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ANNEX C: MODEL OF PROGRESS REPORT
1st March 2007 – 1st December 2007
I. REPORTING IMPACTS AND ACHIEVEMENT OF SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES
1. Impact and Impact Indicators (write the project goal and select the impacts and
impact indicators, which are part of the Project Document and provide exact figure for
the respective indicator at the end of this reporting period. Some of the indicators might
not be applicable for measurement at the intermediate project reporting phases. If so –
please explain why. All indicators part of the Project Document should be reported in the
last project progress report.)
Project Goal:
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS
Biodiversity:
Number of local policies informed in biodiversity focal area
Planned 33, achieved 26
Number of national policies informed in biodiversity focal area
Planned 10, achieved 22
Empowerment:


Number of CBOs/NGOs participated/involved in SGP project:
planned 10, achieved 10 (BSPB, DD, APB, MES, ROS, OTOP, LOD,
BirdLife International, EBCC, RSPB)

Number of women participated/involved in SGP project:
Planned 70, achieved: 3 coordinators and 98 others (observers,
volunteers, technical support etc)
Number of type of support linkages established with local
governments/authorities: planned 25 achieved 18
Number of type of support linkages established with national
governments/authorities : planned 15, achieved 20
Total additional in-kind or in-cash support obtained for new
initiatives and opportunities through SGP project (in USD) not
available for the moment



2

Total additional in-kind or in-cash support obtained for sustaining,
up-scaling, and replicating SGP supported project (in USD) not
available for the moment
2. Specific Objectives and Indicators (list the specific objectives and respective indicators from the
Project Document and report exact figures on each of them at the end of this reporting period.)
Objective I
To share experience and increase knowledge across the countries involved for
establishing and running a Common Bird Monitoring (CBM) Scheme as a
successful citizen based science initiative that is able to produce scientifically
accurate and meaningful biodiversity impact indicators based on wild bird
populations.
Indicators:
 Number of NGOs participating in experience and knowledge exchange in
relation to CBM. 10 (BSPB, DD, APB, MES, ROS, OTOP, LOD, BirdLife
International, EBCC, RSPB)
 Number of innovations or new technologies developed/applied – New
citizen science based initiative launched/promoted in 3 new countries for the first
time.
Objective II
To enhance coordination between projects, programmes, sector agencies and
organisations at all levels, and with thus to improve cooperation, communication
and lesson learning for conservation of biodiversity.
 Number of national policies informed in biodiversity focal area –
10 planed, 22 achieved
 Number of sector agencies and organizations with established
relationships between them in connection with the CBM
Objective III
To establish an appropriate and receptive policy environment in each of the
participating countries that is supportive of CBM, the results of which are
indicative for and addressed and acknowledged by the national and sectoral
policy and planning processes that influences the birds and the biological
diversity in general by contributing to the Pan-European Common Bird
Monitoring (PECBM) Scheme in creation and delivering policy relevant and
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scientifically robust indicators of bird populations, and hence biodiversity, for
Europe.
Indicators:
 Number of national policies informed in biodiversity focal area:
22 of 10 planned
 Relevant state authorities are aware of CBM existing, its purpose and
results. yes in all 7 countries
 Produced biodiversity indicators are used by the National Institutes of
Statistics, Ministries of Environment, Executive Environmental Agencies,
State Services for Protected Areas, Regional Inspectorates of Environment
and Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry.
Yes, they are used in Poland. In Lithuania the state agency approached the LOD
for data and the same with Bulgaria and Romania. In other, data are still not
sufficient for production of indicators ( at least 3 full years are needed)
Objective IV:
To form partnerships and establish network between involved NGOs,
governmental agencies and academic circles to ensure the sustainability of
running CBM schemes, with improved capacity in the countries without CBM
schemes and to set up international census plots where capacity for local schemes
is missing.
Indicators:
o Number of innovations or new technologies developed/applied
o Number of surveyed census plots (current number of surveyed squares in
Bulgaria, Poland, Lithuania and Romania is app. 500) in 2007 total number
of plots covered from these countries were 580
Objective V:
To form a general awareness and a supportive constituency to improve the
operation of the CBM schemes in those countries which already have running
schemes and their national official recognition and adoption on state level.
Indicators:
o The Ministries of Environment, Executive Environmental Agencies, State
Services for Protected Areas, Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry with
its regional structures, Regional Planning Authorities, National Institutes
of Statistics, Academy of Science and nature conservation NGOs informed
or affected by the project and CBM scheme. Yes, for Bulgaria, Poland,
Romania and Lithuania. For the others countries at least ministries of
environment are aware
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o Regional Inspectorates of Environment, regional structures of the
Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry, municipalities informed or affected
by the project and CBM scheme. Yes, in all countries regional authorities are
informed
o Number of people who took part in CBM on voluntary basis in the
countries with running schemes. (current number of volunteers in
Bulgaria, Poland, Lithuania and Romania is app. 500) Roughly 650
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II. REPORTING PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
1.
