I. First progress report (February 4, 2009):
Activities undertaken:
1. Building capacity of target population on traditional knowledge of nine-layer tree plantation, and conservation gardening
2. Establishing model plots as learning centres for farmers and youth group

Results of activities:
1. Gaining insight of ? conservation garden ? of 50 project members from all groups (students, teachers, community leaders) later turned into real practices
2. The first nine-layer ?agricultural garden? coming into being as a model with 500 native trees of various species

Project communication:
There were two visits to the project from other stakeholders as follows:
1. On November 22, 2008, a group of students from Prince of Songkhla University?s Faculty of Science
2. On January 27, 2009, project members of GEF SGP (THA/SGP/OP4/RAF/08/01) from Nakhornsithammarat Province

Experience, lessons learnt, problem and issue:
1.During October ?December 2008, there was unusual heavy rain and deluge in project location caused a delay in project implementation.
2. Transfer of manager (principal) of participating school resulted in delay of activities , as re-coordination and arrangement with new manager was required.

Project expense:
THB: 108,200 out of the first disbursment of THB: 186,887.59.

II. Second progress report (July 17, 2009):
Activities undertaken:
1. Establishing model plots as learning centres for farmers and youth group
2. Building capacity of target population on traditional knowledge of nine-layer plantation, and conservation gardening
3. Compiling threatened species and related body of knowledge

Results of activities:
1. Other two plots of project members being turned into models of nine-layer garden with about 200 seedlings of five landraces under traditional practices for maintenance ( organic fertilizer and water system)
2. Active participation from 60 students from five community schools and 10 parents in training session on biogas, solar energy and plant propagation after which what being learnt being put into practice in schools
3. Active participation from 40 members in training session on sustainable use of two threatened species with subsequent investment to initiate production activities
4. About 15 threatened species being inventoried and compiled

Project communication:
1. A youth group from the Songkhla Lagoon participated in activities of youth group.
2. The project produced certificates for youth groups who participated in project activities with the name of the grantee and SGP on.

Experience, lessons learnt, problem and issue:
Activities with community schools encountered interruption when the CEO of a participating school was transferred to manage other school. This would addressed through securing participation from community as much as possible to ensure continuity of the project.

Project expense:
The project report the accumulated expense of THB: 175,155 out of the sum of 1st & 2nd disbursement of THB: 373,828.74

The project location is a portion of forest ecosystems in the Sundaic sub-region?s Malay Peninsula of the Biogeography next to the Khao Banthad Complex. It is a replication of a back project under OP3 ?THA-05-10/ Conservation of Traditional Gardens and Increase Biological Diversity in Para-rubber Gardens?. Mostly, the land had long been used for paddy and pararubber. As the location is a lowland, scars of flood in the recent week were seen here and there. Project members comprise both Muslim and Buddhist.

III. Monitoring Visit by NC and the SGP team (October 31, 2009)
Findings and observation:
A synergy among community members and community school staff was witnessed at the premises of Baan (village) Namkhao Community School. In addition to sharing the brief of GEF SGP ,the visiting team learnt about an intact cooperation between community members and school staff. The school management made it a strategy to encourage students to take part in conserving local environment and natural resources and allocated some area for nursery and reforestation of several endemic species .

Following the interaction with some community members and school staff, the visiting team was invited to witnessed result of project activities at Baan Pajar, one of the participating villages , where a garden of approximately one acre belonging to one project member was witnessed with about 10 species of landraces of both nutritious and medicinal quality thriving.

Another project location, Baan Janong, visited by the visiting team was a two-acre plot of pararubber plantation of a member. Under GEF SGP, the plantation was integrated with other species of both perennial annual type and tropical trees. According to project members, plants of multiple species would be able to thrive together well in a garden - making multiple uses of the land but without much effort to maintain land fertility and resembling conservation gardening.

An innovation and increased technical capacity of these communities deserved mentioning. The innovation involved papaya propagation by grafting , the capacity learning about energy quality of a native tree ? Sea Coconut?, whose seed caught fire directly and its oil- crushed out from seed- could directly be put into a diesel engine to run it. As a result, the Ministry of Science and Technology planned to make a knowledge piece of this then distribute to all local administrative organizations in the country.

Several anticipated results of the projects had been realized, others seemed to be on their ways. The issue of activity discontinuity in a school mentioned in the second report seemed to be resolved.
The use of the native species ?Sea Coconut? as an alternative sources of energy is of special interest.

IV. Completion Report ( January 12 ,2011):
Date of Participatory Evaluation( 6 December 2010):

Number of Beneficiaries/ Participating personnel:
Women: 700
Men: 900
Children: 500

Number of persons trained/ attending seminars, joining study tours:
Women: 400
Men: 600
Children: 300

Expense:

Amount received from SGP (3 disbursements): Baht: 556,324.01
Total amount spent out of SGP budget: Baht: 578,445
Balance: Baht: (-22,120.99)
Amount authorized for the final payment: US$: 1,785.49

Amount of co-financing as follows: THB: 128,975 (in cash)
THB: 181,600 (in kind)

Activities undertaken:
1. Building capacity of target population on traditional knowledge of nine-layer plantation, and conservation gardening
2. Establishing model plots as learning centres for farmers and youth group
3. Compiling threatened species and related body of knowledge
4. Disseminating project activities and results

Results and indicators:
1. Availability of options for agricultural practice as a model for comparison on biological richness
2. Emergence of 4 learning centers on agriculture and environment jointly established with two community schools
3. Increased awareness of 50 community members on landraces and other threatened species witnessed through active participation on planning their sustainable use with compilation of 34 threatened species
4. Increased capacity of 30 women & youth group members witnessed through ability to process native plant species into stuff of daily use reducing dependence upon commercial chemical substance from market ? estimate saving of 30 %

Project Communication:
The project was made more visible through :
1. Dissemination of photos of threatened species among community members and other interest organizations.
2. Posters depicting nine-layer plantation, and conservation gardening being posted in community meeting places and offices of saving groups.

Plans and Activities for Sustainability:
The project had initiated a network among environmentally-friendly farmers , tree lovers and traditional doctors to promote plantation of plant s with medicinal value in local public health stations . Together with TAOs, the project would encourage ? local teachers? to transfer knowledge to younger generation in community schools. Besides, close cooperation between upstream and downstream communities would also be encouraged. Several project members had participated in a project ?Tree Bank? of the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives which provided fund for looking after the trees.

Experience , Lessons Learnt , Problems and Issues:
The project mentioned , as a main issue, limited cooperation from executives of some community schools resulting in limited care for the learning plots and nurseries. The issues was addressed by replacing such a school with a new one. As to the thriving plants in such a plot, community members were requested to take care of.