Life is safeguarded through transformation. Transformation warrants life. Transformation is the collateral of life. Transformation leads to needs which it then fulfils.
Real needs must be fulfilled in a manner that nourishes the cycles of life. Nature exists in harmony. Harmony emerges from needs. The function of forests unveils this harmony by its very nature. Our objective is to achieve such harmony. Members reach their strongest nature through harmony.
This is joy. This joyful/vibrant existence reflects the nature of Functional Forests.

WHY FUNCTIONAL FORESTS?

Our cooperation aims to discover our real needs. Trying to fulfill the needs without cooperation is an illusion. The participants of this cooperation are those who blend traditional knowledge with scientific knowledge.
Each new learning triggers another kind of application.

The selection of desire-based production and consumption has brought humans to the edge of annihilation. Yet, desire leads to consumption while needs lead to production. Therefore, real needs designate the limits of production in nature.
The philosophy of Functional Forests is based on the principle of fulfilling real needs of humans in cooperation with nature.

The patterns of nature are shaped according to their functions. These patterns co-exist with their interactions and conditions. To learn these conditions means to learn to transform the efforts from being against nature into cooperation with nature.

Functional Forests aims at attaining clean air, water and soil. This objective paves the way for cooperation with nature and for the fulfillment of real needs.
Learning, nutrition, health, ecology, social, economy cycle thereby gets exposure to endless solutions at each step of the way. The results generated by this cycle are limited by the rules of nature. Functional Forests aims at designing and application of farming, forestry and natural resources management practices with the intention to nourish agroecological systems and water resources.

Functional forests refer to forests which, while meeting all of basic human needs, contribute to the regeneration of the ecosystem. In doing so, these forest systems utilize the space, time, solar energy and water optimally. These are human-designed forests for the production of fuel, fibers, medicine, dyes, glues, resins, construction materials, compost, biomass, animal feed, pesticides and seed materials. Resources can be grown together with strong symbiotic relationships in these environments.
Diversity and reciprocity lay the foundations for resistant, productive and sustainable relationships. They enable experiencing of many value-focused needs such as long-term happiness, feeling of satisfaction, source of love and affection, peace environment, enhancement of sensation of family and community, curiosity, sense of adventure, sense-making, growth and development and rendering service to nature and society as a whole, health of the systems, carbon capture, cooling climate, increased precipitation production, closed-loop economies and management of unpredictability. Maybe one of the most effective, strongest and transformative steps for learning and healing is to design, apply and take care of Functional Forests to meet our needs, incorporating our local conditions, relationships and species which are adequate for their own geographic characteristics and to learn to co-exist.
Functional Forests encompass integrated systems instead of parts or fragments. The establishment of Functional Forests is not only a basic responsibility but may also serve as a major opportunity for giving meaning to life, taking a step towards a conscious functioning of social relationships (evolving into a new form of social relationship) and developing our skills for establishing symbiotic relationships.

WHY FUNCTIONAL FORESTS?

Vision: Functional Forests / Mission: Nourish Life

Healthy soil, air and water are rare.
Healthy nutrition is rare.
Healthy living spaces are rare.
Healthy relationships are rare.
Healthy economies are rare.

We consume rapidly the existing resources with our basic approach in our current applications of conventional agriculture, animal husbandry and food production systems paving the way for unhealthy generations. This drags us and the whole structure which we are a part of into a state of collective annihilation.
We have co-evolved with nature for millions of years. Within the last 50 years we have reached a point where we cannot / are not able to foresee the future / ahead of ourselves. Yet, we are richer than ever in terms of information, technology and resources.
Ecological, economic and social decay is not fate but a choice. We choose revival rather than decay. Therefore, we question extensively our existence and focus on learning, teaching and applying the methods and dynamics required for achieving ecological, economic and social integrity while fulfilling our most basic daily needs.
Functional Forests emerged from this understanding and intention. The ability to fulfill our most basic needs(food, medicine, dyes, glues, fibers, etc.) discerning the sustainability of ecological, economic and social cohesion requires new perspectives, new feelings and new behaviors. Surely, this needs to be comprehended and worked towards collectively by humanity. However, time, place and prevailing conditions provided us with clear justification and opportunities to place this matter at the center of our lives. We have embraced this most critical priority with all our hearts. Functional Forests Functional Forests give us the opportunity to completely transform our relationship with ourselves and with the whole of which are part of. They provide the environment for redefining love, respect, health, relationships, reciprocity, continuous learning and growth when producing.
We are dedicated to take responsibility and transform our relationship with nature in a symbiotic manner, because;

• we do not agree with the performance of a relationship threatening natural diversity, human health and continuity of natural cyclesdue to agricultural and forestry practices that are heavily based on external inputs, high energy consumption and monoculture,
• we have witnessed relationships that are based on diversity and reciprocity that bring resilience, productivity and continuity in nature,
• we have many clues on the fact that we may fulfill our basic needs while enriching nature with an understanding of solidarity based on careful and long-term observations, a plan based on the consideration of the health of all living systems.

Sema Çakır

She never thought that one day she would have to defend nature. She is the kind of person who believes that unless we protect nature worldwide, we will be deprived of flowers, insects, trees, mushrooms and birds. She is very much convinced by Functional Forests and believes it may be a very valuable socio-economic model. She is aspiring to establish and grow our Forests to an extent that we may share them with everyone.