Implementation of activities and keeping the time frame
I Implemented activities form the project plan
A) Group 1 (Belarus, Macedonia and Turkey) Detailed country reports are attached
as Annexes No 1, 2, 3
1) Assessing the capacity of those countries to start and implement full CBM
schemes ( activity 1,1)
Reported in the firs report
2) Capacity building workshops (training the trainers) (activity 1,2)
The three planned international training workshops, one per country, took place
in Spring, before the field work. Trainers were key experts form RSPB/EBCC, BTO and
SOVON as well as BSPB, which also made in-cash or in-kind contribution to the project
because they done their job without to be paid by the project budget. Thus they saved
some money for the three countries to organize one more local meeting/workshop for
the CBM participants next year.
In Macedonia the workshop took place in Stip from 16th to 19th of March, where
29 people from many different parts of the country took part. A month before the
workshop potential volunteers from several high schools, the Institute for Biology from
the faculty for Natural Sciences and Mathematics, the fellow NGO from Kavadraci
Fund for Wild Flora and Fauna were attracted by lectures and talks as well as
coordinators posted short information in a newspaper for the need of volunteers for the
CBM scheme. Having organized couple of field trips in the Skopje region, we have
merely familiarized part of the new volunteers to the technique of bird watching and
the forthcoming workshop "train-the-trainers" for them to attend and enhanced this
knowledge with the more experienced ones.
Trainers of the workshop were Mark Van Roomen form SOVON (Netherlands), David
Noble form BTO (UK) and Svetoslav Spasov from BSPB. First day was dedicated on
theoretical training – common information about CBM, way it is important the
European perspective of bird indexes and meaning, how it’s works in other countries,
methodology, data proceedings, volunteers network and communication. The second
day of the workshop was practical, with the volunteers practicing on the field the
methodology chosen and techniques and data reporting. The participants and the
governmental representatives welcomed the idea of the project and discussed several
issues as a reflection of their will and interest in this voluntarily-based type of activity.
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The accent was set on the enhancement of the volunteer network in future and
additional motivation and feeling-of-usefulness activities for the volunteers that need to
be undertaken for the further success of the project.
In Turkey, the workshop took place in Ankara on 10-11 March 2007. Trainers were
Mark Eaton and Jose Tavares from RSPB, Sylvia Barova – coordinator of the project, and DD’s
coordinator of the scheme. DD decided to invite as participants all Turkish experienced
birdwatchers rather than open it to beginners, because one of the aims of the workshop was
discussion and selection of the most suitable methodology for the Turkish CBM scheme.
25 birdwatchers took part in the workshop. First day of the workshop was theoretical
presentation about what is CBM, why it is necessary and discussions on the methodology, how
to involve volunteers and keep them, communications issues etc. On the next day there was
training on the field to test the methodology, distance band counting, fulfilling the forms etc.
In Belarus, there were conducted 3 workshops: a) 2 capacity building workshops
(Kobryn and Turau) before the start of the field-work and b) 1 workshop to discuss the
monitoring scheme and problems encountered in course of monitoring with active
participants after the field season.
The first ones took place in Kobrin on April 2007 and went on fore a two days. In this
workshop were involved 19 people from 13 settlements which are situated in 5 regions
of Belarus. At the first day all participant (students, school-teachers and teachers of the
ecological circles) were introduced to general principles of monitoring and the
monitoring schemes. A practical exercise was conducted on the next day. All
participants had a possibility to train in choosing a route inside a monitoring square in
birds monitoring and identification. It appeared that potential participants have a big
difference in their qualification and experience. As the result an idea was approved to
organize and conduct a few of training field workshops in different regions of Belarus.
These workshops should be aimed to improving of ornithological qualification of
participants under supervising of experienced trainers. They should be conducted in
spring 2008 at some monitoring squares at the beginning of the first stage of monitoring.
The second workshop was in Turau on May 2007. There were 22 participants from 4
regions of Bеlarus including 3 international trainer from Bulgaria and UK (from
RSPB/EBCC and BSPB). The main goals and conclusions of this meeting was the same as
in the workshop in Kobryn. Participants of all workshops got detailed instructions
(monitoring forms and supporting documents) of the Monitoring Scheme which were
translated in Belarusian.
The third ones took place in Minsk on November 2007. There were invited
only people who submitted completed monitoring forms – 22 people, but 20 people
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took part. The main questions were discussed on this meeting: choosing of correct route
inside the monitoring square and problem of different qualification of participants.
3) Establishing international census plots and sending the data to the PECBM
(activity 1,3).
