Challenge

In recent years, Muğla has suffered from devastating mega wildfires that destroyed forest ecosystems and severely impacted local livelihoods, including pine honey production. While some ecological restoration is underway, these post-fire areas are not yet being used to their full potential. There’s also a growing need to manage human-wildlife conflict — especially with brown bears — and to identify sustainable, nature-based livelihoods that can support local resilience and biodiversity.

Solution

This project aims to turn fire-damaged forest areas into climate-resilient “honey forests” by integrating ecological restoration with sustainable beekeeping. Working closely with forest villagers, nature conservation experts, and government institutions, the project will identify suitable zones, promote alternative flower honey production, and build conflict management strategies to balance beekeeping with local wildlife populations. It also seeks to revive traditional ecological knowledge to inform future forest and restoration policies.

Project Deliverables

• The project will identify and map post-fire landscapes with high potential for honey forest restoration and organize a pilot training in one of these areas.
• The team will conduct 30+ interviews with forest villagers to document traditional ecological knowledge related to fire, beekeeping, and forest use, and compile this into a scientific publication.
• A brown bear population monitoring effort using camera traps will assess conflict risks and inform a set of five prevention strategies.
• Public awareness will be raised through three campaigns, and findings will be shared at a year-end workshop that brings together public agencies, forest users, and civil society actors.

 

About the organisation

NATURA was established in Türkiye to advocate for nature conservation through scientific research, public engagement, and the development of innovative conservation strategies. The organization supports both citizens and professionals by providing training, generating knowledge, and empowering a new generation of volunteer and professional conservationists.