Support from USAID’s PERFORM project helped scale up the partnership between KHP and the Cooperative. The funding strengthened the business model and increased long-term sustainability and impact.

The informal farmer group was formally registered as the Lucheche Cooperative and trained to manage its operations. This empowered the community to organize effectively and take charge of their development.

Farmers prune their trees and sell the leaf biomass to KHP for essential oil extraction, creating a sustainable and regular income stream. This reduces the need for environmentally harmful activities like illegal charcoal burning.

Kawandama Hills partnered with local farmers to plant Corymbia citriodora trees on their own farmland, encouraging sustainable land use and reforestation. This model protects the environment while giving communities ownership of the process.

Women groups in the Kharagpur agriscape established eco-nurseries to produce seedlings of multipurpose tree species (MPTS) such as Moringa (Moringa oleifera), Teak (Tectona grandis), Papaya (Carica papaya), and Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla). These nurseries supported reforestation and provided additional household income. Manju Kumari and others used their land to raise seedlings, supported by custom hiring centers and training from Bhagalpur University. The nurseries produced high-quality planting stock for plantation drives and private land use. Sales from seedlings generated up to approximately USD 570/year per group. Women gained leadership experience by managing nursery operations and supported outreach to other farmers. The activity reduced fuelwood dependency while enhancing economic resilience and social recognition for women’s groups in the village.

To reduce pressure on nearby forests, certain individual farmers were supported to cultivate green fodder (oats and maize) on private plots. This intervention aimed to transition livestock feeding away from forest foraging to stall-feeding using cultivated fodder. Households adopted varieties like oats that yield multiple harvests annually, improving economic returns and ensuring a reliable feed source. Women like Vasanti Devi found health improvements in livestock health and reduced vet expenses after switching to green fodder, reinforcing adoption. The total fodder yield reached over 49,000 kg, valued at over USD 843. Households saved up to USD 28 – USD 34 annually by reducing feed purchases and medicine costs. This practice also contributed to reduced forest degradation, improved milk yields, and created an entry point for sustainable livestock management practices within the agriscape.

To address the dual challenges of wetland degradation and declining soil fertility, the project introduced vermicomposting of invasive water hyacinth. This fast-growing aquatic plant was manually removed by community members and processed in vermicompost pits provided through the project. The biomass was converted into nutrient-rich organic fertilizer, restoring soil productivity. In Banbarsa village, farmers successfully used this vermicompost to grow okra, brinjal, bottle gourd, and ridge gourd—without applying any chemical pesticides or fertilizers. These efforts not only improved crop yields but also enabled women farmers like Ruby Devi to share surplus harvests with others in the village, promoting food security and social cohesion. The initiative demonstrated how invasive species management could be transformed into a livelihood-enhancing, ecosystem-restoring practice. Moreover, vermicomposting helped rehabilitate wetland ecosystems by curbing hyacinth spread, allowing sunlight and oxygen back into aquatic systems, thereby restoring its biodiversity.

 Featuring black bear science education as an exhibition zone in the Hubei (Wuling Mountains) Wildlife Specimen Museum, externally promoting and popularizing species knowledge and project achievements. Nature educators organized public museum tours, conducted wildlife rescue activities, science lectures, etc., with annual public reception exceeding 35,000 person-times. By displaying spectacular black bear footage captured by the project, publishing science articles, and streaming real-time videos, visitors observed bears without disturbance. In recent years, illicit excavation, deforestation, and poaching have nearly vanished. Local residents now fully recognize the species’ importance; diverse educational approaches fostered comprehensive multidimensional understanding of Asian black bears, acknowledging them as part of the reserve community while avoiding intrusion into bear habitats.

To effectively resolve wild beasts harming farmers, the Houhe Reserve invested 244,000 yuan, purchasing 63,000 meters of fencing nets for free distribution to communities, and issued 160 sets of prevention alarms; explored installing 5,000 meters of pulse electric fences; annually acquired 50,000-100,000 yuan in wildlife damage insurance, installing real "insurance" for residents' production and livelihoods. Through alarms, fencing nets, and electric fences, effectively warned of black bear presence, blocked bears from entering community areas, alleviating human-bear conflicts.