Turquoise Coast Environment Fund

13/02/2026

🌊 Our 2024–2025 Annual Report is here!

Over the past year, we continued to support locally led environmental action along Türkiye’s coasts — connecting science, community knowledge, and civil society.

Since 2022, we’ve awarded €428,000 to 42 local projects across Turkiye's Aegean and Mediterranean coasts.

From biodiversity and sustainable food systems to empowering local NGOs — these locally led initiatives are creating long-term stewardship of coastal and marine ecosystems along Türkiye's turquoise coasts.

📘 Read the full report here:https://turquoisecoastenvironment.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/TCEF-Annual-Report-compressed.pdf

05/02/2026

🌿 tarafından 3–4 Şubat tarihlerinde İstanbul’da düzenlenen deSTeK işleri buluşmasına, hibe desteği sağladığımız sivil toplum kuruluşlarının temsilcileriyle birlikte katıldık.

İki gün boyunca, sivil toplumun dönüşümünü; krizler karşısında finansal ve kurumsal dayanıklılığı ile kurumlar arası iş birliği olanaklarını birlikte ele aldık, deneyim paylaştık.
✨ Bu buluşma, sivil toplumun birbirinden öğrenerek; dayanışma ve bağlantılar aracılığıyla güçlenmesinin ne kadar kıymetli olduğunu bir kez daha hatırlattı.
Bu buluşma için STDV ekibine, ayrıca TCEF ekibi ve fon verdiğimiz kurumların konaklama ve seyahat giderlerini destekleyen ekibine teşekkür ederiz.
antalya 90




---

🌿 We took part in the deSTeK işleri gathering organised by in Istanbul on 3–4 February, together with representatives of the civil society organisations we support through our grant programme.

Over two days, we explored the transformation of civil society; financial and institutional resilience in the face of crises; and opportunities for inter-organisational collaboration, while sharing experiences and knowledge.

✨ The gathering once again highlighted how important it is for civil society to grow stronger through peer learning, solidarity, and meaningful connections.

We thank the for bringing this gathering together, and the for supporting the travel and accommodation costs of the TCEF team and our grantee organisations.

28/01/2026

🌿 Science for Resilient Islands, Knowledge for the Future 🌍

Island ecosystems are among the most vulnerable to climate change and wildfires—but they also hold important insights into resilience and recovery.

Our grantee partner, examined how vegetation in Bozcaada and Gökçeada responds to climate and fire stress, generating science-based insights to guide restoration and conservation planning.

🛰️ By combining satellite data, fieldwork, and climate modelling, they mapped vegetation mosaics, assessed species’ resilience and recovery capacity, and developed future scenarios up to 2100.

📘 Read the full interview via the in bio / on our website.

07/01/2026

Danışma Kurulu üyelerimizden Prof. Dr. Sedat Gündoğdu, Türkiye’de plastik ve mikroplastik kirliliğini görünür kılan öncü araştırmalarıyla tanınıyor.

Bu söyleşide, mikroplastik kirliliğin ekosistemler, halk sağlığı ve adaletle nasıl iç içe geçtiğini; atıksız bir geleceğin ise bilim, politika ve toplumun ortak çabasıyla mümkün olabileceğini konuşuyoruz.

Prof. Dr. Sedat Gündoğdu Türkiye’nin plastik üretimi ve tüketimi konusunda kritik bir dönemeçte olduğunu vurgularken, dönüşümü hızlandırabilecek somut adımları ve politika değişimlerini de paylaşıyor.

Bu içerik, TCEF’in danışma kurulu üyeleriyle hazırladığı Deniz Serisi kapsamında hazırlanmıştır. Seri, Türkiye’nin kıyı ve deniz ekosistemleri üzerine çalışan uzmanların deneyimlerini görünür kılarak bilimi, politikayı ve toplum temelli yaklaşımları bir araya getirmeyi amaçlıyor.

🔗Röportajın tamamını okumak için: https://turquoisecoastenvironment.org/tcef-deniz-serisi-atiksiz-bir-gelecege-dogru/

16/12/2025

In the clear waters off Bozcaada, Mediterranean pillow corals form one of Türkiye’s most precious marine habitats.

Building on this natural wonder, the Protecting Bozcaada’s Coral Reefs project, led by Sosyal İklim Derneği documents the biodiversity of Cladocora caespitosa reefs and fosters local ownership for their protection.

