Natural forests in Huong Son district have been rapidly degrading due to poor management, illegal logging and replacement by rubber and acacia plantations. Yet these forests include locally valuable tree species, which are vitally important to local communities for their livelihood and cultural identity, as well as to maintain wildlife habitats. The project therefore focused on restoring the stands of local tree species and maintaining indigenous knowledge associated with these species. It built on existing learning platform in the target communities, i.e. ‘farmers field schools’ (FFS), which enhances participation of rural farmers.