Forestry Extension and

Environmental
Education
Daw Suu Suu
Phyoe
Assistant
lecturer
Department of Environmental Economics,
Policy and Management
Faculty of Environmental Science
Orientation
• Teaching Hours- (~64) hours

• Student assessment- 20% (Report/Tutorial/

Presentation) + 80% (Exam)

• Report/Tutorial- Interim & final

• Presentation- individual OR group work (based on

student’s preference)

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 Warming up
1. Have you ever been practiced in extension work as a part of
practical works or extra curricular activity?

2. How do you define “Extension”?

3. How do you understand “objective of extension”?

4. How can you relate “Extension” into forestry and

environmental fields?

5. What do you think about the problems when giving extension to

the
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target group?

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 Chapter I: Principles, Practices, and
Importance of Extension Education in Forestry

1.1. INTRODUCTION

● “Extension”- first used more than a century ago

to extend knowledge from the University of
Cambridge to a greater number of people outside
its portal.

● Objective- (1) extension of knowledge (2) service to

people (3) establishing a central extension
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organization and (4) employing
extension workers

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1.1. INTRODUCTION Cont’d

• The concept was extended to agriculture (agricultural

extension) in USA in 1914 for extending non-formal
education to the farming community with the objective
of passing useful and practical information to the
farmers and their families on matters relating to farming,
home economics and hygiene.

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• Extension work may be defined as a
professional methods of imparting non-formal
education that aims at inducing
behavioral changes in the target population for
increasing the profitability of the farm products
including forest products, through increased production
and productivity.

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• Basic Aim of extension either in forestry or in
agriculture is to assist villagers and farmers to develop
and use improved forestry and agricultural technology.

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1.2. Important Features of Forestry Extension are:

1. Helping the clientele to understand the importance of

forest trees in agriculture, animal husbandry and the
environmental amelioration

2. Developing non-formal method of adult education

in forestry practices

3. Developing an appropriate communication channels

and methodologies

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4. Inducing behavioral changes of the target group to
blend tree growing activities along with other farming
activities

5. Transferring appropriate technology to the target group

6. Establishing linkages between research groups

and the users

7. Developing one-window input supply and other provisions

8. Developing appropriate feedback mechanisms

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9. Developing sound management principles

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1.3. Basic Principles of Extension Education/ Practices
□ The fundamental principles for all types of extension
education
and practices are universally applicable, changing
conditions, customs and circumstances notwithstanding.

These are:
• Interests and needs of farmers (clients)

• A network of organizations at grassroots levels and

networking

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1.3. Basic Principles of Extension Education/
Practices Cont’d
• Cultural differences within the community and
cultural changes brought about by development
activities

• Inculcating a spirit of cooperation, self

reliance and participation among the rural
communities

• Promotion of the principle of “learning by doing”

• Cultivating, promoting and developing leadership

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from among the target community

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1.3. Basic Principles of Extension Education/
Practices Cont’d
• Principles of adaptability

• Availability of trained specialists

• Application of appropriate technology

• Principle of whole family approach and not

individual approach in the rural sector

• Ensuring mental satisfaction of having the job well done

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1.3. Basic Principles of Extension Education/
Practices Cont’d
• Periodic evaluation, monitoring and assessment

• Developing the required human resources at different

levels

• Infrastructural development for sustained supply of inputs

and marketing of products

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1.4. Principal Topics that should be addressed
by Extension Workers
• Technological improvement including use of improved planting
materials
（ seeds, cuttings, etc.), fertilization and manuring, pest control,
nursery technology, planting tools and methods, soil and
moisture conservation, nursery plantation management,
harvesting and processing.
• Organizational improvement that includes budgeting, record
keeping, man management, organizing cooperatives and
arranging credits (when necessary), formation of forest
protection committees or similar organizations at village level,
identifying pressure groups with the communities and enlisting
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their support and cooperation.

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 1.5. Operational Problems with Extension Work

Problems Problem Solutions

1. Extension work makes little Coordinate extension with
progress due to absence/ other services, organize a
inadequacy of supporting services. package program. Develop
team approach through
village level link/ contact
person.

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2. Multitude of small farmers and Organize local contact farmers into
marginal farmers with a very a group and arrange to work with the
small number of extension staff. group who would carry forward the
extension message.

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 1.5. Operational Problems with Extension Work
Cont’d
Problems Problem Solutions
3. Extension message ill- Make field surveys, carry out
adopted to management operational research to
objectives of small farmers, devise appropriate technology
surplus labor, shortage of and test in the same field.
funds, high cost of imported
energy.

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4. Extension workers are Improve training components for the
inadequately trained for the assigned extension workers through pre-service
job. and in-service trainings, adopt
principles of non formal education and
carry out more practical work.

