|
Feature Article
Where the Wild Things Are
By Stacie Leone
What do Tigers, Bears and a Panda have to do with Turkey? Believe it or not, Turkey was once home to the majestic Caspian tiger but sadly the last survivor was shot in the 1970s. The Panda is the logo of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which is making sure the same fate does not befall the brown bear which still lives in Anatolia today. WWF-Turkey is a non-profit, non-governmental foundation that aims to enhance the conservation of Turkey's biodiversity and promote the sustainable use of its natural resources through, among other avenues, eco-tourism. Istanbul-based WWF-Turkey spearheads conservation projects throughout Turkey and one of its biggest undertakings currently underway is the preservation of a National Park area in the Kure mountains. One of the project’s main goals is to develop eco-tourism at the National Park in order to demonstrate that nature conservation can create alternative socio-economic opportunities for local communities. The park, covering a total area of 117,000 hectares, including the buffer zone around the park, is situated in the western sector of the mountains in northern Anatolia and encompasses the provinces of Kastamonu and Bartin. The project is part of the WWF’s international “Living Planet Campaign.”
The Kure Mountains National Park project, started in 1998, has four major goals in progress today: to preserve and protect biodiversity and natural resources; create sustainable rural development projects to support conservation; education and promotion of the park in Turkey and internationally; and, finally, to conduct biodiversity research. The WWF has successfully lobbied the Turkish government to prohibit logging, hunting and grazing (except in designated areas) and new road construction and other activities which may damage the environment. All tour groups visiting the park must be accompanied by a trained guide which can be found through the nearest local authorities or eco-tourism centers. “We train and use only local guides. It is part of our program to get the locals interested in their own region and to appreciate the culture and natural beauty of the place they live in,” says Mr. Sedat Kalem, Ph.D., Director of the WWF’s Forest Program. “For example, many people moved to urban areas, abandoning their beautiful, authentic wooden homes. Others came and destroyed many of the homes and erected ugly concrete residences in their place. One of our preservation activities is to stop practices like this,” Kalem adds. Kure mountain residents are among Turkey’s expert woodworkers, crafting handmade wooden spoons and other utensils from boxwood trees for generations. The boxwood, which takes years to grow just a few millimeters, is therefore in danger of extinction. Part of WWF’s goal is to educate locals on how to craft different, more profitable objects from more abundant regional woods in order to preserve the boxwood tree. “Eco-tourism is not our ultimate goal but simply a means to encourage appreciation and involvement of the local community in preservation activities and to demonstrate to them the potential for alternate means of income,” says Kalem.
A good example of eco-tourism in action is the first eco-tourism center, opened in 2002, called the Pinarbasi Pasha Konagi, which is run by WWF-Turkey. Located in the Konak district in the village of Pinarbasi, it is a well-preserved and restored historical two-story wooden mansion with traditional architecture and can host up to 20 guests within its eight bedrooms. The two halls on the ground level are used for training and eco-tourism programs. Eco-tourism, not to be confused with nature-tourism, is more than simply getting tourists out into nature. It is designed to encourage involvement by both indigenous peoples and tourists in preserving the natural environment.
Local activities funded by the WWF and other NGOs, with contributions from the United Nations, include the Zumrut project, which has the largest contingent of collaborators to date on an eco-tourism project in Turkey. Zumrut is a small mountain village at the center of which a horse ranch and recreation center is planned, to be run exclusively by local community members. Part of the charm of visiting Zumrut is the local cuisine served by welcoming villagers dressed in traditional costumes. The target date for the launch of the project is summer 2005. Other activities include local festivals which take place throughout the summer and scenic walking tours through the 10km long Valla Canyon or the massive Ilgarini caves in the forests of Kure mountains. A detailed map of the National Park is available from WWF (see contact information below). “This project is so important because we are trying to develop a model for similar WWF undertakings in the future in Turkey. Our ultimate goal is to get the park certified by PAN Parks, a non-profit organization which aims to increase the effectiveness of protected area management. Although the project is moving slowly, mostly because of lack of funds and lack of qualified staff, I think we will achieve this goal within the next three years,” says Kalem.
Most of the work at WWF would not be possible without generous contributions from Garanti Bank, the organization’s primary corporate sponsor. Beyond providing continuous financial support to WWF since 1992, among its many other philanthropic sponsorships, Garanti also takes an active role in WWF projects. As part of its “Garanti for Nature” program the company supports the publication of WWF books and other environmental awareness projects; it supports WWF’s Area Protection Program, focused on involving local communities in the protection and preservation of natural springs and plant life in Turkey; and Garanti is also highly active in supporting WWF’s biodiversity preservation efforts in the Kure Mountains National Park. Garanti Bank was awarded the United Nations Environmental Program Global 500 Roll of Honor award in 1996 for its contributions to WWF, as well as WWF Turkey’s Golden Panda award in 2001.
Check out the WWF-Turkey web site, which is in English and Turkish, for more information about how you can get involved in the organization’s activities and for maps of protected national parks in Turkey: http://www.wwf.org.tr
World Wildlife Fund – Turkey
Buyuk Postane Caddesi
No: 43-45, Kat: 5-6
34420 Bahcekapi, Istanbul
Tel: 0212/528 20 30
Fax: 0212/528 20 40
Web: http://www.wwf.org.tr
Where to stay in the National Park area:
Pinarbasi Eco-Tourism Center
Pinarbasi
Tel: 0366/771 33 75
Web: http://www.pinarbasim.com
Sumenler Guesthouse
Sumenler, Pinarbasi
Tel: 0366/771 32 22
|
|