Lawin Unit starts building capacity of other Forest Management Bureau staff

Forester Paulo Felipe (foreground) of the FMB Lawin Unit coaches other FMB staff on how to use the SMART software in analyzing patrol data. (Photo credit: FMB-DENR)

     On February 6 to 9, the Forest Management Bureau (FMB) thru its Lawin Unit held a workshop to broaden understanding among their staff of the USAID-developed Lawin Forest and Biodiversity Protection System. Fifty FMB technical staff, Section and Division Chiefs from the bureaus two divisions, the Forest Resources Conservation Division and Forest Policy, Planning and Knowledge Management Division participated in the “learning event.” Lawin coaches from the FMB Lawin Unit, on their own, designed and facilitated the orientation, training and coaching event aimed to deepen the understanding of the broadest number of FMB personnel including those not directly involved in implementing the system on how Lawin works. The workshop topics include: process of forest conservation area planning; patrol planning and patrolling to address observed threats; proper recording of observations on threats, forest condition and indicator species, and data management using the SMART software. The participants joined a patrolling simulation exercise to gain actual experience in using the CyberTracker application in recording observations. The Lawin Unit of FMB was created in July 2017 to oversee and ensure the sustainability of the implementation of the system. USAID's Biodiversity and Watersheds Improved for Stronger Economy and Ecosystem Resilience (B+WISER) and DENR jointly developed Lawin.