In an increasingly fragile world, a group of students from Turkey, Portugal and Macedonia came together for an inspiring project called One Planet - One Destination - Restoring the Ecosystem. The students from Turkey met Portuguese and Macedonians through the ERASMUS programme and despite their different cultures and languages, they shared a common love for nature. Each day, a Turkish student talked about the beautiful forests surrounding his town, a Portuguese student shared photos of the vibrant coastline near his home and a Macedonian student spoke fondly of the water resources.

But recently, they had noticed disturbing changes in these places. There were fewer birds in the Turkish forest; the Portuguese coast was full of plastic; the Macedonian stream had lost some of its sparkle, making the water poluted.

One morning, their teacher gathered them and said, "This planet is our common home, and it is our duty to protect it. For this project, each of you will explore and address environmental issues in your region. And remember, your combined efforts will show how united we are in our responsibility to restore the ecosystem."

The friends decided to work together to create a plan. The Turkish students would focus on raising awareness about deforestation near their hometown, the Portuguese students would focus on reducing plastic waste at their local beach, and the Macedonian students would focus on keeping their water resources clean and safe. They shared their ideas, changed their strategies, and became more determined with each discussion. 

They were part of a global effort to heal the planet. And now it was time to get to work. 

One day, while three friends were watching television at home, we saw Marmaris burning on the news and an idea came to our mind to prevent fires. We decided to create a system that would instantly detect fires and report them to the authorities by installing a new satellite. But we started thinking about how we could do this, but since we did not have the financial power to do this, we applied to a university and our project was accepted and started to be implemented.

şükrü,umut and arda 

Muhammed, Burak and Olcay decided to do the following:

There are many responsibilities that every person can take to protect forests. As Longosphere, we also carry out various studies to protect forests. By showing the necessary dedication and carrying out simple practices, it becomes possible to protect forests, which have an extremely important place in our lives. In this way, Turkey's hidden paradises can be transferred to future generations and a cleaner and more beautiful nature can be left to them.

Between March 21-26 (Forest Week), a group of students from Turkey suddenly came up with an idea. They thought this idea was very suitable for minimizing forest fires and responding quickly. This group thought of benefiting the environment by using this excellent idea in forests. So what is this idea? This group came up with the idea of placing fire detection sensors in certain areas of forests and establishing small fire stations near these areas. They went to the General Directorate of Forestry and explained this idea. Authorities liked this idea very much and

said they would take action as soon as possible...

-Abdurrahman,Ahmet,Mustafa...

The Portuguese coast had always been a place of wonder, with golden sands stretching for miles and the Atlantic waves crashing against rugged cliffs. Rafael Barros Gomes da Silva, Pedro Afonso Mendes Barros, Manuela Melo Parola Prebianchi, and Maria Isabel Alves Serras had grown up near these shores, and the ocean held a special place in each of their hearts.

But in recent years, they’d started to notice the beaches were littered with plastic, fishing nets washed ashore, and the once-clear waters seemed duller. Manuela was the first to speak up, bringing her concerns to her friends. “Every time I visit the beach, I see plastic bottles and bags tangled in seaweed. We have to do something.”

Pedro, who loved surfing, nodded. “It’s awful when you’re out on a wave and see trash floating nearby. It’s as if the ocean is asking for our help.”

Together, they decided to make the health of the ocean their focus for the One Planet - One Destination project. They started by researching the sources of pollution on their coastline, discovering that much of the plastic waste came from single-use items left by beachgoers and fishing materials abandoned by boats. Maria, with her knack for creativity, proposed that they design eye-catching signs for the beach, encouraging people to take their trash home and respect the ocean. 

Rafael suggested they go further, organizing a community beach cleanup with local families and friends.When the day of the cleanup arrived, dozens of people joined them, each eager to lend a hand. As they picked up plastic bottles, broken toys, and fragments of nets, Rafael noticed a young girl watching them. He smiled and handed her a trash bag. “Want to help?” he asked. She grinned and joined the group, collecting pieces of plastic with a look of determination on her face.

By the end of the day, the beach was noticeably cleaner, and everyone gathered to watch the sunset over the now pristine sands. Rafael, Pedro, Manuela, and Maria realized their work wasn’t over it was only the beginning. They planned to keep spreading awareness and expand their efforts to other parts of Portugal’s coastline. Their goal was not just to protect their own beach, but to inspire others to do the same, proving that with small actions, they could make a lasting impact on the ocean they loved.

STEFAN

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