15.2.1 Events about sustainable use of land

In 2025, METU organised events that promote the conservation and sustainable use of land, especially the METU Forest and the steppe habitats on its campus.

Tür Say! species count (2025)

On Sunday 25 May 2025, METU's Ecosystem Research and Implementation Centre (EKOSAM), the Nature Conservation Centre Foundation (DKM) and the EKOSAM Student Club held Türkiye's 7th Tür Say! on the METU campus – a citizen-science bioblitz open to anyone, in which volunteers and expert naturalists record the plants and animals living in the METU Forest, steppe and wetlands. Running at METU since 2018, it was Türkiye's first bioblitz. The results were published in the Tür Say! METU 2025 report.

https://dkm.org.tr/sites/other/dkm/uploads/TurSayODTU_Rapor_2025.pdf

 Talk on wildfires and biodiversity in Mediterranean ecosystems (12 May 2025)

On 12 May 2025, the EKOSAM Student Club's Nature Education Series hosted Dr. Elif Deniz Ülker, who leads projects in the Biodiversity Programme of the Nature Conservation Centre Foundation (DKM), for the talk 'Effects of Fires on Biodiversity in Mediterranean Ecosystems', on how wildfires change ecosystems and their biodiversity. The talk was open to everyone, with online registration.

National Afforestation Day tree planting (11 November 2025)

On 11 November 2025, Türkiye's National Afforestation Day, METU once again planted saplings on its campus, carrying on the green tradition of Kemal Kurdaş, founder of the METU Forest, for a campus that 'breathes'. In its 70th anniversary year, METU also committed to keep planting with its alumni, students and friends across Türkiye (METU, 11 November 2025).

https://www.instagram.com/p/DQ6zQC2DEbg/