Doğa is the partner of BirdLife International in Turkey and its work is driven by the demand to take action to sustain biodiversity. Our mission is to defend the rights of nature in all its forms including all its processes, which are necessary for persistence of life on earth.
Since 2002, we have been working as a grassroots organization connecting thousands of people working for this cause in Turkey and, where possible, in other countries. We conduct scientific research and provide community based solutions for conservation; we establish partnerships and drive policy change. When science, community based action and advocacy do not deliver the necessary change, we conduct innovative campaigns to mobilize the public to take action to reverse the trend.
Our work can be witnessed across Turkey, from the steppic plateaus of Anatolia to the Mediterranean, from Hasankeyf in ancient Mesopotamia to the Aegean coast. Science is the backbone of our conservation projects to conserve species and habitats, while local communities and their indigenous cultures inspired by nature underpin our on-the-ground actions.
Our vision is to live in a world where humans embrace nature as a whole, live by knowing their footprint on earth and respect all other forms of life, and where biodiversity is no longer in need of conservation. This vision extends beyond Turkey, because we understand that there are no political or national boundaries in nature. Therefore, we work closely with other BirdLife partners around the world, which are grassroots organizations operating in over 100 countries and territories.
Five pillars our strategy address different facets and processes of biodiversity, which are all closely linked. The first of these is the species conservation program that aims to reverse the global extinction crisis. The second pillar focuses on Key Biodiversity Areas as a network of threatened sites that are globally vulnerable or irreplaceable. The third area of our work addresses freshwater, rivers and lakes, as the main natural systems interconnecting all forms of life on earth. The fourth concentrates on flyways, which link and unite different parts of the world. The last pillar relates to the way people live and interact with other communities and species – Nature Culture – striving to minimize the human footprint on earth.
We have recently founded the Seferihisar Nature School (Doğa Okulu) in Izmir, in partnership with the Seferihisar Municipality. Our Nature School works to understand, develop and convene innovative and grassroots solutions for persistence of biodiversity.
Photograph: © Ömer Sözer
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