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

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Grant Recipient Details

Your name Professor Yuri Arylov

Project title Community-led conservation of the Critically Endangered saiga antelope in Russia: Linking participatory monitoring and environmental education

RSG reference

Reporting period February, 2014- February, 2015

Amount of grant £ 11997

Your email address saiga-center@mail.ru

Date of this report March,3, 2015

1. Please indicate the level of achievement of the project’s original objectives and include any relevant comments on factors affecting this.

Objective Not

achieved

Partially achieved

Fully achieved

Comments

To develop the Centre for Wild Animals into the saiga conservation hub with two integrated programmes: participatory monitoring and ecological education.

x We have established a strong and effective network of farmers who are keen to continue monitoring and to participate in other activities.

The centre became more improved, accessible education centre with enhanced saiga viewing facilities, catering to a wider audience, with a particular focus on youth organisations. We repaired and improved visit-centre purchased all necessary equipment and conducted lessons for schoolchildren.

To integrate these two programmes: participatory monitoring and ecological education.

x Six different youth organisations visited the CWA over the 12-month period to undertake education activities and view captive saigas. On each occasion, two monitors visited the centre to talk about their work and interact with students. Also, each youth organisation undertook a field trip to view saigas in the wild and meet with monitors.

Use data from local monitors to improve our understanding of saiga distribution and ecology

x According to plan of activity, in March 2014 we prepared monitoring protocols and other informative materials about saiga (calendar, booklets, and poster) for monitors. We prepared special short questionnaires, which consist the information about monitors themselves, the GPS coordinates of their farmsteads and the information about their meetings with saiga on the territory of their

farmsteads.Then, in March 2014, centre staff chose 30 monitors , visited their farmsteads and conducted briefing with them, signed with them the contract about the realisation of the project and the regularity of receiving data from monitors, gave the advance money for monitors. The rest sum was given to the monitors during other visits. The monitors also were given mobile cards (300 rub) to transfer the information about their saiga meeting to the centre’s staff. During the whole period of the project the monitors regularly phoned to the centre and informed about their meetings with saigas on their territory during their daily works. Also, six of the monitors visited saiga nursery and give lectures for children.

To improve education facilities in saiga centre

x In March and April 2014, we repaired and improved visitor centre (in and out), purchased all necessary equipment to conduct lessons for children. This allow us to conduct six lessons for schoolchildren according our lesson plans and training materials.

To engage more people, especially young people in saiga conservation

x We had a range of activities, which attracts many people.Six youth organisations visited saiga breeding centre (84 people) and monitor’s farmstead.Centre for wild animals visited monitors two times (72 people: 30 monitors and their relatives- 42).Additionally, with the help of Saiga Conservation Alliance, at the end of April 2014 we organised two Saiga Days in Yashkul and Adyk. Saiga Days were visited by approximately 200 people.

To provide a nexus around which the local community can

x

concentrate their concern for saiga and a platform for the development of positive activities to aid in saiga conservation.

To involve local communities in natural resource management in the region.

x The project endangered strong cooperation with the Ministry of Natural Resources, village heads, conservationists and local people.

Lessons learnt and dissemination to other areas

x We plan to distribute the information of this project in Saiga News after we finished the detailed analysis of data. Also we plan to distribute posters with the results of this project among the people.

2. Please explain any unforeseen difficulties that arose during the project and how these were tackled (if relevant).

The project has run smoothly without any big problems

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

Nowadays, the situation with saiga in north–western Caspian is critical. According to expert’s data in 2014, the number of saiga in our territory is approximately 5,000. Saiga poaching and wolves are continuing to be the main factors of saiga extinction. It is obvious that the necessary condition for saiga conservation is the formation of the environmentally conscious society and the education of the respect for the conservation to the nature among local population, especially among the younger generation. It is necessary to work with the active involvement of the target groups in saiga conservation through environmental education and awareness, primarily among local residents, as well as the younger generation. It is also necessary to fill the gap in the lack of information about the saiga, and to produce information materials - brochures, booklets, calendars. That why, our project is very productive and up-to date.

1) We established a tested, sustainable and effective participatory monitoring programme with 30 local monitors, which farmsteads are located near saiga habitat. They were producing robust information on saiga distribution and ecology and they are veryare keen to continue their work.

The analysis of data which we received from monitors shows that practically all monitors (27 monitors) saw saiga on their territories. Only three monitors didn’t see saiga during the whole period of project. All 27 monitors noted the small quantities of meetings with saiga and also they

registered the small number of saiga which they saw (5-10 saiga). Only two monitors from the village Khulkhutta and Tavn-Gashun saw 150-200 saiga.