All three countries started with their CBM schemes during spring 2007 . Whit the
help of the international experts they chose methodology that is most suitable for them
and country’s conditions, prepare all data reporting forms as well as instructions for
volunteers, selected semi-randomly field plots and distributed them to observers.
During the field season, participants made their counts, following the methodology and
then reported to the coordinators. The table below summarized the information about
methodology, number of participants etc.
Country
Methodology No of
covered
Belarus
Turkey
transects
transects
25
11
Macedonia
transects
14
plots No
participants
involved
18
13
20
of Data store
excel
Excel file, later on
Access
Excel
In Belarus the monitoring scheme (semi-random squares) was developed,
implementation piloted. In 2007 there were 35 monitoring squares identified,
supporting materials (maps, etc) prepared. Monitoring was implemented on 25 squares.
Some of participants (4) made only a single count, 3 of them done counts on two
monitoring squares, one participant implemented monitoring on 3 squares.
During preparation of the monitoring scheme in Belarus were done maps of squares.
Participants received a map with location of the square and a detailed map of the square
to be able to plan routes, access, etc. Special monitoring forms were prepared. Beside it
every potential participant got instruction and monitoring table which were sent by
mail. A question chosen of monitoring square and possibility of counts were discussed
with every potential participant personally by phone. Generally were sent 35 suites to
all (6) regions of Belarus. There were two regions where there were difficulties with
choosing monitoring squares because of high level of forest cover.
The majority of potential participants of monitoring were amateurs: school
teachers, students, postgraduates. All of them are members of BirdLife Belarus (APB).
Only several participants (4) were professional ornithologist.
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In Macedonia, three field forms were produced -for habitat recording, bird species
recording and summary sheet for the bird species as well as methodological instructions
for the observers and maps of the selected plots and each volunteer get set of these
materials as well as instruction form the coordinator. After finishing the workshop and
the plot selection, the number of people to take part in the pilot year was expected
around 20 students and bird enthusiasts, but finally 14 responded to their task in
collecting field data.
In Turkey walking transect method was adopted, with distance bands in a 1x1 km2.
Detailed instructions, habitat form as well as field recording form were prepared and
sent to all participants in the workshop. Plots were selected using the stratified random
method – squares were randomly selected within a given area in 3 provinces (Ankara,
Izmir, Istanbul and Samsun)
DD team and a consultant from DD then produced all the maps in digital form,
with
Google map locaters that were sent to the fieldworkers by e-mail. Counts took part
between 15tn of April and 15th of June. At the end of the field season only 11 people
report made their count and report. The low number of participants was discussed with
the DD and some steps to improve the figure during the next years were planed.
The number of participants in all three countries is relatively low which is
probably due to a complex of reasons. This issue was discussed with all three country’s
coordinators and some of the reasons identified and ways to increase the number of
participants in the next year and after the end of the project were proposed. For
Macedonia and Belarus, this project is the first citizen science initiative and also the
number of experienced professionals and amateur birdwatchers is very limited and
these are probably the main reasons for the not so high number of observers, which
took part in the first year. In Turkey, some of the pointed reasons were the now number
of birdwatchers available, lack of necessary equipments etc. but also the local
coordinator was quite busy with other tasks and probably not able to allocate enough
time to communicate with observers. This issue was discussed and will be taken into
consideration next year
4) Producing information materials about biodiversity indicators and CBM scheme
and delivering them to the governments and especially authorities responsible for
EU integration, local authorities, nature conservation NGO’s etc. (activity 1,4)
All three countries postponed production of their information materials for government
and institutions for the next year because they want to show some national results and
activities already implemented. Additional reason for this is that all of them were very busy
with producing tools for volunteers and set up the scheme during the first year. During the
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meetings with governments and institutions, they used information materials, kindly provided
by EBCC, BirdLife and RSPB as well as those available from the European Commission (the
leaflet with EU sustainable indicators).
5) Producing simple bird guides for common species in native languages (activity
1,5)
In Macedonia this activity is planned to be implemented in the previous reporting
period, but MES delay with the printing and the book was not ready then and now is
reported. The 50 pages full color booklet “Birds of Macedonia - short guide", which is
basically the first ever birdguide in Macedonian language, came out of print in the
beginning of the field season. These 500 copies were produced, that are considered
enough for birdwatchers and volunteers that might join the censuses in the next few (34) years. Cover of the bird guide can be seen as Annex 8
In Turkey there are already a number of bird guides available in Turkish and
because of this the project team had decided that there was no need to produce a new
one. In the last report we had suggested to use this part of the budget instead to
purchase some last-generation field-guides to buy some GPS. In the workshop we have
discussed material needs with the volunteers, and also checked how the field season
was implemented. It became obvious that field guides were not needed at all, as
virtually all birdwatchers that did or were intending to do an ICP had one or more field
guides of their own. However, DD did receive several requests for some GPS devices, so
that randomly chosen squares could be found in the field. We then suggest that all the
money allocated originally to purchase field guides (750 USD) and the budget that was
originally on purchasing 5 pairs of binoculars (700 USD, see Activity 1.2) to be both
used to buy GPS devices, to be ready for the second field season (a total of 1450 USD).