With the support of Prof. Barış Özalp and Bozcaada Municipality, the research team conducts biodiversity monitoring dives and places protection buoys around sensitive reef areas.

Inspired by the knowledge emerging from this fieldwork, Bozcaada Gathering Initiative transforms it into shared cultural experiences — including the immersive “Sounds of Reefs” exhibition and clay workshops for children, where learning, creativity, and care for the sea grow together.

This initiative weaves science, art, and community into one story. It turns Bozcaada’s reefs into a living classroom for conservation 💙

The Conservation Collective
Turkiye Mozaik Foundation
Sivil Toplum için Destek Vakfı
Sosyal İklim Derneği

17/10/2025

⚖️ Law for Nature, Protection for Our Coasts 🌊

Our grantee, Hukuk, Doğa ve Toplum Vakfı, is using law as a powerful tool to protect rights, nature, and communities in Türkiye.
Workshops in İzmir and Balıkesir, along with a field camp in Köyceğiz, gave participants hands-on experience — connecting legal knowledge with the living ecosystems they aim to protect.

🏕️ Camping in the Dalyan wetlands, observing ecosystems with experts, and discussing legal cases in nature, participants discovered firsthand why legal advocacy matters for protecting coasts and seas.

📈 This grant strengthened networks, increased visibility, and opened the door to new partnerships — showing how law, ecology, and community can come together for lasting impact.

🌍 Building on this success, Hukuk, Doğa ve Toplum Vakfı will soon implement another project through our Earthquake Region Fund — a collaborative initiative between The Conservation Collective, Turkiye Mozaik Foundation, Turkish Philanthropy Funds and Sivil Toplum için Destek Vakfı — strengthening civil society’s legal and advocacy capacity in Hatay, Adana, and Mersin.

🔗 Read our full interview with HUDOTO to learn more about how legal advocacy is shaping coastal protection in Türkiye: https://turquoisecoastenvironment.org/law-for-nature-strengthening-coastal-and-marine-protection/

15/10/2025

15/10/2025

🌊 Turquoise Coast Environment Fund – Turkey hibe programının 6. döneminde desteklenecek STK’lar belirlendi.

The Conservation Collective, Turkiye Mozaik Foundation ve Turkish Philanthropy Funds iş birliğiyle 6 Şubat 2023’te Kahramanmaraş depremlerinin ardından, Adana, Hatay ve Mersin kıyı bölgelerindeki çevre sorunlarının çözümüne katkı sağlamak amacıyla 6 STK’yı 3.091.590 TL ile !

Desteklenen STK’lar ve çalışmaları ile ilgili ayrıntılı bilgiler için: https://bit.ly/4h73Xix

📌 Desteklenen STK’lar:
Antakya Çevre Koruma Derneği
Hatay Tabiatı Koruma Derneği
Hukuk, Doğa ve Toplum Vakfı
Tarsus Slow Food Yeryüzü Pazarı Derneği
Türkiye Sürdürülebilir İnsani Yardım ve Eğitim Vakfı
Unvansız Gönüllüler Derneği

09/09/2025

🦉 Protect What You Love: Grassroots Conservation in Mersin

In the remote valleys of Mersin, where forest meets sea, Türkiye’s endangered Fish Owl is making a quiet comeback—thanks to the power of local action and the dedicated work of our grantee, Tarsus Slow Food Earth Market Association.

Over the past year, this grassroots conservation project has:
✅ Confirmed five breeding owl pairs across four key valleys in Mersin
✅ Trained local youth in tracking and observation
✅ Raised community awareness from under 10% to over 90%
✅ Launched nature clubs in two rural schools
✅ Helped shift deep-rooted superstitions toward protection

Now, owl sightings are regularly reported by villagers and teachers, and the call to protect the species is spreading.

Fieldwork is expanding, awareness campaigns are growing, and advocacy is underway to secure long-term habitat protection, making the Fish Owl a symbol of hope for the region’s forested valleys.

The Conservation Collective
Turkish Philanthropy Funds
Turkiye Mozaik Foundation
Sivil Toplum için Destek Vakfı

02/09/2025

🌊 Introducing the Asi River Environmental Vision Plan

Led by Antakya Environmental Protection Association, in partnership with World Heritage Islands Ecology and Culture Association and ASIST (Asi Istanbul Civil Society Initiative), this initiative unites local knowledge and collective action to protect the Asi Basin’s unique ecology and build resilience against environmental threats.

