I. First progress report (November 12, 2007):
Activities undertaken:
1. Nature study trail established (2 meters wide, 800 meters long)
2. Museum built

Results of activities:
1. Project members have increased capacity for environmental stewardship, as evidenced by reforestation of 24 ha, and reduction in frequency and intensity of logging
3. Additional financial support and in-kind contributions secured from Rajabhat University (Songkhal Campus), Research Centre of Coastal Resources and Lower Gulf of Thailand, and Songkhla Provincial Natural Resources Office

II. Second progress report (May 16,2008):
Activities undertaken:
1. Building Nature Study Trail (continued from first report)
2. Fishes and traditional fishing gear Museum completed

Results of activities:
1. Through participation of community members and students, a trail of two- meter wide and 1,250 meters was completed with remaining 250 meters to complete.
2. The museum was operational to demonstrate knowledge product
3. Additional financial & technical supports from the Budget Bureau (for annual maintenance of the trail) and the Mangrove Development Station 38 ( 5,000 seedlings for reforestation in project area)

Project communication:
Through various events/organizations as follows:
1. Visitations from youth groups of International Buddhist University, students from Nernphichai Schools, staff members from Khongngae Police Station and students from Rajabhat University Songkhla Campus.
2. Through school website, publication of Songkhla Educational Office Area 2 , and occasional community communication channels.

Experience and lessons learnt:
The project had been receiving good cooperation and support from both communities and related agencies. Rain was referred to as a slight problem as it caused delay for field construction.

Accumulated project expense:
The project report the expense of THB 322,443 out of two disbursements of THB 322,443.83

III. Monitoring visit (May 16,2008):
The NC, PA and two members of NSC paid a monitoring visit to the project. The findings and observations are as follows:

The first interaction began in the newly established Fishes and Traditional Fishing Gear Museum in Parkjar Witthaya School, a community school contributing its premises and human resources for project management and activities. Two community leaders, two members of Khuanso Tambol Administrative Organization, school staff, a member of community education committee and about 20 core students were present to meet with the visiting team. Through power point presentation, the project leader summarize background of project, activities undertaken and results. Through later discussion and relevant documents, the project has been producing favourable results, bringing in substantial supports from major stakeholders, mostly from, public sector and major academic institutes in southern Thailand.

The visiting team took a walk along the Nature Study Trail in the wetland behind the school. Of 1.5 km.long and 2-m wide, the trail was built with woods from the wetland to cover an area of eight ha out of an estimated remaining 400 ha. Classified as a swamp forest, dominated by Melaleuca Spp. , the forest was referred to as recovering with minimum threat. The wetland was functional well in term of provisions of fishes , and other medicinal and nutritious plant species. According to community leaders, the conservation initiative began since 2004 with adequate community participation. The conservation responsibility of communities was transferred down consecutively.

Other supplementary activities witnessed in the premises involved self-sufficient agricultural practice and re-use , recycle of garbage which were managed by students. With financial support from Khuanso Tambol Administrative Organization and World Visions, these activities seemed to produce their immediate outputs.

During the visit, project leaders demonstrated existing capacity to protect the wetland. Eight participating villages appointed seven members to sit in the committee, with the chief of Tambol Khuanso as the chairperson. Regulations for use of wood and other resources in the wetland were successfully enforced.

As an project outcome, the leader showed an official document endorsed by Songkhla Provincial Natural Resources and the Environment Office permitting the group to expand the learning centre, i.e. from eight to 24 ha.

As the project location is an ecological portion of the Songkhla Lagoon, a wetland of international importance, protection of this piece of wetland would contribute to the protection of the lagoon. Activities in the school by students would affect parents to a certain extent, even though indigenous knowledge was barely mentioned or focused during discussion.

IV. Mid-course evaluation workdhop (March 20-21, 2009)
Findings and observation:
Together with representatives from other projects of the same grant cycle (from THA/06/13 to THA/06/28), and SGP country team, the project participate in the workshop to update progress , share experience and initiate a network. It was agreed that each project would keep on contacting one another and sharing experience. Contacting addresses were distributed with one project as the coordinating centre for future activities. An NSC member who represented the National Environment Fund was also committed to help in keeping the network.