ISTANBUL-- February 10, 2022 -- Last summer’s destructive forest fires, which ravaged Turkey’s fertile Mediterranean and Aegean regions, left an indelible mark on the local ecosystem and devastated several local industries. According to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS), an estimated 203,000 hectares of forest in Turkey were destroyed by wildfires last year alone.

Caused in part by the global climate crisis, Turkey’s recurring wildfires represent an existential threat to the region’s biodiversity. With the ultimate aim of mitigating this threat and protecting the country’s diverse coastal regions, Beeing Hope Project as an ambitious social-responsibility project is launching by the sponsorship of Le Petit Marseillais Turkey.

Helping to Heal Turkey’s Damaged Ecosystems

By bringing together the right stakeholders for a common cause, the “Beeing Hope” project seeks to heal Turkey’s fire-scorched ecosystems, protect endangered bee populations, and help resuscitate local pine honey production. Concentrated largely in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions, the local manufacture of pine honey was brought to a standstill by last year’s fires, adversely affecting the rural communities.

According to organizers, a significant portion of the income generated by the project will go towards raising public awareness about the issue and supporting eco-friendly initiatives throughout the country.

Beeinghopenft: Turkey's 1st Multidisciplinary NFT Collection

Within the context of the “Beeing Hope” project, an art exposition will be generated by non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which are units of data stored on a blockchain. Featuring 10,080 pieces of digital artwork by 28 visual artists, the “beeinghopenft” collection is being billed as the very first Turkey-hosted art show to adopt a thoroughly multidisciplinary approach.

All contributing artists have visited fire-damaged regions of Turkey, where they heard accounts by local residents - including beekeepers - who witnessed last summer’s conflagration first-hand. Deeply moved by what they saw, the artists were inspired to create the NFT-generated digital work that will be featured at the upcoming collection.