“Trees for Thailand” began in early 2005, with a detailed socio-economic impact assessment of forest restoration at Ban Mae Sa Mai, in Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. Interview techniques and evaluation exercises were developed to determine the opportunity costs and replacement values of such factors as political gain, social stability, prevention of floods, droughts, soil erosion and landslides, water quality & quantity, and provision of forest products.

Eden’s sponsorship of “Trees for Thailand” supported the salaries of 2 Eden Extension Officers (EEO’s), Ms. Sudarat Zangkum and Ms. Tiderach Toktang in the first two years of the project and an additional education officer, Ms. Dutsadee Nirubol, in the 3rd year, as well as the project’s secretary, Mrs. Rungtiwa Bunyayod. EEO’s were responsible for implementing and monitoring all project activities in the field, including disseminating information to the 12 participating communities (technical manuals, newsletters, teaching aids etc.), providing training at extension events and organizing workshops. They administered the small start-up grants, provided to the participating communities and monitored progress with nursery establishment, tree production and planting.

In the project’s first year, a launching workshop was held in June 2005 aimed at identifying suitable communities for join-ing “Trees for Thailand” and preparing them for involvement in the project. During 2005 to 2006, 12 local community groups from upper northern Thailand (see map below), joined the project. The selected groups have made a long-term commitment to the project and have demonstrated that they can ensure a local source of native forest tree seeds, sufficient voluntary labor to run a tree nursery, plant trees and aftercare (EDEN Report - View Gallery)

Eden Extension Officers then worked with community leaders/coordinators to plan the establishment of a community tree nursery at each site. Co-ordination, contract preparation and nursery planning for all groups were completed during extension visits by November 2006. All groups received on-site training in nursery techniques, including species selection, seed collection, germination, care of seedlings in nurseries and preparation for planting. Follow-up training was carried out for tree planting techniques and monitoring in 2006-07. A total of 101 training or extension events were run in the villages, averaging about 34 per year, each one run by 2 or 3 of the EEO’s.

Subsequent extension visits continued throughout the year, providing training in species selection and tree propagation techniques, preparation of planting sites and tree planting, as well as silvicultural treatments and monitoring tree performance and biodiversity recovery. Before each planting event, the EEO’s provided training in planting methods and also maintenance of the planted trees (fertilizer application and weeding etc.). The EEO’s returned after the first and second growing seasons to help villagers to monitor the planted trees.

A second workshop was held in February 2005 to address issues that emerged during a mid-project evaluation and to pass on lessons learn by communities who had established nurseries in the project’s first year to those joining in the second. The second workshop addressed funding and sustainability by inviting speakers from government agencies to advise participants how to apply for matching funds.

A final workshop was held on 11th-13th February, 2008 to address issues raised during the final project evaluation. Project sustainability, post-Eden-support, was the focus of the event. Thirty-eight participants from all 12 communities, and guest speakers, joined the event, including government officers from Don Ngern District and Wiang Lor Wildlife Sanctuary in Phayao Province, who worked with CNEM, where one of the project’s community nurseries is located. Other guest speakers included the Chief of the Watershed Management Office, as well as representatives of funding agencies such as Plant a Tree Today (PATT, a foundation in Bangkok), CARE-Rak Thai (an NGO) and a regional representative from the international conservation organization, IUCN.

• Maintenance of a team of 3 Eden Extension Officers (EEO’s) and a secretary to implement project activities.
• The project target to establish 12 community tree nurseries in 4 provinces attained.
• One hundred and one on-site extension events to train villagers in nursery establishment, tree-growing methods, planting and monitoring.
• Twenty planting events implemented, over 3 planting seasons in all 12 participating communities; 12,500 trees of 50 tree species, planted over 53.5 rai (about 9 ha).
• Interview techniques and questionnaires developed and implemented to assess the socio-economic impact of forest restoration activities.
• Mid-project and 3rd year evaluations completed to identify the strengths and weakness of project implementation.
• Three workshops in Chiang Mai, for networking and information exchange among all participating communities.
• Six editions of the project newsletter, with Eden featured prominently.
• Website enhanced to provide a comprehensive online information service.
• Three annual reports completed.

Nursery start-up grants were awarded to 7 communities in the 1st year and 5 in the 2nd year, bringing the total number of forest restoration initiatives, supported to the planned target of 12. The communities were located across 4 of Thailand’s Upper North Provinces: Chiang Mai, Phayao, Phrae and Nan. We worked with a great diversity of groups, including both upland and lowland communities, hill tribes, Thais, schoolteachers and pupils, monks and a nature education centre.

We also worked near or in several protected areas, including Doi Chiang Dhao Wildlife Sanctuary, Doi Inthanon National Park, Vieng Low Wildlife Sanctuary and Doi Luang Wildlife Sanctuary. The project evolved into two networks of collaborating communities; a western one in Chiang Mai Province and an Eastern one in Phrae, Phayao and Nan Provinces. The eastern network benefited from a second research nursery and demonstration plot system in lowland deciduous forest, founded in collaboration with the Phrae Campus of Mae Jo University (funded by Thailand’s Biodiversity Research and Training Program).

Six communities, which had established nurseries in the project’s first year, had grown enough saplings to carry out planting events in the rainy season of 2006 (CNEM, Fai Bang, Huay Mae Yua, Ruk Doi Luang, Baan Kad and Pa Nok Kok). These communities planted a combined total of 8,522 trees of 34 tree species over 22.5 rai. In the 2007 planting season, all but one of the participating communities carried out planting events