As the Department of Forest Engineering, Faculty of Forestry, Isparta University of Applied Sciences, practical training was held on 29.09.2026 at Güllük Mountain (Termessos) National Park and Düzlerçamı Wildlife Development Area, in cooperation with the 6th Regional Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, within the scope of the Vocational Training in Enterprise (VTE) course, aiming to develop our students' professional knowledge and experience in the field.
The program was attended by our 27 students enrolled in the VTE course, along with Vice Dean Prof. Dr. Nilüfer YAZICI and VTE-responsible faculty members Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Said ÖZÇELİK, Assist. Prof. Dr. Şükran OĞUZOĞLU, Assist. Prof. Dr. Fatma Merve NACAKCI, Assist. Prof. Dr. Ebru Hatice TIĞLI KAYTANLIOĞLU, and Assist. Prof. Dr. Ali ŞENOL.
During the training, Wetlands Branch Manager Ersan BERBEROĞLU provided information on the protection and sustainable management of wetlands, while Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Branch Manager Osman UZUN shared information on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Veterinarian Gökhan SABIRLI provided information on invasive alien species—particularly the red-eared slider turtle—and their effects on natural ecosystems.
The program included a visit to the Ancient City of Termessos. During the tour, guided by Wetlands Branch Manager Ersan BERBEROĞLU and Güllük Mountain (Termessos) National Park Chief Merve Havva AKBAŞ, information was provided on the settlement layout, historical structures, and the relationship of the ancient city with its natural surroundings, highlighting the importance of preserving cultural heritage.
At Düzlerçamı Wildlife Development Area—one of the world's important natural habitats for fallow deer (Dama dama)—we had the opportunity to closely observe the species' behavior and habitat during feeding-time observations. Eşenadası Fallow Deer Breeding Station Chief Ertürk REÇBER shared information about the characteristics of the Düzlerçamı Wildlife Development Area, the protection and monitoring of fallow deer, breeding efforts, and the translocation and relocation studies carried out to different areas. This gave our students the opportunity to directly observe field applications of conservation efforts for endangered species.
We would like to thank the 6th Regional Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, National Parks Branch Manager İsmail SEVİMLER, Wetlands Branch Manager Ersan BERBEROĞLU, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Branch Manager Osman UZUN, Güllük Mountain (Termessos) National Park Chief Merve Havva AKBAŞ, Veterinarian Gökhan SABIRLI, and Eşenadası Fallow Deer Breeding Station Chief Ertürk REÇBER for their contributions to this program and for generously sharing their valuable knowledge and experience.
