We have previously announced the impactful partnership we forged last year with the Conservation Collective and the Support Foundation for Civil Society (Sivil Toplum için Destek Vakfı), resulting in the initiation of the Turquoise Coast Environment Fund (TCEF).
The primary objective of TCEF was to protect, restore, and regenerate the natural beauty, biodiversity and ecosystems of the exceptional marine and coastal resources of Türkiye. The fund aims to aid local communities become actively involved in, and part of, the change towards sustainable food systems, biodiversity and ecosystem conservation, and building local organisations for the sustainable future of the coastlines.
This year, we are excited to renew our commitment to this partnership by extending our support to TCEF’s 2023 cycle through our Environmental Sustainability Fund. In this year’s term, a total grant ofTRY 1,294,986 (GBP 37,536) has been allocated to the following six civil society organisations:
Association for Classical Music of Bodrum (Bodrum Klasik Müzik Derneği) aims to organise cultural events on an international level in the village of Gumusluk and the surrounding Bodrum area. Since 2004, the association has worked closely with local groups in holding the Gumusluk Music Festival. The association also works to promote awareness about and help protect the area’s rich historical antiquities. With this grant support of TRY 200,000, the association will work towards the preservation of the Kavaklıdere Basin, one of the last agrosilvopastoral systems located in Bodrum Peninsula, Muğla, and Southwest Anatolia, as a landscape building up a local participatory governance plan and enhance awareness and capacity among local residents and policymakers about the importance of the landscape.
Ecological Balance Society (Doğal Denge Derneği), operating in Ankara, conducts its activities with the aim of providing sustainable methods for the preservation of natural and cultural assets in current and potential environmental conservation areas in Türkiye. With this grant support of TRY 220,000, the association will utilise the practice of citizen science, drawing on individuals’ observations and experiences, to reduce the impacts of invasive alien species (IAS) such as Lionfish, Pufferfish, and Long-Spined Sea Urchin on biodiversity, health, and the economy in the coastal and marine areas of the Datça-Bozburun Special Environmental Protection Area, while raising awareness among local communities.
Kazdağı Association for the Preservation of Natural and Cultural Resources (Kazdağı Doğal ve Kültürel Varlıkları Koruma Derneği), operating in Balıkesir, works to preserve the natural and cultural assets of Türkiye, particularly in the Kazdağı region and its surrounding areas. With this grant support of TRY 220,000, the association will work towards the preservation and sustainability of the Akçay marshes and wetland area on the coast of the Edremit Gulf in the Aegean Basin. To achieve this, the association will organise a national campaign to expand the registration area of the Akçay marshes and wetlands and prepare an ecosystem-based management plan, while conducting awareness-raising activities.
Marmaris Ecological Agricultural Development Cooperative (Marmaris Ekolojik Tarımsal Kalkınma Kooperatifi), based in Muğla and primarily focused on Marmaris, aims to cultivate agricultural products under ecological conditions, harvest them, and preserve biological diversity. With this grant support of TRY 215,000, the cooperative will work to promote a sustainable and resilient food system in Marmaris and to create models of ecosystem-based management practices.
Ayvalık Another School is Possible Education Cooperative – BBOM Ayvalık Cooperative (S.S. Ayvalık Başka Bir Okul Mümkün EğitimKooperatifi – BBOM Ayvalık) carries out various activities and initiatives aimed at promoting values such as equality, freedom, social justice, sensitivity, pluralism, ecological thinking, creativity, and scientific approach in the field of education for children, parents, and educators/teachers in Ayvalık. With this grant support of TRY 220,000, BBOM Ayvalık aims to research the biological diversity in the Ayvalık Islands and surrounding marine areas, identify threats, conduct impact assessments, and increase awareness among students based on the preliminary findings.
Underwater Research Society (Sualtı Araştırmaları Derneği – SAD) conducts research and conservation efforts for marine life, the preservation of coastal and marine habitats, and the protection of wild coastal habitats. SAD also works on the development, implementation, and monitoring of related management plans. With this grant support of TRY 219,986, SAD will work towards the effective conservation of valuable wildlife habitats, especially the Küdür Peninsula, which was declared a 1st-degree natural SIT area and the Mediterranean seal conservation area, as well as the islands around Bodrum.
The new term for TCEF started with an opening meeting this week. We are delighted to be contributing to the critical work of protection, restoration, and regeneration efforts.
Please keep following us for updates on the projects and their progress in the upcoming months, and subscribe to our newsletter. Thank you for your support.