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 1.5. Operational Problems with Extension Work
Cont’d
Problems Problem Solutions
5. Weak management structure Introduce single-direct short
arising from complex line communication system
organizational structure, for support and control.
remote single command, Simplify management
procedures, introduce positive
absence of front line
and negative incentives for
supporting staff, ill-defined
extension staff, plan the
work programs, no incentive programs more objectively
to improve. which should be well-defined
and pragmatic(practical).

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 1.6. Implementation Practices

1. Informal information collection

• Visits and conversations with the target people informally in
their homes or fields, either early in the morning or in the
evening (these hours do not clash with their normal work
schedule) are excellent way to initiate the extension work.
• These visits not only enable the extension worker to
collect a lot of relevant information but also promote positive
interactions between clients and the extension worker.

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1. Informal information collection cont’d
• The best way to collect the required information is to
observe, ask questions and listen.
• Further the extension worker must help in the field work as
well as this creates trust, comradeship and facilitates
acceptance of the ideas of the extension worker.
• It is well known that ideas coming from friends and
trustworthy persons are easily accepted.
• But it is not the same case with unfamiliar and unfriendly
person.

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1. Informal information collection cont’d
• It will be very good if an extension endeavors to know
everybody in his area of operation by their first names and
make informal contacts with as many families in the village
as possible.
• Informal contacts ensure more positive response from
contacted people.

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2. Group Meetings
• Group meetings are helpful to introduce the people to the
proposed project.
• It also assists in identifying the problems and solutions.
• A group meeting method is specially useful in societies
where decisions are taken by the group rather than by an
individual, and also where cooperative actions are needed for
the success of the project.

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2. Group Meetings
• Further, group actions tends to prevent the domination of
more privileged members of the community to corner the
opportunities and benefits offered by the development
activities.
• Existing village and farmers’ organizations can be utilized in
organizing the group meetings which would provide an
opportunity to work with the community.
• The extension officials must also inculcate a feeling of
partnership
in the project.
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3. Rapport Establishment
• Rapport establishment with the group is very
important, as people will accept the extension worker and
his ideas only when they are convinced that he is working not
for himself but for the welfare of the community.
• This approach may require the extension worker to spend
several weeks living with them and to talk, act and behave as
one of them.
• This will promote reciprocal friendship and cooperation
from the group later on.
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4. Support for the local leaders
• The extension worker must be able to make friends and
win them over especially the leading opinion makers among
the group.
• His work is facilitated once the opinion makers are
convinced
about the good intentions of the extension.
• An extension worker, therefore,
must attemptto know the leadership pattern
and to identify opinion makers of the group in his area of
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operation.

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5. Problem Census Approach
The method includes –
(1)Defining the problem precisely and without any ambiguity.
(2)Eliciting different viewpoints among the
clients or members of the group of the problem
(3)Redefining the problem in terms that permit solution
(4)Agreement to a course of cooperative action plans
like identifying implementing persons, resource
mobilization,
imparting training to acquire necessary skills and the
appropriate time to start a project, etc.

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6. Building on the local culture
• Traditional practices emanate from trials and errors
practiced through ages.
• Therefore, extension worker must strive to gather as much
useful information as possible on the existing farming
systems, local ways of doing things, weakness of the
practiced system etc.
• The information so collected should be put in writing in the
form of a diary or in the file.
• This is a very useful method of building extension activities

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on the local culture.

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7. Questionnaire Methods
• Questionnaire, If formulated with great care and meticulousness,
can help to standardize the information gathering format by
eliminating personal judgment and bias.
•However, framing good questionnaires is often very difficult and
information collection by persons not familiar with and trained in
survey methods is often unsatisfactory using even a best framed
questionnaire.
•The practical solution is to simplicity the questionnaires and to
make them short and direct, seeking basic information only.

• Exclude questions that may be ambiguous or insulting or may

hurt
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others.

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Dos and Don’ts
• What crop do you grow during shifting cultivation?
• When and how do you plant them?
• What is the yield? Does is decrease compared to previous
years?
•...................What is the duration of fallow period? Is it
progressively getting reduced?. etc
• Don’t you agree that shifting cultivation practiced by you
is harmful, as it destroys forests, increases soil erosion and
causes flood?

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7. Questionnaire Methods Cont’d
• These questions would not only elicit more information on the
ill effect of the shifting cultivation but also would make the
person to whom the questions are addressed aware of the ill
effects of the shifting cultivation without hurting his feelings,
sentiments and beliefs.

• An extension worker may end his question by asking his

client the
solution of the problem to the best of his thinking.

• This will satisfy his ego and he will consider himself

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important to participate in the programs.

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8. Link Person
• Constraints of funds may often be overcome by appointing part
time link person or persons who will be given some elementary
practical training on social forestry and agroforestry practices.
•The link persons may report to the professionals regarding the
progress of the project and ask for solutions to the problems that
a client is actually facing in implementing the project.
• Women are more suitable for acting as part-time link persons, as
they are in position to devote more time for the job on a
honorarium which may not attract a male member on account of
his primary responsibility to provide for the family expenses.
•By appointing on link person in every village, feedback is ensured.
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9. Coordination of the activities
• Regular meetings of all the groups involved may be arranged at
which members can discuss freely their particular needs and
problems.