Finally, there is a remaining fund of 1.394 USD from the project budget, therefore we
propose to add a further 394 USD of the remaining fund to the fund allocated for
buying GPSs
B) Group 2 (Romania and Lithuania). Detailed country reports are attached as
Annexes No 4 and 5
Organizing national advocacy forum before the policy makers on biodiversity
indicators based on wild bird population trends (activity 2.1.1)
In Romania the workshop is postponed to spring 2008. Instead of organizing a
separate meeting, ROS decided to organize this workshop as part of an official meeting
of the biodiversity officers from Regional Environmental Agencies. This would be much
1)
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more efficient than inviting people for only the purpose of CBM. As part of this activity
ROS already had informal meetings with the Minister of Environment and Sustainable
Development and the president of Regional Environmental Agencies
In Lithuania a small workshop for desk officers at the Ministry of Agriculture
was organised in early 2007. Material about biodiversity indicators and CBM scheme
was delivered to the participants. A special presentation was given and later delivered
to all workshop participants. The project leaflet was distributed. Material on CBM and
bird indicators are available in the LOD web-page and special paper was published in
national conservation magazine “Nature” (Žurnalas apie gamtą).
Capacity building workshops in order to improve the knowledge of the
fieldworkers and to attract new volunteers (wider public involvement (activity
2.2.1)
In Romania this activity is postponed from the initially scheduled period because of
the change of the country coordinator and also because in 2008 there will be more data
available and first national trends produced. Three workshops are scheduled 8th
December 2007 (Cluj), 28-30 March 2008 (Tulcea) and April 2008 (not specified location
in Transylvania).
In Lithuania two workshops were organized. The first workshop took place in 27-28
of April 2007 where there were 41 participants and 15 new CBM plots were planned.
Participants were trained in bird identification and how to monitor their breeding
populations using point count method.
Second workshop was organised in mid June where 32 volunteers took part. They
continued training in CBM monitoring. Support for workshops was received from other
sources and thus all SGP funding will be used for the new workshops in 2008.
2)
Producing and distributing basic bird guides and CDs with bird songs for
beginners (activity 2.2.4)
In Romania a set of three audio CDs were produced with original recordings of
Romanian bird song and calls. There are 162 recording of 152 common bird species,
accompanied by detailed commentaries in Romanian, Hungarian and English. 1000
copies were produced, co-financed by the RSPB. The CDs will be available by 8th
Decmber 2008. The 3 CD covers are presented as Annex 9; 9a; 9b and 9c
3)
In Lithuania the whole budget available for this activity was used for production
CDs only because there is a birdguide available in Lithuanian and no need to produce a
new one and priority was given for CD with bird songs and pictures. The CDs (300
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copies) will be distributed to new volunteers on request and during planned workshops
in 2008.
Establishing new national census routes (activity 2.2.5)
In Romania the number of volunteers involved rose from the 2006 pilot year to 53
people. Now we have a total of 110 people in our database
In Lithuania there are 15 new census plots established and the total number is 60
4)
Table below shows figures from the 2007 field count.
Country
Methodology
Romania
Lithuania
Point counts
Point counts
No of plots No
covered
participants
involved
58
55
60 (expected) – 60
28 till now
of Data store
Access
Will have in Access
Preparation of old data from the national CBM scheme in digital form and
sending the data to the PECBM (activity 2.3)
In Romania the paper based maps used were geo-referenced in GIS. A habitat
analysis was made using the CORINE landcover data. An Access database was
created to match the different structure of the old data forms. The data input is
under work, will end at the end of January 2008.
In Lithuania according to the timetable the activity was planned for June
2007 – February 2008. First part of funding available for this activity (3500 USD
(SGP) and 900 USD (the LOD in kind) was planned to be used for preparation of old
CBM data in digital form. Second part of funding (3000 USD, RSPB in cash) was
planned to spend for preparation of special LOD CBM database. It was agreed that
Czech Society for Ornithology (CSO) will develop the DB and will organise input of
digital data. Dr. Petr Vorisek from the CSO had visited the LOD in June for detail
discussions on this issue. The CSO informed that when developing the LOD CBM
DB they had spent 1493 USD (as the project cash funding for the LOD; funding was
received from the RSPB). First part of the SGP funding was used for preparation of
digital data. A special Excel CBM data input model was developed. It was used in
order to increase work productivity during data input into a computer. Within the
reporting period about 75% of old data/information on paper was converted into
digital form. Data verification is in progress at the moment. Revealed occasional
input errors will be amended and data will be sent to the CSO. The CSO experts will
input our digital data into the LOD CBM DB.
