Restoring Lotus Beach: a volunteer-led project in Ankara

Lotus Beach has been used as an informal dump for years. This October, 115 neighbors turned up for a first cleanup, filling 143 bags in a single morning. Now we want to restore it for good. We have a plan agreed with the local forestry office, including native species selected by a local botanist. The area floods more each year, and fish have returned for the first time in a decade after our first cleanup. Restoring it will protect homes and bring back shade. All the labor is volunteered. We just need materials. Funds buy saplings, gloves, bags, hire of a skip, and signage. Where the $550 goes: • Native saplings and stakes: $230 • Tools and protective gear: $160 • Waste removal and skip hire: $70 • Signage and educational materials: $90 I'll keep this page updated with receipts as things happen. - Ebru