By Dr. Elif Deniz Ülker, Project Manager, Doğa Koruma Merkezi (DKM)

Nature conservation efforts around the world have traditionally focused on two main approaches: protected areas and species conservation. While both remain essential, the management of protected areas does not always fully reflect the principles of conservation biology. In many cases, management priorities are shaped by recreation, scenic value or social and political considerations rather than ecological needs.

In Türkiye, important steps have been taken to strengthen conservation planning. A national infrastructure has been developed to support biodiversity conservation by bringing together data across multiple scales into integrated databases. This has created a strong foundation for understanding species distributions, ecosystems and emerging threats.

Yet translating this knowledge into effective field-based monitoring and adaptive management remains a key challenge.

This is where technology can play a transformative role.

Through the Tech4Nature project, led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature in partnership with Huawei, we are taking an important step in Türkiye to bridge the gap between data, technology, and on-the-ground conservation practice.

The project focuses on strengthening biodiversity monitoring systems in forest ecosystems, beginning with a pilot implementation in Kazdağı National Park, one of the country’s most valuable natural landscapes.

© Tech4Nature Türkiye

© Tech4Nature Türkiye

A first step into the field

In April 2026, we took the first field-based step of the project by travelling to Kazdağı to install the monitoring system.

We aimed to begin building a monitoring network capable of capturing different layers of the ecosystem, from wildlife activity to soundscapes and local climate conditions. The selected locations reflected a range of forest conditions, including pure Turkish pine (Pinus brutia) stands, mixed forests, relatively undisturbed areas, and sites shaped by past forest management practices. This approach will help us better understand how biodiversity responds to different forest structures and management histories.

What appeared straightforward on paper quickly became more challenging in the field. Forest roads had been heavily affected by past wildfires and seasonal flooding. Some were partially damaged, while others were completely inaccessible. Reaching the selected sites often required long detours or adjustments to plans along the way.

By the end of the deployment, we had installed solar-powered camera traps, bioacoustic recorders, and a meteorological station across the area.

© Tech4Nature Türkiye

Collaboration on the ground

This first deployment was not only a technical operation but also a collaborative effort.

The fieldwork was carried out by a multidisciplinary team that included wildlife experts and a technical specialist responsible for integrating solar panels into the camera trap systems. Their combined expertise helped ensure both ecological relevance and technical reliability during installation.

Equally important was the support and coordination provided by local forestry teams. Their knowledge of the landscape, logistical guidance, and field experience were essential in identifying suitable locations and ensuring safe and effective deployment.

This collaboration reflects one of the project’s core strengths: bringing together conservation practitioners, technical experts, and local stakeholders around a shared goal.

© Tech4Nature Türkiye

Looking ahead

Alongside the field deployment, work is underway to develop digital infrastructure that supports species assessments for the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and broader conservation planning efforts. By linking field data with national and global systems, the project aims to ensure that monitoring results can effectively inform both policy and practice.

Memorable moments from the field

Fieldwork is often defined by patience: long hours, careful observation, and, more often than not, not seeing what you hoped to see.

Throughout the deployment, we repeatedly found ourselves saying, “Maybe we’ll see a bear.” It became a quiet, half-serious wish we carried from one site to another.

It was only at the very end of our fieldwork that it finally happened.

We had reached one of the highest points in the Kaz Mountains, where the landscape opens dramatically to reveal distant views of the sea on one side and forested slopes stretching across the horizon on the other. After several days of work, we stopped briefly to take in the view.

Then, suddenly, we realised we were no longer alone.

A mother bear appeared on a nearby hillside with her two cubs. For a brief moment, everything stood still. She noticed us immediately and became alert. There was a quiet but unmistakable warning in her posture. Moments later, she turned and guided her cubs safely back into the deep valleys below.

The encounter lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough.

On the way back, the forest offered one final moment. We encountered a roe deer. Unlike the bear, it did not rush away. Instead, it stood still, watching us with the same curiosity with which we watched it, allowing for a rare and quiet moment of connection.

Together, these encounters carried a deeper meaning. The bear, as a top predator, and the roe deer, as the area’s largest herbivore, represent two ends of the trophic spectrum. Crossing paths with both species in the same landscape on the same day felt like a quiet reflection of what this project is ultimately about: understanding the relationships that shape ecosystems and why they matter.

© Tech4Nature Türkiye