5)
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Within the reporting period 2720 USD had been used for activities 2.3 in total (salary,
honoraria).
Group 3 (Bulgaria and Poland). Detailed country report is attached as Annex 6
Organizing international/national advocacy forum before the policy makers on
biodiversity indicators based on wild bird population trends (activity 3.1.1.)
In Bulgaria this activity was postponed for April 2008. The decision was taken during
the mid-term evaluation made in September and the reason for it was the opportunity
to combine the next meeting on EBCC Executive Committee, which will take place in
Sofia in April 2008 with the advocacy forum. The Ex.Co of EBCC is consists of some of
the top experts in the field of bird indicators and CBM schemes, modeling etc. as well as
PECBM coordinator and other experts form different organizations. So BSPB has
decided to combine the two events and thus to have some of the top experts as lectors in
the forum. This opportunity was presented by the project coordinator on the EBCC
Ex.Co meeting in October 2007 in Thetford, UK and the suggestion was warmly
accepted. The issue was also discussed with the Bulgarian SGP coordinator and the
postponed was agreed. The preparation for the meeting is already started, and meeting
will be on 24th of April.
1)
In Poland, OTOP started to produce wild bird population trends a couple of years ago,
because they started to run their scheme earlier than BSPB and have solid data. Trends are
being used as indicators of the state of nature. The advocacy forum and other small meeting
with decision makers, organized under the project have being helpful to attract
decisionmaker’s attention to serious problems of bird populations and to nature protection
issues as well as by all NGO and local activists who received a copy of report.
2)
Producing an annual detailed report with the results from the CBM Scheme
and disturbing it among relevant ministries, agencies, local inspectorates etc
(Activity 3.1.2)
In Poland the report from 2005-2006 was printed in November 2007. OTOP organized
press conference to inform wide public about their work and results of project. There were
lot of information in national and regional media. The report was distributed to OTOP’s
volunteers, national and local policy makers and libraries. PDF file of the report is attached as
Annex 7
In Bulgaria, the report is under preparation and is planned to be published before the
advocacy forum, which will take place on 24th of April in Sofia. On this event, the
publication of the first national common bird trends will be launched. This activity was
postponed first because the underestimate of time needed for the enormous work that was
done for all calculations, statistics and interpretation of the 3 years data and secondly
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because of the opportunity to use the advocacy forum to launch the publication in front of
the main decision makers, and institutions and NGOs
3)
Develop the capacity for producing reports for each region (trends and/or
densities of given bird species) (activity 3.1.3)
In Poland during the spring 2007 project coordinator prepared results (trends) for each
regions of Poland. The results were presented on the regional nature conferences in Zielona
Góra, Nagłowice, Łódź and Poznań in March 2007.
OTOP has started cooperation with new regional coordinator Michał Ciach. The results of
this cooperation is big increase of plots number into the Podkarpackie region in the southeast of Poland.
In Bulgaria, in order to develop capacity and to increase the number of
volunteers in all 6 planning regions in March and April 2007 BSPB has organized a
series of meetings, which were held in the towns of Sofia, Chepelare, Asenovgrad,
Bracigovo, Peshtera and Ivailovgrad with the aim of recruiting volunteers.
Except the CBM staff members (project co-ordinator, project assistant and regional
officer for South Bulgaria), the BSPB regional coordinators were the people that
locally have taken a very important part in contacting volunteers. These
coordinators are Emil Todorov (Svishtov), Ivailo Ivanov (Varna), Dimo Dimchev
(Bourgas), Dimitar Plachiiski (Plovdiv) and Nikolai Terziev (Haskovo). Thus the
information flow was improved and there was no delay in supplying the volunteers
with all necessary materials and getting their reports back on time
Publicizing and making available the CBM results through the Clearing House
Mechanism (CHM) (activity 3.1.4)
In Bulgaria the process of preparation of the first population trends for a set of the
most common bird species is still going on due to the big amount of data which
should be estimated (including the data from previous years). Special statistical
software, called TRIM, is in use for the calculation of the population trends. The
BSPB CBM coordinator working very intensively on this issue and the draft report
will be finished most likely by the end of January. After that the data will be made
available trough the CHM as well
4)
Capacity building workshops in order to improve the knowledge of the
fieldworkers and to attract new volunteers (wider public involvement),
especially in the regions/habitats which are not covered properly (NUTS
regions as well) (3.2.1)
In Bulgaria there were series of lectures and presentations in the local branches as
well as a 2 day workshop dedicated on CBM scheme, methodology, bird indicators
5)
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etc as a part of a summer education camp, took place in Madjarovo, in BSPB Nature
conservation centre “Eastern Rhodopes”.
