Photographing is most important tool to show people nature: Expert

By Burak Bir

ANKARA (AA) – Taking a photo or shooting video in wildlife is an important tool to show people nature and raise awareness in this regard, according to a Turkish expert.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency on the occasion of the World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD), Emin Yogurtcuoglu, a photographer and birdwatch guide, said that the purpose of photographing for him is documentation, recording what he sees.

"Photographing is the most important tool to show people this life. A video or photograph you shoot there can show people much more than words can explain. ... I've been doing this for a long time on social media, I tell people, sometimes I make stories on wildlife. I'm trying to empathize with these species," he explained.

When a large flight passes over, it may herald the beginning or end of a season, not just an ordinary animal activity, said Yogurtcuoglu, who, for instance, spends his time accordingly, instead of modern time zones.

"I evaluate the seasons and months according to the arrival times of the birds. Some species migrate at very specific times, for example, the Rosy starling, which comes from India, always arrives in Turkey between May 19-21."

Indifference to nature harms these animals, including migratory birds, said the expert who has been observing birds for 25 years.

Eagle, stork, pelican, and crane species, he said, are certain species of migratory birds, but there are hundreds of large and small species of birds that migrate around the world.

The WMBD is a biannual awareness-raising campaign held on the second Saturdays in May and October.

"Turkey is located in the temperate zone between the north and the south, so when migratory birds pass over Turkey, they use all-natural areas, such as lakes, reeds, forests, and deltas," he said, stressing the country's high-valued habitat for migratory birds.

Yogurtcuoglu bemoaned that most people do not act responsibly when using these natural habitats which are the stations where these animals take a rest, like a willow warbler born in Finland in the north that needs to stop and feed somewhere in Turkey.

All bird species migrate in various and different ways, the expert said, highlighting the important role that "thermal air currents" play in the migration of large bird species.

"Large bird species are gliding migratory species to save energy, they migrate using the thermal areas on the land, in this way they have the opportunity to travel hundreds of kilometers. Thermal air currents are not over the sea but pass through the straits, where the land is closest to each other. So, Turkey's location is very important in this sense," he added.

- Nature-human relation

On the vital role that sustainable nature plays for the healthy future of people, Yogurtcuoglu said that due to the interconnectedness of ecosystems, the adverse impact that occurs in one place can affect many areas negatively.

"If we undermine the enormous cycle in nature, eventually the chain in the order that we axed breaks, returns to us as a great whip and hits us," he warned, adding that the world has already begun to experience this situation.

The birdwatch guide urged people to get to know their nature in order not to be indifferent to what is going on around them. He also asserted that new courses should be added to the curriculum to get to know nature and wildlife.

"People harm the habitats of these animals because they do not know. For example, by opening a drainage channel in a lake, which means destroying it, or burning a reed, or leaving the deltas idle," stated Yogurtcuoglu.

Wetlands, as another example, are at the top of the areas where migratory birds stop the most, and lakes are unfortunately one of the natural areas that are most negatively affected due to human pressure, he added.

Along with raising awareness via education, he also recommended that the number of people who are in the field for conservation work should be increased.

He also pointed out the public service announcement as well as heavy fines for those who break rules on nature and tight control mechanisms by related authorities as a precaution.

"When you allow nature, it will have a positive return, nature needs to breathe a little," the wildlife expert said, mentioning that even for a short time when there were bans during the beginning of the pandemic, demoiselle crane species arrived and nested in Turkey's Amasya province for the first time after 17 years.

"My dream is to see certain areas left completely to nature, in a real sense, without any interference," he concluded.