Hikmet Kaya has demonstrated how good intentions and hard effort can pay off handsomely. The retired Turkish forest management head happily poses in front of the desolate terrain that he and his staff turned into a beautiful forest. His career began in the hamlet of Sinop in 1978, and despite his retirement 19 years later, his reputation has grown—literally.
Over the course of his term, he brought in and planted 30,000,000 trees with the help of his crew and communities. These trees have continued to thrive long after he retired, and now, this desolate stepped ground has undergone an astounding change. Kaya never ceased working over her 19 years of afforestation efforts. And, 41 years after starting this major afforestation operation, he returned to the now-lush field with a photograph of the once-barren environment, demonstrating how much the terrain has changed. Needless to say, he’s quite pleased with the outcomes.
It’s a fantastic model for the rest of the country to follow. Turkey’s forest cover has decreased by 5.4 percent since 2000, according to Global Forest Watch. Because deforestation was the primary source of most of this decline, helping to reverse it is crucial.
Deforestation is generally fought through changes in government policy, so it’s critical for people to know who they’re voting for and to make sure their environmental concerns are acknowledged. Individuals haven’t been deterred from taking matters into their own hands and acting. Individuals are taking up the cause and planting trees to make a difference all throughout the world, from India to Ghana to China.
Hikmet Kaya, a retired forest chief, planted 30,000,000 seedlings during his term.
They’ve helped to construct a forest on once-barren ground with the support of his staff and people.
h/t: [tohumtoprak]