The training seminars took place in Sofia and Madjarovo. The main topics of the
workshop were:
- CBM - methodology and examples
- Bird surveys – survey design, precision, accuracy, biases
- Bird identification – presentation and field exercise
- Measuring (estimating) distances – exercise
- Transect method to count birds – exercise
By the end of April 221 ornithologists and birdwatchers from 32 towns and villages
had received filed forms, instructions, maps and the CBM newsletter – 171 of them
are participants from previous years and 50 are new.
118 observers have surveyed their squares and have sent their field forms till the end
of September. 6 observers covered more than one square.
The annual raffle among fieldworkers is an added incentive for the volunteers to
participate in the scheme. The prizes in the raffle were a pair of binoculars, a field
guide to Birds in Europe and a weekend in the NICCER Madjarovo. On August 4
during the annual BSPB member camp in Strandja Nature Park the names of the
winners in the raffle were drawn and they were published on BSPB’s and CBMs
websites.
In Poland capacity building was done in three major group of events, varying in the level of
knowledge of the audience and therefore, the message was different:
a)
Participation in general mass events (Scientific Picnic in Warsaw and Gdańsk,
expo POLEKO) – OTOP presented the monitoring program, other conservation and
education projects to the wide public in order to get people interest in the issue of nature
protection. First step to get a new observer for the CBM scheme.
b)
Mass OTOP birdwatching events (Garden BirdWatch, Spring Alive, Euro
BirdWatch) are directed to people new to birdwatching but starting their interest with
birds already. People who know they want to register their observation and search for
possibilities. Second step to create a new observer – mild, fun initial training.
c) Workshops for observers – workshops for people who already are familiar with
birdwatching and need more final tuning. Last step to make sure that the new
observer is well prepared
Table below present the number of volunteers and plots counted during the field season
2007:
Country
Methodology No
of
plots No
of Data store
15
covered
Bulgaria
Poland
transects
transects
133
379
participants
involved
118
211
Access
Access
Producing and distributing information materials about CBM among target
groups (students, local groups of BSPB members that did not take part in the
CBM, volunteers from other nature conservation NGOs, local authorities,
Regional inspectorate of environment and water, Nature and National Parks
directorates etc.) (activity 3.2.2)
In Bulgaria, a full color brochure about CBM, its purpose, methodology, etc. as well as
the reason to develop bird indices and their use and meaning was produced in Bulgaria
and distributed widely in early spring. This brochure was produced with money from
the Common Bird Monitoring project, which is funded by the RSPB / BirdLife UK. A
copy of the brochure is attached in annex 10.
6)
7) Producing and disturbing methodological instructions, field forms and maps among
the observers (activity 3.2.3)
In Bulgaria this activity was done during the first stage of the project. BSPB will
distributed the second part of the field forms before the 2008 field season.
In Poland, the full set of forms contains: bird count guide, bird count form, bird
summarized form, mammals form, habitats form, two maps, observer form, volunteering
agreement, traveling costs refund form.
All forms for volunteers with logos of sponsors were prepared (exists in electronic version) and
distributed to regional coordinators and volunteers before March 2007.
Producing and distributing basic bird guides and CDs with bird songs for
beginners (Bulgaria only) (activity 3.2.4)
Due to the one year delay of the project start, and because these two products were
quite substantial for development and enlargement of the volunteers network,
especially for involving new and not very skilled observers, the simple Birdguide
and CD with bird calls were produced with other sources of funding in spring 2006.
Thus the funding available for this activity is saved and BSPB has two ideas to
suggests using them:
a) to produce other information materials such as guidelines for farmers on simple
agricultural practices, which they can implement and help farmland birds or
b) to use them all to produce new, more completed set of bird songs ( which
regarding the development of the CBM scheme has a priority over the guidelines)
but decision will be taken before the 2008 field season, when we will know if there is
a need for more completed set of songs
8)
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c) because of the low rate of the USD and if we can not implement all activities with
reduced budget we will suggest to skip this activity and thus to cover the financial
loss. We will make a proposal if it is necessary after the 2008 field season, when we
will have most of the activities implemented and will make pre-final budget
estimations
Producing and distributing CBM newsletter for fieldworkers and relevant
state authorities (Bulgaria only) (3.2.5)
Two issues of the CBM Bulletin was produced and distributed to the participants and
the key authorities and stakeholders. Copies of the 2 issues are attached in annexes 11a and
11b
9)
Analyzing the CBM data for farmland birds and sending the results to the
National Institute of Statistics. (3.3.1)
For Bulgaria preparation of the first population trends for a set of the most
common bird species is still going on due to the big amount of data which should be
estimated (including the data from previous years). Special statistical software, called
TRIM, is in use for the calculation of the population trends. The BSPB CBM coordinator
working very intensively on this issue and the draft report will be finished most likely
by the end of January. After that the data will be submitted to the National Institute of
Statisics
10)
In Poland, during the spring 2007 data collected in season 2006 were
computerized and analyzed for publication in the annual report of Central Statistical Office
(GUS).Finally the latest results of Polish CBM scheme was send to GUS in the end of October
2007. Data from 2000-2006 were prepared by project coordinator. The printed book is available
from of December2007.
