The Rufford Foundation

Final Report

Congratulations on the completion of your project that was supported by The

Rufford Foundation.

We ask all grant recipients to complete a Final Report Form that helps us to

gauge the success of our grant giving. The Final Report must be sent in word

format and not PDF format or any other format. We understand that projects

often do not follow the predicted course but knowledge of your experiences

is valuable to us and others who may be undertaking similar work. Please be

as honest as you can in answering the questions – remember that negative

experiences are just as valuable as positive ones if they help others to learn

from them.

Please complete the form in English and be as clear and concise as you can.

Please note that the information may be edited for clarity. We will ask for

further information if required. If you have any other materials produced by

the project, particularly a few relevant photographs, please send these to us

separately.

Please submit your final report to jane@rufford.org.

Thank you for your help.

Josh Cole, Grants Director

Grant Recipient Details

Your name Samjhana Kawan

Project title

Empowering local women and youth for long term

conservation of Globally

Threatened Lesser Adjutant in Lumbini IBA, Western

Nepal

RSG reference 17190-1

Reporting period April 2015 - April 2016

Amount of grant 4995

Your email address kawansamjhana@gmail.com

Date of this report 1st May 2016

1. Please indicate the level of achievement of the project’s original objectives and

include any relevant comments on factors affecting this.

Objective N

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Comments

Preliminary survey √ Preliminary survey of Lesser Adjutant in Lumbini IBA,

was carried out from 4th - 12th June 2015 and

identified the potential sites for further monitoring.

(Picture 1.)

World

Environment Day

(WED) 2015

celebration

√ We have collaborated with Green Youth Nepal

(GYN) -the local conservation organization of

Lumbini to celebrate WED on 5th June 2015. The

programme was organized by GYN and WWF's Trai

Arc Landscape programme in collaboration with

Lumbini Development Trust, District Forest Office-

Rupandehi, Global Primate Network-Nepal, Bird

Conservation Nepal, Lumbini Cultural Municipality,

Jatayu Restaurant, Friends of Nature, Pragyan

Seeds Nepal and District Administration Office.

More than 300 local youth women and men

including students, farmers, media person, local

political leaders and community based

organisation representatives actively participated

in the event. (Picture 2.)

Plantation of trees √ We have supported for the plantation programme

On the occasion of World Environment Day on 5th

June 2015 and Plantation week. More than 200

plants were planted in Lumbini during the

programme by local youth and local community

based organization representatives (Picture 3.).

Capacity building

training and

workshops on

report writing and

proposal writing

√ We have fruitfully organized a One-day capacity

building training and workshops on proposal writing

and report writing for wildlife conservation on 8th

June 2015 at Hotel Green View Lumbini in

collaboration with our local partner - Green Youth

of Lumbini (GYL). To empower the local youth and

women in conservation this event was organised.

Altogether 20 local committed youths enhanced

their capacity in wildlife monitoring, record

keeping, report writing and proposal writing for

fund raising in conservation. The programme was

facilitated by Mr. Mark Spangler-Wildlife Biologist

from University of Alaska Fairbank (UAF) and Mr.

Dikpal Karmacharya- Projector Director from

Global Primate Network (GPN) Nepal (Picture 4.).

Extensive survey

and monitoring

√ Extensive survey and monitoring of Lesser Adjutant

in Rupandehi and Kapilvastu was carried out by

our local team members from 14th October to 16th

November 2015. Altogether 38 male, 31 female,

four nests with chick were recorded during the

survey period (Picture 5.).

Capacity building

training on Bird

watching and

Identification

√ Our project financially supported (via GPN-Nepal)

to Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN)-Pokhara Branch

of Institute of Forestry (IOF) to organize a Three-

days “Bird Watching and Identification training”

from 26th-28th December, 2015 targeting to future

conservation leaders of IOF, Pokhara. Altogether

dedicated 30 youths of IOF enhanced their

capacity in ornithological monitoring and

conservation. The programme was also supported

by BCN Kathmandu, Tiger Mountain Pokhara

Lodge and Dean Office - IOF (Picture 6.).

Education

outreach and

awareness raising

activities

√ This project launched 22 school outreach

programmes in Central and Western Nepal to

educate school students on conservation biology.

Altogether 1,280 young stars of grade 8 to 12,

Bachelor's in Science students and staffs from 22

different local schools, eco clubs and community

groups upgraded their knowledge from the events

(Picture 7.).

Left: Pilot survey at Lumbini farmland. Right: Plantation during WED-2015

Above: World Environment Day 2015 banner. Below: Participants.

Capacity building workshop on writing reports and proposals

Left: Capacity building training on Bird watching and Identification banner. Right:

Participants.

Extensive survey and data recording

Education outreach awareness raising activities

2. Please explain any unforeseen difficulties that arose during the project and how

these were tackled (if relevant).

We faced severe political and natural calamities since from the beginning of work.

Soon after the release of grant, we faced the devastating mega earthquake in

Nepal- (April and May 2015) which made the grant in due for a month followed by

landslide, flood, storm, political strikes and informal Indian blockade to Nepal.

Therefore, our project activities delayed for few months and slightly stretched than

the proposed time frame. Despite of continuous unusual conditions in Nepal, we

have successfully achieved most of the project objectives soon after return of

normal condition.

