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A Turkish officer, Hikmat Kaya, is being discussed a lot on social media. Due to the efforts of this officer, twenty-five thousand acres of barren land has been transformed into a forest today.
Where a straw never grew, today it has become a lush green forest (Image- File Photo)
The story of Hikmat Kaya, an ordinary forest officer from Türkiye, has become a source of inspiration all over the world. His pictures are becoming increasingly viral on social media, where he is standing holding an old photo of 1978 in his hand.
In that photo, there are barren, desolate hills behind and today a dense, green forest is spread at the same place. With 41 years of continuous hard work, Hikmat Kaya planted more than 30 million trees and converted about 25,000 acres (10,000 hectares) of barren land into forest.
Be an example of inspiration
This work took place in Boyabat district of Sinop province of Türkiye, where soil erosion was once so severe that floods and droughts became common. Hikmat Kaya joined Boyabat in 1978 as Head of Afforestation. At that time the hills of the area were completely bare—no trees, only rocks and soil were visible. He started a state-supported reforestation project, but his vision was not short-term. He made a long-term plan, which included planting new trees every year, taking care of them and ensuring safety. Not alone, he took along his team and local villagers. People themselves came forward and helped in planting trees. During his 20-25 years of service, he planted 30 million saplings. His work did not stop even after retirement. He continued working with the villagers. Today that forest is not only green but also full of biodiversity.
Made home for many animals
Today foxes, wild boars, rabbits and even bears are seen there. Earlier this area was affected by floods and mud flow, but now the forest has bound the soil, improved the water level and strengthened the environment. Hikmat Kaya has said, “It is a matter of greatest happiness for me that all these barren hills have become forests. This work required sacrifice, hard work and love for humanity.” He is now around 80 (some reports put him at 78 in 2022), but his legacy still lives on. In Türkiye, where forest cover is decreasing due to deforestation, Hikmat Kaya’s story is a ray of hope. This shows what a difference individual dedication along with government efforts can make. This project is also important as a carbon sink. 30 million trees absorb millions of tons of carbon dioxide, which helps fight climate change. Today the people of Boyabat consider this forest as their pride.