TEMA Foundation commemorates its Founding Honorary Chairs, the deceased Hayrettin Karaca and the deceased A. Nihat Gökyiğit, who dedicated their lives to the protection of all natural assets, especially soil, with the "Commemoration and Understanding Week" organized between January 20-26. The week also included their death anniversaries. While the memory of the two natural sages was kept alive with various events held throughout the week, TEMA Foundation volunteers, managers and headquarters staff visited the graves of Grandpa Earth and Grandpa Leaf in İstanbul.
They were commemorated at their graves
On the 5th death anniversary of the Grandpa Earth Hayrettin Karaca, who passed away on January 20, 2020, and on the 2nd death anniversary of Grandpa Leaf A. Nihat Gökyiğit, who passed away on January 25, 2023, a commemoration ceremony was held at their graves in İstanbul. With the message "Our Grandpa Earth and Grandpa Leaf, We Will Always Remember You. We Follow in the Footsteps of Our Founders ", the graves of both names were visited and prayers were said. TEMA Foundation managers, volunteers and headquarters staff attended the ceremonies.
"They were the ones who showed in the most beautiful way what a person can achieve when they believe and love"
Ms. Deniz Ataç, Chair of the Board of Directors of the TEMA Foundation, said that they commemorated the deceased Hayrettin Karaca and the deceased A. Nihat Gökyiğit with great gratitude and longing, stating, "Saying goodbye to our nature-loving Founding Honorary Chairs was the most difficult moment we experienced as the TEMA Foundation family; we are still deeply moved by their absence. Mr. Hayrettin Karaca and Mr. A. Nihat Gökyiğit were the most important examples of what a person can achieve when they believe and love with their work on protecting nature and leaving a livable environment for future generations. They touched the soil, nature and people across our country; they became everyone's Grandpa Earth and Grandfather Leaf. Without their dreams and ideals, we would not be able to find our direction. We will never forget their teachings. With the valuable legacy left to us by our founders, we will continue to take root as a huge life tree with our Foundation."
"We continue to take the great legacy they left us to the future"
Didem Bilgin, General Director of the TEMA Foundation, said, "Today, we are here to commemorate our esteemed Founding Honorary Chairs, the deceased Hayrettin Karaca and the deceased A. Nihat Gökyiğit, who ensured the existence of the TEMA Foundation and guided us all with their lives devoted to nature. Their "love for nature" led to the development and strengthening of awareness of nature protection in our country. Today, their dreams continue to echo in every corner of our Foundation. The greatest legacy Mr. Karaca and Mr. Gökyiğit left us is the responsibility to build a future where people can live in harmony with nature. We take this responsibility to the future with our more than 1 million 200 thousand volunteers across Türkiye."
The names and ideals of Hayrettin Karaca and A. Nihat Gökyiğit are kept alive with projects
TEMA Foundation launched the Hayrettin Karaca Old Growth Forests Project, named after him, in 2021 to protect the old growth forests that are of great value in Türkiye and to which Grandpa Earth Hayrettin Karaca attached particular importance.
Important steps have been taken within the scope of the project. The project aims to determine old growth forest assets of Türkiye and to ensure that the areas they are located in have protection status. As a result of the work carried out, 52 forest areas in the provinces of Artvin, Giresun and Ordu, in collaboration with the Directorate General of Forestry and the Department of Forest Management and Planning, were registered as “old growth forests” with an area of 4,437 hectares, or approximately the size of 6 thousand football pitches.
In the provinces of Gümüşhane, Trabzon and Rize, the evaluation and registration process continues in 14 prospective old growth forest areas, totaling 2,445 hectares, or approximately 3,300 football pitches.
In 2022, the Foundation launched the A. Nihat Gökyiğit Biodiversity Project in the name of A. Nihat Gökyiğit, who worked relentlessly for the protection of biodiversity throughout his life, and drew attention to one of the biggest crises facing the planet.
Within the scope of the project, a promotional film aiming to raise awareness and catch the attention of audience with the question 'Are We Aware?', together with a total of 5 films on the topics of 'Recovery,' 'Climate,' 'Food,' and 'Heritage,' has reached 3,206,488 people to date.
In the project aiming to raise awareness in society about biodiversity, presentations are made to pre-primary, primary school, secondary school, high school levels and adults. While more than 49 thousand children and young people have been reached with the presentations to date, approximately 4 thousand people have been reached through awareness presentations designed for young people and adults.
Hayrettin Karaca and A. Nihat Gökyiğit Volunteerism Awards
TEMA Foundation presents the "Hayrettin Karaca and A. Nihat Gökyiğit Volunteerism Awards" every year to honor the memory of its Founding Honorary Chairs.
In 2024, 39 TEMA Foundation volunteers working across Türkiye were awarded in 6 categories: Outstanding Achievement, Volunteer Recruitment, Productivity, Educational Activities, Those Who Raise Hope and Advocacy.
We are raising hope! TEMA Foundation
