A New Home for Storks Project Marks 10th Anniversary

The project named “A New Home for Storks” started in 2009 in order to protect nature and natural life and has since gotten many awards due to the awareness it raises, and was shown as an example by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. The project keeps providing home for storks in its 10th year as well.

Operating in the power distribution sector under Bereket Enerji Group, one of the largest integrated power companies in Turkey, ADM and GDZ Elektrik Dağıtım continue to be home for more storks in the 10th year of the project A New Home for Storks, which was first launched to contribute to a sustainable nature.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of this project, which started in 2009 to support environmental, cultural and social development in Aydın, Denizli, Muğla, İzmir and Manisa, i.e. service regions of ADM and GDZ Elektrik Dağıtım. Every year, nearly 13,000 storks visit the special life platforms placed on electric poles, and the company is collaborating with various organizations for sustainability, nesting and counting of the stork population, i.e. the Department of Biology at the Faculty of Science in Ege University; Ecosystem Preservation and Nature Lovers Association (EKODOSD), and the 4th Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

A Sustainable and Eco-friendly Approach

As part of the project, insulation is done on the lines and installations before the migration season every year, and the previously installed nests are subject to maintenance to secure the lives of storks. These nests and insulation on the lines allow nearly 13,000 storks to live safely.

Project Creates Big Difference

Regarding the award-winning project A New Home for Storks that started to contribute to a sustainable nature, Fatma İyilikçi, Corporate Communications Manager at ADM - GDZ Elektrik Dağıtım, stated: “This year marks the 10th anniversary of this special project, which allows us to be home to 13,000 storks every year on their migration path. We launched this project with an awareness on sustainable environment and it was held up as an example both by the ministry and other stakeholders. We are proud to be continuing this project in the 10th year as well. When we launched this project, we prevented stork deaths caused by electric shock in the migration season.

We also motivated a broad network of stakeholders in this regard and still keep winning awards. In the 10th anniversary, we keep placing new special life platforms on electric poles for storks in the village of Avşar, where this project was first launched.”

Awards

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• Türkiye Elektrik Dağıtım A.Ş. (TEDAŞ) Public Relations “Special Project” – 2009

• Turkish Corporate Social Responsibility Association, KSS Marketplace Event, “Third” Prize in KSS Projects of the Year and “Exemplary Environmental Strategy” Awards – 2012

• Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, Exemplary Project – 2013

• Turkish Corporate Social Responsibility Association, KSS Marketplace Event, “Sustainability” Award - 2015