The project was initiated in 2008 with the contributions of Türkiye İş Bankası in cooperation with TEMA Foundation and the General Directorate of Forestry. Within the 10-year period between 2008 and 2017, it is planned to establish İşbank forests in the first 5 years and to maintain each planted area for 5 years.
In general, the project aims to raise awareness among people in our country, especially children, on the importance of afforestation efforts in combating erosion and the protection of forest assets; to contribute to the afforestation mobilization efforts carried out throughout the country; to fulfill responsibilities towards the environment and nature in terms of corporate social responsibility; and to carry out exemplary activities in this regard.
In the first five years of the project, it was planned to plant saplings in 15 cities in 2008, 17 cities in 2009 and 2010, 16 cities in 2011 and 2012, with an average of 20 hectares in each cities and 5 hectares in the other 10 cities, and to carry out maintenance works of the planted areas for 5 years. It is aimed to start the planting of saplings in each city with planting ceremonies organized with the participation of students from nearby schools and to raise awareness among children in this sense. In this context, it is planned to plant 2.2 million saplings on an area of 1,470 hectares (approximately 2,000 football fields) within the first 5-year planting period. In all planting areas, the General Directorate of Forestry and TEMA Foundation technical staff carried out field inspections in the presence of the General Directorate of Forestry and TEMA Foundation technical staff, and completion planting was carried out in areas where sufficient success was not achieved.
Saplings were planted in 81 cities as planned in the project, and 2.2 million saplings were planted on a total area of 1,604 hectares (approximately the size of 2,150 football fields). In all planted areas, controls were carried out in spring and autumn periods for each area for 5 years, and completion plantings and maintenance works were carried out in cities where sufficient success was not achieved. As of the end of 2020, the success rate of the project was 84%. The project is the largest social responsibility project ever carried out in the field of afforestation with the cooperation of a Non-Governmental Organization, the private sector and the public sector.