Ahu Sedef Demİr

She sums up the flow of her life as the adventure of discovering vitality on the path of a failed sourdough. She set off on her journey with her husband to explain the unseen together by participating at activities such as workshops and trainings. She continues to research, observe and practice topics such as permaculture, wholistic management, microbiology herding, sacred geometry, history of religions, yoga, Ayurveda, Tai-Chi and enhancement of pleasure. During a period when she was striving to shake off imposed thought patterns, she noticed that she became a living member of Functional Forests where she could freely unveil her function in an environment of trust, love and affection based on real needs. Her focus is to be on this journey with her husband and produce resources in tandem with nature.

M. Gökhan Demir

Yeni düşünceler ve tasarım. Hayatın temel girdi ve çıktıları. Bir sorunu çözerken yeni bir sorun yaratmama düşüncesi ve arzusu onu kusursuz tasarıma ve işlevselliğe getirdi. Yani doğaya… Functional Forests felsefesi her seferinde daha da büyük ve çocuksu bir merak uyandırıyor içinde. Eşiyle ve sevdikleriyle paylaştığı bu meraklı çocuksuluğu büyütmenin ve büyüdüğünü görmenin isteğiyle yürüyor geri kalan hayatını…

Alp Pİr

His greatest aspiration is to discover his nature and thus assist those around him to unveil their nature. He selects his relationships and domains of work with this aspiration and strives to develop them with a focused energy. He regards Nourishing Life via Functional Forests as an opportunity to establish the right relationship with our nature.

Rasİh Tuna

He is the functional engineer of the team.
He was born to be an engineer. He always asks the question “Why”. He believes that engineers should absolutely study philosophy. (This belief emerged only recently, but it’s never too late…) He considers the philosophy of Functional Forests Functional Forests not as a destination but as a journey and regards himself to be part of this forest.

The first step into the unknown. The state of becoming fully involved with everything with the whole family. An environment for converting into action the synthesis of what we know. Transforming this field into an economic cycle. How are we going to live? How the compound should take shape? What should be its forms and functions?
Where shall we begin? What should be our key priorities? What kind of approaches should we display in order to fulfill these priorities? The search for a brand-new life in the middle of a conventional citrus production land.
Extremely harsh natural conditions; clayed soil, heavy and high winds, extreme heat-drought, excessive precipitation, frost and floods. A 25-decare garden of Pink Grapefruits and Satsuma Okitsu Tangerine. Organic production. Organic Certification. Twenty tons of pink grapefruits, 10 tons of Satsuma Okitsu tangerines. Wild edible herbs, wild healing herbs which are then used to produce marmalades and sours. Direct access toconsumers. Community Supported Agriculture. Food Communities. Companion plants. Discovering the economy of nature. The relationships within nature and our relationship with them.
Reviewing our relationships and exchanges with humans. Approaching life with our heart and from our heart. Cooperation established with local families and expansion of the nuclear family. Beginning of transformation.

A new path drawn in a secluded area at the skirts of a mountain in Çalca, with the confidence of leaning back on the mountain while turning our gaze towards the water. Husband and wife and three children: Teo 4, Aydın 2…Kaan is on his way. Experiencing the construction of a family compound for the first time. The location of the house is designated, and the first stakes are put into the ground by the whole family. Just like the first fall of a seed to the ground, an eleven month waiting period for the construction of the family… Blending of traditional and scientific knowledge and its application by skilled hands. Radication of the application field in Çalca over time and its transformation into a majestic tree.
Designing the framework of the house, with its nerves, digestive system and immune system, just like in a living organism, with its nerves, digestive system and immune system. In addition to utilizing natural and recycled materials for building our house, constructing the compound in a manner so that it nourishes back natural cycles. Advancing with the adoption of laws of physics and natural cycles for our guidance.
Harvesting the rain; implementing passive irrigation via terraces, feeding underground water reservoirs and filling our water reservoirs via roof tops. Irrigating the land with gravity fed systems. Producing our own food and medicine. Seed garden: production of heritage seeds, local seeds and wild species. Waste management: used kitchen water (greasy and salty), grey water (from the shower and sinks), black water (conversion of toilet water into compost upon merging with organic materials). Passive energy generation.
An area that is transformed; which, incidentally, transforms and nourishes life.

At the beginning, it was just soil and stones…
Gradually, it became a place where we could experience in concrete terms merging of our dreams. A space where, individually & collectively we think, toil and create our harmony on becoming more effective and functional. A centre of gravity where; we harvest food, shelter, healing, education, economy, culture and arts; we witness one by one, the fulfilment of our real needs; we are catered for with the main nutrition of our joint mission and relationships.

Our main goal is to transform our approach towards production and consumption with culture and solutions that prioritize nourishing of life in order to fulfill our real needs in the most adequate manner. We do this by implementing the following:

• Designation of production requirement based on local conditions,
• A design based on transformation, mechanisms and relationships in nature (from scratch or via adaptation),
• Functional Forest applications based on a local, social, economic and ecological infrastructure,
• Integrated production, distribution and operation solutions (from scratch or via adaptation),
• Observation and improvement of the conditions and processes experienced in the consequent seasons,
• Documentation on the processes of Functional Forests (players, functions, relationships, processes, results, etc.) and transformational workshops.

• We understand local conditions.
• We understand local needs
• We understand the type of needs bundle that may be fulfilled under local conditions
• We design the Functional Forests structure that will nourish local resources whilst being shaped within these resources.
• We apply, monitor, record, learn, improve, share, experience and have you experience with local resources.

In every aspect, a healthy life is our primary right and aim. Our real needs must be met with solutions that will accelerate the return of our nature to its healthy self. It is our reason for existence and our utmost delight to pair a healthy relationship between functional teams and functional forests.

We sincerely seek health, choose paths to health, and walk with determination.