'Audit' of national policy & legislation for use of CBM outputs. (activity 3.4)
The audit of Bulgarian conservation legislation is carrying out and the report will be
available in BG and Eng by the end of January. The terms of reference was developed
by consultation with all experts in BSPB working in this area and which will be mainly
benefited from this audit. The scope was made wider and the report should have a
strategic element and some ideas and advises for improvement of current legislation
framework. The TOR of the audit can be found in Annex 12
11)
The ‘audit’ of polish policy & legislation about using CBM outputs was prepared in
September and is available on the web page of project.
12)
Establishment of collaboration with ecology and biology departments of
Universities for research based on CBM results, capacity building (recruiting
university students), and raising the credibility of CBM in academic circles.
(activity 3.5)
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A course on Ornithology for students in the Universities of Sofia and Plovdiv was
organized with the support of their Faculties of Biology. It started on November 1 and
will continue till May 31 2007. In Sofia lecturers are be Dr. Bojidar Ivanov from the
Institute of Zoology (Bulgarian Academy of Science), Dr. Petar Yankov (BSPB
Conservation Director). In Plovdiv lecturer is Dr. Andon Darakchiev. The lectures take
place every Thursday and several field training excursions have been organized during
the weekends. Between 20 and 35 students in total attend the lecturers in both
universities.
In Poland, the idea of project was introduced on several regional meetings in
November. The main idea of these meetings is make people close to all birds’ problems, eg.
protection, counting, last research specially regional and national. Participations of these
meetings are volunteers, birdwatchers and ornithologist, who are CBM volunteers or who can
be potential CBM volunteers. These meetings are great opportunity for developing cooperation
with volunteers and scientists, finding new participants and of course introduce the general
idea of counting birds. OTOP’ presentations contains the latest result and news of CBM
scheme, and planned activities for 2007 year.
The first meeting was organized by ornithologists from University of Zielona Góra and took
place in Zielona Góra on the 24th March (about 90 participants). The second was organized in
Kielce by local birdwatchers and local NGO Towarzystwo Badań i Ochrony Przyrody, and took
place in Nagłowice on the 4th March (about 50 participants). The next presentations took place
in Łodź and Poznań and Wroclaw, all meetings were on the one day - 18th March 2007.
Project coordinator has been being in permanent cooperation with two polish researcher – dr
Przemek Chylarecki from Museum and Institute of Zoology Polish Academy of Science and
Lechosław Kuczyński from University in Poznań. They provide expertise and do all statistic
and other scientific work to produce the national bird indexes.
II Implemented additional and new activities
1) Project team meeting
Thanks to the EBCC and RSPB, all country coordinators except Petras Kurlavicius from
Lithuania attended the EBCC conference (17-22 April 2007 ) which took place in
Chiavenna, Italy. On the conference we had a half day workshop dedicated only to the
project. This was the only possibility for us to meet and discuss the project
implementation, coordination and communication issues as well as possibilities for
fundraising for sustain the CBM schemes after the end of the project. Participants in the
workshop were not only local coordinators of the project but also most of the CBM
coordinators from all other European countries, as well as some of the top experts in the
18
field of bird indicators etc, which provided many valuable ideas and advices. The
conference at all was a great opportunity for people involved in the project to meet,
discussed, share ideas and make a contacts with many experts and colleagues from all
over Europe. After the conference the communication and coordination between local
coordinators became much more effective.
2) Participation in EBCC Executive meetings
On 11th October 2007 the project coordinator presented the project before the staff of
BLI Global in their office in Cambridge. BirdLife International made this invitation in
order to understand more details about the initiative and to discuss some details and
approaches to run the similar initiative in Africa in order to produce Global bird
indicators. The presentation had a big interest and about 20 BirdLlife staff attended.
Presentation made can be found as Annex 14. As a result, the coordinator is invited to
present the project on the World BirdLife International conference “Taking the
Millennium Challenge”, which will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 22-27
October 2008 http://www.birdlife.org/worldconference/.
