Our “Forest Explorers” project, our brand of nature-based science education that we have been implementing since 2012, considers every child, young person, and adult as an explorer and supports them through our experiential education model. In our nature education programs, designed to develop the intellectual, emotional, and cognitive abilities of explorers, we aim to introduce them to understanding nature, realizing that the human world is actually an extension of nature, and promoting biomimicry.

Following the philosophy of “If you know it, you will love it; if you love it, you will protect it,” we put participants in the role of “explorers,” enabling them to “read” nature through their different senses by “seeing, hearing, touching, and experiencing.” We conduct scientific nature walks with expert instructors; we learn about plants, trees, animals, and natural patterns by observing, asking questions, and touching; and we record what we learn in our nature journals. In addition, through interactive nature games we design, we learn how human intellectual activities such as science and art are enriched by inspiration from nature, all while having fun.

Forest Explorers, a program we have conducted with over 200,000 children across Turkey to date, has become a pioneering and exemplary project in the dissemination and development of nature education in Turkey. At Usturlab, we offer this program as a sustainable model for institutions. We not only develop unique workshop content and curricula, but also organize “Train-the-Trainer” programs for the teams that will implement this model. In this way, we ensure the program becomes a permanent structure.