Project Name: Training for Conservation

Date: September 2006-August 2007

Place: Lesser Caucasus

Role Of DKM: Project leader

Summary Of Project:

The project’s aim was to contribute to the conservation of forest biodiversity in the West Lesser Caucasus Corridor in Turkey through increasing awareness of forest biodiversity among foresters.

The project started with a detailed needs analysis identifying forestry and biodiversity related problems. A tailor-made five day training course was developed which detailed what forest biodiversity is, explained the functions of different taxa within a forest ecosystem, introduced the idea that forestry practices could be adapted to achieve biodiversity friendly forestry, and described easy monitoring methods for key selected taxa. A 198-page book was prepared and published which included all the training information, plus additional sections on issues such as the history of Turkish forestry and conservation, and old growth forest.

A total of 3,000 books were distributed within the Republic of Turkey’s Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs, General Directorate of Forestry, with copies going to Turkish foresters working in the field as well as to office-based forest managers.

Objectives:

• increase awareness of forest biodiversity amongst foresters.
  
  

Key Achievements:

• training book for foresters produced and 3000 distributed to Republic of Turkey’s Ministry of Forestry and Water Affairs.