3) Communication and awareness of the project
Two articles about the project were published in the Bird Census News Bulletin, which
is distributed to all EBCC delegates ( 2 per country, usually representatives of science
institutes or national nature conservation authorities ) as well as to specialized libraries,
and other ornithological authorities. Articles can be found in annex 13a
4) Meeting with representatives of Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture and Food
In November 2007, the BSPB representatives met the director of the directorate for
Rural development of Ministry of Agriculture and Food to present the CBM scheme,
the bird indexes and especially the Farmland bird indicator that BSPB started to
produce. There were discussion about possibilities for funding the CBM scheme
from the National rural development plan and ministry representatives were very
interested and positive about it. Now BSPB is working on the proposal to present
before the Directorate.
2) ROS started to prepare a poster to attract new volunteers and to offer concise
information about the project
2. Produced outputs (please report the ones achieved within the reporting period.)
Macedonia
o 14 count plots and 20 participants
o Training workshop was done successfully
19
Turkey
o
o
11 count plots and 13 participants
Training workshop was done successfully
o
o
o
25 counted plots and 18 participants involved
Training g workshop was done successfully
A colorful brochure was produced and distributed
Belarus
Lithuania
 60 plots were counted by 60 participants
 New database is developed and more than half of the data are
already digitized
 Two capacity building workshops took place and one for decision
makers
Romania
o
o
o
58 plots were counted by 55 observers
A set of 3CDs with local bird calls were produced
Presentation of the project before the Minister of Environment
o
o
o
o
o
First national population trends for 38 bird species are produced
133 observers counted 118 plots
Bulgarian CBM coordinator became an EBCC Ex.Co member
A project workshop for country coordinators took place in Italy
2 CBM newsletters were produced and distributed
Bulgaria
For Poland:




450 plots visited and monitored in 2007
new volunteers and new plots covered in Kielecczyzna region and
Bieszczady region
the farmland bird index is available – the indicators are printed in the
latest publications of Central Statistical Office (“Ochrona Środowiska
2007 – GUS”),
developing cooperation with A. Mickiewicz University in Poznan
(Poland) – connected with modelling of distribution of common
breeding birds in Poland (CBM coordinator is coauthor of
presentation on the Conference in Chavianne).
III. REPORTING LESSONS LEARNED, ACHIEVEMENTS AND PROBLEMS
20
1. Lessons learned (please analyze the project implementation and achievements for this
reporting period and list the key lessons learned)
2. Contribution to sustainability (please list any contributions towards project
sustainability if achieved during the reporting period. This is a key section for the report
of the last project reporting period.)
3. Problems encountered and remedy actions (please list the problems that possibly
occurred during the project implementation and what was done to overcome them)
IV. CHANGES
Please list any changes requested in terms of project implementation, including possible budget
revisions.
1. ROS suggests the remaining of 312.12 USD from the activity 2.1.2.
Producing information materials about biodiversity indicators and CBM scheme
and delivering them to the governments, local authorities, nature conservation
NGOs etc. and 2.2.2 to be used for activity 2.2.1 (Capacity building
workshops in order to improve the knowledge of the fieldworkers and to
attract new volunteers).
2. ROS suggests scheduling activity 2.1.1. (Organizing national advocacy
forum before the policy makers on biodiversity indicators based on wild
bird population trends) to spring 2008, when it will be possible to organize
it together with an official national meeting of the representatives of the
Regional Environmental Agencies
3. ROS suggests schedule activity 2.2.1. (Capacity building workshops in
order to improve the knowledge of the fieldworkers and to attract new
volunteers (wider public involvement)) for December 2007 and spring 2008
4. DD suggests that all the money allocated originally to purchase field
guides (750 USD) and the budget that was originally on purchasing 5 pairs
of binoculars (700 USD, see Activity 1.2) to be both used to buy GPS
devices, to be ready for the second field season (a total of 1450 USD). Also
there is a remaining fund of 1.394 USD which are savings from the activity
1.2 (Capacity building workshop). We propose to use 1000 USD to add on
the budget for activity 1,4 ( information materials for policy makers etc.)
and thus to produce a glossy brochure. The remaining 394 USD we
propose to use for buying GPSes. In total we have 2844 USD not used and
we propose 1000 of them to allocate to activity 1,4 ( brochure) and with the
rest 1844 USD to purchase GPS devises.
5. BSPB suggests the amount available for translation (1500 USD) which is
saved and will not be used to be used for cover part of the cost of the project
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coordinator to attend the BirdLife International World Conference, where
she will have a presentation of the project. The project will be presented
before more than 300 representatives of 106 BirdLife partners from all over
the World, main environmental donors and foundations and world
environmental leaders. The amount will cover the participation fee (900
USD) and accommodation costs. Travel costs will be covered by the BirdLife
International
Nada Tosheva – Executive Director of BSPB………………………………..
Sylvia Barova – Project coordinator of SEED Bird Index…………………….