KuzeyDoğa Association is a conservation organisation based in Kars, working to protect the biodiversity of Northeastern Anatolia through scientific research, long-term wildlife monitoring, nature education and collaboration with local communities. Since 2008, it has led research on migratory birds, large carnivores and key ecosystems across the region.
With support from our Donor-Advised Grant, KuzeyDoğa continues its long-term monitoring in the Sarıkamış–Ardahan–Posof Wildlife Corridor in Eastern Türkiye. The project supports the tracking of a brown bear and the maintenance of 40 camera traps, generating at least 30,000 wildlife records that inform conservation planning.
In the interview below, KuzeyDoğa explains how long-term monitoring informs conservation decisions and what these efforts reveal about the region’s wildlife and ecosystems.
Can you briefly tell us about KuzeyDoğa Association’s mission and your main conservation work to date?
At KuzeyDoğa Association, our mission is to protect Türkiye’s biodiversity and critical ecosystems through scientific research, long-term monitoring, nature education, collaboration with local communities, and engagement with decision-makers.
Since 2008, we have been carrying out long-term conservation work in Eastern Anatolia, focusing on bird migration routes, wetlands, forests, wildlife corridors, and large mammals such as bears, wolves, and lynx. At the Aras Bird Research and Education Centre, we run one of Türkiye’s longest-standing bird ringing and migration monitoring programmes, contributing valuable scientific data on hundreds of thousands of birds.
We also monitor large carnivores in the Sarıkamış, Ardahan and Posof regions using GPS/GSM collars, camera traps, field observations and ecological modelling. This helps us better understand how wildlife uses the landscape and informs efforts to protect wildlife corridors and reduce human–wildlife conflict.
Protecting biodiversity starts with understanding how species move through and interact with their environment.
What threats does the Sarıkamış–Ardahan–Posof Wildlife Corridor face, and why is monitoring top predators and birds so important?
The Sarıkamış–Ardahan–Posof Wildlife Corridor is one of Türkiye’s most important ecological connections to the Caucasus region. It provides vital habitat for large mammals, migratory birds, wetlands and forest ecosystems.
However, the area faces growing pressures from habitat fragmentation, infrastructure development, energy and mining projects, changes in land use, illegal hunting, human–wildlife conflict and climate change. These factors can alter migration patterns, food availability, water resources and habitat quality.
Large carnivores such as brown bears, wolves and lynx are key indicators of healthy, connected ecosystems. Birds are equally important because they respond quickly to environmental changes and can reveal shifts in habitat quality, wetland health and climate conditions.
Monitoring these species helps us understand the overall health of the ecosystem and provides the evidence needed to guide effective conservation decisions.
Large carnivores and birds are among the most powerful indicators of ecosystem health.
Through the support of our Donor-Advised Grant, you are monitoring a brown bear using a GPS/GSM collar and maintaining 40 camera traps. What do you hope to learn from this work?
This support will provide valuable new information about wildlife movements across the region.
Tracking a brown bear with a GPS/GSM collar will help us understand its seasonal movements, feeding areas, habitat use and interactions with human activities. The data will identify key movement routes and areas where human–bear encounters may occur.
Maintaining 40 camera traps will ensure the continuous collection of data not only on bears, but also on wolves, lynx, foxes, wild boar, roe deer and many other species. Keeping this monitoring network active is essential for understanding how wildlife uses the landscape over time.
The findings will help identify priority conservation areas, strengthen wildlife corridor protection and support efforts to reduce human–wildlife conflict.
Long-term conservation depends on long-term data.
How will the collection of at least 30,000 new wildlife records contribute to conservation and the coexistence of people and nature?
Collecting at least 30,000 new wildlife records will create a robust dataset on species distribution, movement patterns and habitat use across the region.
The data will help identify key wildlife corridors and areas where wildlife and human activities overlap, supporting better planning in sectors such as transport, energy, forestry and land management.
Long-term monitoring is essential because conservation must be based on evidence rather than assumptions. It allows us to understand how species and habitats are changing over time and whether conservation measures are working.
The data will also help improve human–wildlife coexistence by identifying where preventative measures can reduce conflict while protecting both local communities and wildlife.
Every camera trap image and every new location record helps us better understand and protect the landscapes wildlife depens on.
How would you describe the impact you create to those considering supporting your work? Can you share a concrete example from your monitoring or species conservation efforts?
Supporting KuzeyDoğa means investing in science-based conservation in one of Türkiye’s most important ecological regions.
What makes our work unique is our ability to turn long-term field research into practical conservation outcomes. We work to protect not only individual species, but also the habitats and ecological connections they depend on.
One of the clearest examples comes from our large carnivore monitoring work in the Sarıkamış forests. By tracking brown bears with GPS/GSM collars, we discovered that some individuals move across vast areas and even cross the Türkiye–Georgia border. This revealed the region’s importance as an international wildlife corridor.
Our camera trap network also makes hidden wildlife visible, documenting species such as lynx, wolves and brown bears and providing vital information for conservation planning and decision-making.
Every contribution helps keep monitoring equipment operating, supports wildlife research and strengthens the protection of healthy ecosystems for future generations.