All monitors noted in their questionnaires that they saw wolves near their farmsteads and the occasions when wolves fight with saiga. Three monitors noted something like poaching .They saw how men on bikes pursued saiga. Totally, all monitors are very positive and very happy to participate in this project. They understood that they somehow help to save their own national heritage and contribute directly to conservation efforts.

Map №1. In this map we showed 30 monitor’s farmsteads according their GPS. № 1 are these monitors, who saw saiga on their territories.

Map № 2. Season disturbance of saiga. In this map we showed season disturbance of saiga. Green is when monitor saw saigas in spring, yellow-in summer; red-in autumn, blue-in winter.The 30 monitors saw more saiga in summer and autumn in comparison with winter.

2) Increased engagement of all members of society in saiga conservation, especially young people through the excursions to the nursery, saiga day festivals. We conducted excursions for youth organization from six schools (84 people) to saiga breeding centre. For this purpose, we repaired visit centre and purchased 15 desks with six benches. To view saiga in enclosures we bought two binoculars and one telescope. We took this telescope and binoculars during visits farmsteads of monitors. During our lessons we used our materials and our collegues from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Also, these schoolchildren visited monitor’s farmstead.

We established two saiga steppe wildlife clubs (45 schoolchildren from Adyk and Yashkul) and organised two Saiga Days, which were visited by about 200 people.

During this project, we made and distributed 100 posters and 150 calendars. These materials were distributed among monitors, schoolchildren and local people.

All these actions help us to provide the next generation with an awareness of the dangers facing saigas, to instill appreciation and motivation for conservation.

3) Enhanced collaboration between conservationists and local people.

4. Briefly describe the involvement of local communities and how they have benefitted from the project (if relevant).

Thirty saiga monitors were local farmers who have benefitted from their involvement by feeling empowered to monitor their own biodiversity and contribute directly to conservation efforts.

Local schoolchildren who visited our nursery have benefitted from educational materials and activities highlighting the importance and conservation of their local biodiversity.

Support of this project improved the facilities of the Center for Wild Animals. Increased activity at the Center will also help it to continue its role as an important centre on ecological education and continue to work with participatory monitoring from 2008.

5. Are there any plans to continue this work?

Yes. We have a strong framework of monitors and local supporters in place, who would like very much to continue their work. Also, we would like to work on ecological education too. We have steppe wildlife clubs of children, we have educational materials. Every year we organise saiga day festivals and we plan to continue this work.

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

We wanted to publish our results in Saiga News, which is the main dissemination vehicle for saiga-related work. It is distributed to a very wide audience in six languages, from the local village level to international policy makers. We have maintained close contact with the saiga management authority’s in-country throughout, and will continue to update them on project results.

7. Timescale: Over what period was The Rufford Foundation grant used? How does this compare to the anticipated or actual length of the project

12 months, as anticipated

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.

On March 14, 2014 we have received 11997 £ sterling (709440, 2 rub.)On this period 1 £ sterling =59, 13 rub.

Item Budgeted Am

ount

Actual Am

ount

Difference(N

on-use)

Comments

1) Monitors' salaries 4,465 3653 812 Photo -1-1(3)We receive such difference £812, as we counted salary for monitors as we indicated in our first application- 30 monitors (600 Rb /month for 12 months)

2) Purchase of gasoline for visiting monitors an trips to the CWA and to visit monitors for 6 youth organisations

1600 1600 Photo -2-2(33)

3) Acquisition of prepaid cards for mobile communications network

180 180 Photo -3-3(1)

4) Office expenses 233 233 Photo- 4

5) Repair and improve visitor centre

2,894 2,894 Photo- 5-5(21)

6) Acquisition of 15 desks 589 584,7 4,3 Photo 6

7)) Acquisition of 6 benches 471 467,7 3,3

8) Acquisition of infrared camera to provide video surveillance of saigas

186 - 186 Unfortunately, we didn’t bye this camera. The reason is that we ordered this camera by customers who lived not in our city.In our city there is no camera that we need. They didn’t meet the deadlines. So, we re-ordered this camera.

9) Acquisition of 2 binoculars 227 261,01 -34,01 Photo 7

10) Acquisition of telescope 289 244,3 44,7

11) Acquisition of photographic lens for media production

99 93 6 Photo 8

12) Production of education materials

289 289 Photo 9

13) Contribution to running costs of the CWA breeding centre

475 475 Photo 10

11,999 10930 1023 This sum is non-used

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

We need to ensure that the momentum and positive spirit we have built up continues into the future. Most importantly we would like to continue to support the saiga monitors in their work, as they are key custodians of the saigas in their region.

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, Rufford was fully credited on all the materials produced in this project.

11. Any other comments?

We thank the Rufford Foundation for your generosity. The project has been a great success and we are very grateful for your support.