• Purpose of the meeting must be explained at the beginning

and the participants may be goaded to express their opinion
freely and frankly.

•To facilitate in-depth discussions, it will be ideal to break up the

participants into small units comprising not more than ten persons
who will discuss among themselves about the problems and
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constraints and the manner by which these could be solved.

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10. Regular Extension Visits by Extension Managers
•It is essential that extension managers must make regular visits
to the extension sites, and discuss with the field extension
workers at the grassroots level about the problems and
constraints that they are facing.

•This procedure will generate reciprocal confidence.

• Occasionally, managers may make unscheduled visits to a

specific site on a day when a field official is supported to be there
with a view to inspiring his confidence and to ensure his presence
there regularly as per the schedule.

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11. Explain the law pertaining to tree harvesting
• All laws and regulations of the Government pertaining to
tree harvesting must be explained to the clients without any
ambiguity.

• An extension worker must strive dispel the incorrect

notions and beliefs and explain the correct laws and
regulations with regard to harvesting trees and other forest
products.

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12. Training and Visit System (TVS)
This methodology has been advocated by World Bank based
on the experiences of its application in Agriculture Extensions
Projects.
The system was introduced to overcome certain deficiencies
that were observed, such as:
• A long and ill-defined line of command
• Village Level Extension Workers(VLEWs) spend only about
25% of less time for actual field work instead of the prescribed
80% because of the heavy demand on his time on items not
related to extension work (public health, family welfare,
collection of statistics, popularizing small savings, etc.)
• Even a greater part of the 25% of his time available to him I
actually spent on input collection and distribution and hardly
have time for advising the farmers on technical matters.
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12. Training and Visit System (TVS) Cont’d
•Operational Research Projects are not related to farmer’ real needs.

• Inadequacy of periodic in-service training of extension workers for

upgrading his technical competence and skill.
•These deficiencies were overcome by following “area training
and visit programme”.
•Essentially, this includes regular intensive training session for
VLEWs along with the scheduled field trips.
•Each session will concentrate only on 3-4 very important
problems that the farmers may pose.

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13. Field Demonstration
• This is an excellent method of conveying the method of
extension message based on the principle of “seeing is
believing”.

• Setting up permanent demonstration plots for social

forestry and agroforestry has been found a very useful
vehicle to convey the extension message.

• The field demonstrations are of two types: (1) Result

Demonstration and (2) Method Demonstration. They have
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complementary objectives.

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13. Result Demonstration
•The aim of a result information is to convince the clients and
target people about the superiority and practicability of a particular
technique under conditions prevailing in the locality.

•Result demonstration should be planned carefully and the steps

and tasks involved should be clearly worked out.

•The “result demonstration ” focuses the reason to adopt a particular

practice.

•The “method demonstration” aims at inducing farmers to use the

techniques themselves.

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Adoption of Non-formal Education Technique as
Extension Strategy
• Knowledge originates from three sources, viz.
informal education, formal education and non-formal
education.
• Informal education is nothing but experience or
knowledge acquired and accumulated during one’s life
time. It includes knowledge, skills, attitudes and insights
acquired from daily experiences and exposures to the
environment.
• Formal education is a chronologically graded and
structured system of teaching in organized institutions
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starting from primary schools to university level.

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Adoption of Non-formal Education Technique as
Extension Strategy Cont’d
• Non-formal education envisages an organized system
of
teaching outside the formal system.
• It, therefore, does not need a chronologically graded
and structured system and is designed only to fulfill
specific needs.
• It aims at solving a particular problem and is adopted
to suit the local culture, environment and occupation of the
participants.
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Adoption of Non-formal Education Technique as
Extension Strategy Cont’d
• Success of non-formal education depends on practical
demonstration of the techniques and participation of the people.
•In non-formal education, an attempt is made to inculcate an
informal relationship between the participants and the educator.
• Thus,it is an effective vehicle to carry
forward extension messages.
•People could also be motivated more effectively as this
creates a sense of self satisfaction, improves skills, and
technical knowledge on the subject through participation in
work implementation under the guidance of the educator.

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Summary

• Non-formal education aiming to change behaviors

of the target population
• Needs and interests
• Establish a good networking with target community
• Important to utilize appropriate communication
models and transfer appropriate technology
• Know well about what is the problem and how to solve it
• Positive interaction via informal contacts

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Summary
•Necessary to promote reciprocal friendship, cooperation, and
leadership
•Better to know who lead the community
•the questionnaires need to be short and direct, and
•Never insulting or hurt the respondents
•Link person to ensure feedback
•Pre-service and in-service training for extension workers
•Organisational management
•“Seeing is believing”