Environmental Protection
7 Tree Forests Program

“7 Tree Forests”, which started out as a regular afforestration project, became the leading program of ÇEKÜL for all afforestration and reforestration activities and campaigns. Inspired by the fact that each individual consumes approximately 7 trees in their lifetime, the program aims to increase awareness about deforestration and desertification. At least 7 trees are planted for each participant of the campaign every year. An individualized gift certificate or postcard giving ownership of '7 Trees' are provided to people (whom ÇEKÜL calls ‘participants’) who wish to plant trees or have trees planted as a gift for special occasions such as births, anniversaries etc. Trees are planted with the coordination of ÇEKÜL in partnership with the Ministry of Forestry and Environment on the behalf of each participant. Every year, the participants (gift givers and receivers) are invited to visit the afforestration areas where tree planting festivals are organized. Since the initiation of the program in 1993, afforestration in Istanbul, Marmaris, Antalya, Sivas and Urfa-Harran has been realized with more than 2.5 million trees planted with the participation of around 600.000 individuals. Within the program, awareness campaigns for afforestration and reforestration are also organized (i.e. 122.000 trees in total were planted in Diyarbakir Tigris University campus, also around highways in Istanbul through another campaign).

Rural Environment Development Program in Bahçesaray – Van

The program encourages the locals of Bahcesaray (town of Van in Eastern Anatolia) to get involved in sustainable resource management and consumption. It has been in progress since 1998 with close cooperation and dialogue with the local governorship, municipality and the University of Van. Since then, the project named ‘Revitalization of Walnut Trees’ is in progress to prevent the over-logging of walnut trees, encouraging their conservation through awareness building hence turning them into an economic asset for profit. Bahcesaray has been defined as one of the ‘Important Plant Areas’ on the verge of being designated as an ‘endangered natural habitat.’ To curtail the loss of the native flowers of the region, a project named ‘Revitalization of Geophytes (Flower Bulbs)’ was integrated in 2003. With this project, Fritillaria imperialis and Fritillaria persica bulbs are propagated by the farmers and also school children are informed about the need and are educated on local protection of wild bulbs. Within the program, ÇEKÜL cooperates with local NGOs and professionals; producing various publications and organizing meetings about Bahcesaray and Van Lake Basin’s natural and cultural resources.