Often more than one FFS is held during an implementation process. It is likely that groups develop slightly different approaches to tackle similar challenges or that groups choose different methods that are practiced at the training fields. Exchange visits offer the possibility to widen the experiences and solutions that are shared.

During exchange visits farmers from one field school visit another group of farmers that is held in a different region. Everyone is able to learn from a different experience and the outcomes of another group. This way good practices and success stories can be shared, and each group gets new input in a bottom up approach.

Since 2009, the government has been offering support (e.g. training, refresher courses and micro-credit) to help fishers generate income from alternative livelihoods such as livestock rearing and small businesses. Since 2015, WorldFish has been working with the government to improve this approach in selected communities through a project called 'Enhanced Coastal Fisheries in Bangladesh' (ECOFISH-BD). For example, the project has established Community Savings Groups (CSGs) for women in these communities to enhance saving behaviours of fishing households. Members receive training in financial literacy and the importance of sustainable hilsa fishery management for their livelihoods and wellbeing. They are encouraged to save BDT 100 (just over US$1) every month, and when a CSG hits a saving target of BDT 25,000, ECOFISH matches the saving. This is expected to incentivise further saving and improve the socioeconomic position of fishing households so that they are more able to comply with fishing restrictions and diversify their livelihoods.

During seasonal fishing bans, the government distributes sacks of rice to a proportion (around 248,674) of affected households across 15 districts. The scheme was introduced in 2004, with the primary goal of reducing food insecurity and vulnerability, but it also provides an incentive for compliance with fishing regulations, by compensating for income foregone during fishing bans. Based on research led by the International Institute for Environment and Development in partnership with the Bangladesh government's Department of Fisheries, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute and Bangladesh Agricultural University, the scheme has been expanded and redesigned to enhance its effectiveness as an economic incentive. Coverage of affected households has increased by more than seven times since the scheme began, and families now receive 40kg of rice per month for four months, as opposed to the initial 10kg for one to three months. Instances of rice misallocation have also been reduced through the introduction of ID cards for fishers.

‘When you eat around a fire after a day of working together building fire-breaks, you realise we all have the same problems’.

In a context of limited resources, accommodating different livelihood practices (pastoralism, agriculture) that often come into conflict requires dialogue starting at the base. This is why the project acts as facilitator to help bring together the diverse clans and ethnicities of the elephant range to achieve unity towards a common goal – in this case the preservation of their natural resources and the regeneration of their ecosystem.

By coming together to address an environmental challenge communities benefit on multiple levels, which incentives them to collaborate further. The result is an altogether more resilient solution that is bigger than the sum of its parts. Benefits include healthier habitats; more abundant natural resources; increased food security and resilience in the face of adverse events; additional income; social empowerment incl. for women and youths; better social cohesion between and within communities; increased physical security as youths are provided with a locally respected occupations as ‘eco-guards’, which reduces the likelihood of them emigrating or joining armed groups; pride in their ability to contribute to their household and community, and exert some agency over their lives.

One of the most important recipe for the success of the deer census is that each couple of operators has to be composed of people from different categories: beginners with experts, hunters with animal activists, rangers with students, people from different regions, etc. 

Every night the couples composition is different, so all the participants have the opportunity to meet different people and different areas of the National Park. 

Also the social and scientific events are organized to emphasize the occasions of experience exchange between all different kinds of participants. 

In order to reduce the pressures on the environmental capacity of Changbai Mountain Scenic Area, a total of RMB6 billion has been invested since 2010 to build 32 new scenic sites and 10 squares at and near Er’dao Baihe Town, a town neighbouring the northern part of Changbai Mountain Scenic Area.  In 2019, Er’dao Baihe Town was rated as an AAAA Scenic Area, one of the national exemplary areas for integrated tourism, and accredited as an international Cittaslow town by Cittaslow International.  Er’dao Baihe Town has become an open and free-of-charge scenic area and aims to offer high standard services for tourism, leisure and recreation.  While providing high-quality and well-managed leisure space for local residents, it also help stimulate the development of accommodation and catering businesses in Changbai Mountain’s neighbouring communities.  A new development model of sharing and co-building that serves tourists and brings happiness to local residents is hence achieved.  

Based on its topographic features, the 9 protection stations in Changbai Mountain Nature Reserve are further subdivided into 27 units.  27 rangers teams, each comprising 7-10 frontline rangers, were formed and carried out daily routine patrols.  During the critical period, these teams were stationed in the field to defend their respective areas to the last.  The Reserve vigorously promoted a full-range supervision and field camping measures, and continued to tighten the control of fire sources in the typhoon-stricken area, the areas with cash trees, and the areas open for tourism.  It also strengthened in an all-round way the forest fire brigades with a special emphasis on lookouts, communications and fire fighting.  Three professional firefighting teams were formed to cover the north, west, south slopes of Changbai Mountain, and their skill trainings and fire prevention and fighting drills were strengthened.  Joint defence and joint protection were enhanced; a regional joint emergency response mechanism was established.  Combined efforts were made to conduct public education of forest fire prevention.

Thorough data analysis was conducted on recent years' tourism in Changbaishan, and the ecological carrying capacity of Changbai Scenic Area was hence determined based on science. A scientific and sound tourism plan was formulated based on statistics. Securing sufficient funding ensured the implementation of the planned projects. A number of mechanisms and measures are put in place to ensure an accurate calculation of the number of visitors of the day and a forecast in the following 3 days, such as merging the two ticket-checking points, real-name ticketing, ticket-booking based on the selected time of entry. When the crux comes, such measures as ceasing ticket sales and imposing restrictions on the number of visitors can effectively avert overcrowding in the scenic areas and raise the level of comfort for visitors.

Using the websites, WeChat Public Account, Newspapers, Popular Science Books, Popular Science Videos, Documentaries, News Coverage, Warning Signs, Field Education Sites, AR Hanma Exhibition Room, Ecological and Cultural Museum, Pamphlets, Summer Camps, Eco-Forums, Publicity campaigns in schools and communities, Eco-education and field studies base, etc., publicity and education are carried out to the public. This makes the public understand the importance of protecting moose population and improve the public awareness of ecological protection.

    Aim at human interference information, and timely organize management and protection personnel to carry out community visits, special inspections, etc. For the people involved we can provide verbal warnings, legal warnings and education, and registration for the record in accordance with the "Regulations on the Management of Nature Reserves".