3. Briefly describe the three most important outcomes of your project.

a. This project estimated the number of Lesser adjutant in Rupandehi and Kapilvastu

districts of Nepal and produced their distribution map for further conservation plan.

b. Capacity building training and workshop events empowered 60 youths including

40 local women and 20 local men for the long term monitoring and conservation of

Lesser adjutant in their area.

c. Education outreach and awareness raising activities made conscious to >1,200

young stars of grade 8 to 12, Bachelor's in Science students and staffs from 22

different local schools, eco clubs and community groups.

4. Briefly describe the involvement of local communities and how they have

benefitted from the project (if relevant).

We made collaboration with local conservation organizations to launch all the

activities of the project. This project made 60 local women and youths capable for

monitoring wildlife and their conservation via capacity building training and

workshops. Among them 15 highly dedicated local women and youth were

selected and divided into three groups each with five members. One group was

appointed for monitoring of Lesser adjutant in Rupandehi district, another group for

Kapilvastu district and last group for education outreach and awareness raising

activities. They also got sustenance cost during field work. Mass of more than 1,200

local people got the knowledge about usefulness of Lesser adjutant in nature, status

of Lesser adjutant in Nepal, major threats and potential mitigation measures through

education outreach. Mr. Santosh Kumar Yadav -A staff of local conservation

organization- Green Youth of Lumbini assisted us throughout the project

programmes. Other local conservation agencies also collaborated with us for the

relevant environmental and educational programmes.

5. Are there any plans to continue this work?

We have recorded the Lesser adjutant not only in the Lumbini area but also from the

adjoining districts along the Nepal-India boarder line. Due to the remoteness, people

are still far from the conservation educations and the species around them are still

under the risk of being locally extinct. Hence, we are planning to continue similar

conservation works in these areas in partnership with local communities, local

Community Forest User Groups and local government officials to protect the species

and to spread the conservation messages in massive land.

6. How do you plan to share the results of your work with others?

Most of the activities of this project were highlighted by the local daily papers. The

results will be shared to mass through the project report, articles and online

METADATA. The results will be also shared with national and international concerned

students and expert via talk or poster presentation in seminars and conferences. It

will be also shared in forms of report to all the partner organizations.

7. Timescale: Over what period was The Rufford Foundation grant used? How does

this compare to the anticipated or actual length of the project?

Soon after the release of grant, we faced the devastating mega earthquake in

Nepal- (April and May 2015) followed by landslide, flood, storm, political strikes and

informal Indian blockade to Nepal which made the grant in due for a month.

Therefore, our project activities delayed for few months and slightly stretched than

the proposed time frame.

8. Budget: Please provide a breakdown of budgeted versus actual expenditure and

the reasons for any differences. All figures should be in £ sterling, indicating the local

exchange rate used.

Item Budgeted

Amount

Actual

Amount

Difference Comments

Pilot survey of Stork

and nesting

sites

1152 1152 To determine the hot spots

of Lesser Adjutant stork, a

pilot survey was made for 9

days from 4th to 12th June

2015 by 10 local people

from our partner

organizations in scattered

areas.

Extensive survey and

monitoring

1152 1825 -673 Huge increment is due to

increase in holding days

during unusual conditions,

calamities and political

strikes in Country.

Capacity building

training and

workshops

1319 946 373 Reduction is due to

fulfilment via collaboration

with partner organizations

Plantation

programme

290 210 80 Reduction is due to

fulfilment via collaboration

with partner organizations

School outreach and 868 648 220 Reduction is due to

eco days

celebration

fulfilment via collaboration

with partner organizations

and reduction in events

Project

management, travel,

communication,

consumables and

stationary

214 214

Total 4995 4995 000

9. Looking ahead, what do you feel are the important next steps?

Despite of harsh condition we have successfully completed the proposed

conservation project. Though this project empowered a troop of local women and

youth in conservation, a single project of a year is not sufficient for the long term

protection of the species. This is only the beginning of the work for the long term

conservation of Lesser Adjutant in the Lumbini area. . Still huge population from

remote areas are unaware about the conservation education. Hence, the

introduction of similar work in adjoining districts is urgently needed for the protection

of scattered species to ensure larger safer landscape for them. Therefore, I feel the

continuation of work is very important for next steps for sustainable conservation of

these remaining globally threatened bird empowering local youth, students, farmers,

villagers, communities, forest user groups and local authorities in conservation.

10. Did you use The Rufford Foundation logo in any materials produced in relation to

this project? Did the RSGF receive any publicity during the course of your work?

Yes, we used the new logo of RF in all the banners and publication materials of the

project. RSGF got publicised among more than 2000 people directly and indirectly

during the course of this work

11. Any other comments?

I would like to thank the Rufford Foundation for financial supports and Ideawild for

equipment supports for this key conservation project in Nepal. Similarly, heartfelt

gratitude goes to project partners Green Youth of Lumbini, Green Youth Nepal,

District Forest Office-Rupandehi and Kapilvastu, Lumbini Development Trust, WWF Tal

Programme, Bird Conservation Nepal, Institute of Forestry (IOF)-Pokhara, Dean Ofice

of IOF, BCN Pokhara branch, Global Primate Network Nepal for continuous supports

and collaboration throughout the project. Lastly, I look forward to expand the similar

efforts continuously in coming times jointly with local communities and conservation

organisations to protect the species for nature and for people. Thank you.

List of participants in WED

Lisa of participants in Capacity Building Workshop

Butwal Today

Dainik Daily

Mechi Kali Daily