilly and mountainous terrains. Two main traditional groups, northern Thai and Karen, constituted target population. Typical to forest reserves in the country, the location had been under forest concession until about three decades ago, therefore several zones were rated as vulnerable.

The first witnessed increased capacity of communities was at Baan (village) Maeborntai of Tambol Baanpuang where community leaders walked the visiting team into the demarcated community forest of about 160 ha. stretched along the road from Lampang Province to Thunghuachang District. Of Kareni traditional group, community applied indigenous knowledge and practice to slow down soil erosion and timely retain humidity in the forest. The practice involved building small weirs across water ways using materials available in the forest such as stones and sands and seasonally making fire break trails. According to community members, the weirs continued to produce effects slowing down running water during rainy season and retain adequate humidity for biological diversity. Several endangered native animal species were said to return in abundance, one of which was a mountain frog. Cleaner water flowed down to form several creeks providing water and fishes for community consumption.

The second witness and interaction happen at Baan (village) Huaypong of Tambol Baanpuang, a home to Karen traditional group. Here, similar practice and result were witnessed but the community forest managed by this village covered several hundred ha more and not exactly the same in term of appearance and terrain, even though both would be classified as mix- deciduous. Seeping water as a result of community weirs appeared in abundance and at certain points would be readily drinkable. Some three thousands teak seedlings were seen thriving along a walking trail which community use monthly in forest surveillance.

The final witness of this visit was at Baan (village) Nongpartueng of Tambol Thunghuachang, a home to northern Thai. The community forest was quite different from the previous two in term of types of forest and biological diversity it generated. Located in a lower land, the forest was clearly dry dipterocarp with a numbers of specific plants communities had traditionally use for generations. Community here also expressed the same level of satisfaction with immediate results of project activities as the other two communities visited.

Witnessing three out of 18 community forests and relevant managing communities, the visiting team gathered that conserving and planning sustainable use of biological diversity was well underway. One main by-product appeared to be a continuous supply of water for community consumption. In addition, relevant participation and support from the Thunghuachang Municipality was fairly substantial. One notable existing community conservation awareness was evidenced through their allocation of financial resources received from the government?s Small-Medium-Large Enterprise Scheme for environment conservation activities rather than committing all on livelihood and infrastructure.

If all 18 community forests with total area of nearly 7,000 ha under the project produce and sustain similar results, compiled experience could be shared effectively with other communities in the Greater Mekong Sub-region to ensure synergy of global conservation effort.

IV. Mid-course evaluation workshop (September 1-2, 2009)
Together with eight other projects of the same grant cycle ( Project number:THA-SGP-OP4-RAF-07-01 to THA-SGP-OP4-RAF-07-06 and THA-SGP-OP4-CORE-07-01 to THA-SGP-OP4-CORE-07-04), the project attended the mid-course evaluation workshop.

Workshop-at-a-glance:
The meeting room of Par Darng Camp, in Petburi Province?s Kaengkrajarn District, the venue of the workshop, welcomed 24 representatives from 9 SGP projects from 9 provinces across the country and other five members of GEF SGP country team comprising NSC members , National Coordinator and programme assistants participating in the event. Literally, these 9 projects were dubbed among SGP
Thailand as GEF SGP Class 9 with project numbers enumerated above. One project missed this sharing opportunity, due to its internal managerial problem.

The workshop was opened with welcoming address by an NSC member stating workshop objectives and encouraging participants to openly share results of project activities and lessons learnt, including emerging problems/issues encountered during implementation.

With project posters on the walls and project outputs on the tables, the NC proceeded with the posters & outputs session. Each project was given ten minutes to brief its story with questions from the audiences. A few projects spent adequate time elaborating their stories when being directed with questions.

With an NSC member as the chairperson and one volunteering minute taker from the projects, the following session saw presentation , both by power point and hanging posters/photos , from 8 projects repeating their background, undertaken activities, immediate results, lessons learnt , problems and issues. With 15 minutes allowed for each, the session went smoothly with average one topic/presentation for sharing/discussion. Additional discussion ,especially during dinner. That was the first day.

The second day began with summarization of activities of the previous day and reconfirmation of the agenda, followed by a presentation of the one remaining project. The floor then was given to the NC for showing ,through video, activities of each project he recorded during project site visits. The video had proven to be a very good mechanism to make activities of each project more visible and better understood by participants. The NC also reminded projects about compiling completion reports , then shared strategy of Operational Phase 4 and prospects of Thailand GEF SGP.

The final session of the workshop included open discussion to keep this infantile natural environment network active. It was agreed that each project would keep on contacting one another and sharing experience. Some issues of common interest included compilation of relevant knowledge for future activities, setting up regional mechanism to facilitate networking process, and publication pocket book telling stories of each and every project. Two persons from two projects volunteered to be the class or network coordinator for publishing the pocket book and a focal point to produce the network website.

b>V. Completion Report (December 16, 2010):
Date of Participatory Evaluation( october 2010):

Number of Beneficiaries/ Participating personnel:
Women: 4,000
Men: 5,000
Children: 1,000

Number of persons trained/ attending seminars, joining study tours:
Women: 1,000
Men: 4,101
Children: 300

Expense:

Amount received from SGP (3 disbursements): Baht: 1,045,646.53
Total amount spent out of SGP budget: Baht: 1,020,787
Balance: Baht: 24,859.53

Amount Received from others: THB: 125,000 (in cash)
THB: 1,191,170 (in kind)
Activities undertaken:
1. Building both institutional and technical capacity of target population: community rights and management of natural resources, effects of mono-quick cash crop, integrated farming, toxic-free farming, organic compost production, etc
2. Demonstrating humid-retaining in watershed area
3.Demarcating 18 community forests and forest surveillance
4. Increasing threatened native species in community cultivated areas

Results of activities:
1. Emergence of core leaders of 10 members with increased capacity to provide driving forces and replicate natural resources conservation activities
2. Nearly 6,400 ha of 19 community forests being under substantial management
3. Emergence of three rotating funds for bio-fertilizer producing continuously fertilizer for community members in three villages
4. Demarcated conservation area of one-km long along the creek with increased amphibian
5. The humid retaining weirs for water management appearing effective ? supplying water for consumption in the municipal area all year round
6. emergence of one Network for cooperation in conservation of natural resources at district level


Plans and Activities for Sustainability:
The participatory approaches of the project resulted in continued cooperation and support of stakeholders. Communities formulated action plans to be submitted to local administrative organizations and NGOs who were active in the location. In addition, the project ? Forest Protection and Empowerment for 84 Tambols? of the Petroleum Authority of Thailand had provided further support, starting from January 2010 to December 2011.

Experience , Lessons Learnt , Problems and Issues:
In location where national NGOs were active, target communities demonstrated more strength than weakness. Some issues required more time to get participation, while other required much less.

Participatory approaches and transparency at all level was proven to be able to draw more financial support, thus reducing dependence upon GEF SGP budget.