The plan is a roadmap for a nature-friendly, disaster-resilient future along the Asi Basin and Samandağ coast, prioritising ecological planning to create safe, livable spaces rooted in culture, biodiversity, and geology.

🎥 Six short documentaries were produced to amplify the region’s voices and convey the changes in both the environment and people's relationship with nature after the earthquake.

📖 Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/dGnC3HXd

🎥 Watch the documentaries here: https://lnkd.in/dMG-2q-p

---------

🌊 Asi Nehri Çevre Vizyon Planı’nı Tanıtıyoruz

Antakya Çevre Koruma Derneği öncülüğünde, Dünya Mirası Adalar Ekoloji ve Kültür Derneği ve ASİST (Asi İstanbul Sivil Toplum İnisiyatifi) ortaklığıyla yürütülen bu girişim, Asi Havzası'nın eşsiz ekolojisini korumak ve çevresel tehditlere karşı direnç oluşturmak için yerel bilgi ve kolektif eylemi bir araya getiriyor.

Plan, Asi Havzası ve Samandağ kıyıları için doğa dostu, afetlere dayanıklı bir gelecek için yol haritası sunuyor. Kültürel miras, biyoçeşitlilik ve jeolojiye dayalı güvenli ve yaşanabilir alanlar yaratmaya öncelik veriyor.

🎥 Bölgenin seslerini duyuran ve deprem sonrası hem çevrede hem de insanların doğayla kurdukları ilişkideki değişimleri aktaran altı kısa belgesel hazırlandı.

📖 Raporun tamamını buradan okuyabilirsiniz: https://lnkd.in/dGnC3HXd

🎥 Belgeselleri ise buradan izleyebilirsiniz: https://lnkd.in/dMG-2q-p

The Conservation Collective
Turkish Philanthropy Funds
Turkiye Mozaik Foundation
Sivil Toplum için Destek Vakfı

26/08/2025

A roadmap for rebuilding with nature in Samandağ, Hatay 🌊

After the 2023 earthquakes, the Asi River and Samandağ coast faced more than destruction. From unregulated construction to wetland degradation, the region’s recovery risked leaving nature behind.

We are proud to support the vital work of Antakya Environmental Protection Association (AÇKD Antakya Çevre Koruma Derneği), who brought together local voices, scientists, and legal experts to co-create Türkiye’s first civil society-led environmental vision plan for a post-disaster region.

Through vision workshops, interviews, and legal action, the team brought local voices into the planning process and reached over 50,000 people through short films and public outreach.

Now, with support from the National Geographic Society’s World Freshwater Initiative, the team is launching a new pilot focused on water quality and wetland conservation in the Asi River Delta—linking local action with global freshwater science 🌍💧

The Conservation Collective
Turkiye Mozaik Foundation
Turkish Philanthropy Funds
Sivil Toplum için Destek Vakfı

06/08/2025

🌊 A Generation that Protects Nature is Taking Root in Muğla

Our grantee, Aquatic Life Association (Sucul Yaşam Derneği) brought nature education to over 1,000 children and their families in Muğla — inspiring a new generation to care for the sea and its wildlife.

From sea turtle conservation to birdwatching and wildlife tracking, kids didn’t just learn — they took action.

🐠After learning about invasive lionfish, one child went home and told her father to cook the next one he caught — instead of throwing it back.

That slight shift sparked a conversation — showing how communities can learn from one another and respond more thoughtfully to invasive species.

(Lionfish are invasive and edible — once their venomous spines are carefully removed. Encouraging their consumption helps protect native marine life.)

That’s the ripple effect of youth-led awareness. 🌊

📈 As a young grassroots organisation, this was their first grant. With it, they built local partnerships, gained visibility, and grew the confidence to pursue national and international collaborations.

💙 This is what early support makes possible: bold, local action with lasting impact.

🔗Read our interview to learn about the full story: https://turquoisecoastenvironment.org/young-voices-for-the-sea-how-sucul-yasam-dernegi-is-inspiring-coastal-conservation/

The Conservation Collective
Turkiye Mozaik Foundation
Sivil Toplum için Destek Vakfı