This spring, we are accompanying the Bacak family of Sarıkeçili nomadic pastoralists in Turkey during their hundreds of kilometres of spring migration from their wintering site on the shores of the Mediterranean to their summering sites in Central Anatolia, beyond the Taurus Mountains. Their journey highlights various dimensions of mobile pastoralism as a biodiversity and climate-friendly cultural practice. We are excited to share our in-situ observations day by day, each focusing on a particular aspect of mobile pastoralism.  

In Turkey, mobile pastoralism is a major traditional practice shaping the country’s outstanding landscapes where three of the world’s biodiversity hotspots meet: Mediterranean, Irano-Anatolian, and Caucasus. This rich ecosystem and habitat diversity have not only produced a considerable diversity of species but also shaped the culture of the people living there. With their adaptive capacity to spatial and temporal variabilities, mobile pastoralist communities are unique examples of people-nature interaction in Turkey, significantly impacting the country’s cultural diversity with their values, institutions, artefacts, food, songs, arts, and oral literature.  

Although mobile pastoralism in Turkey has faced challenges, some nomadic pastoralist communities, such as the Sarıkeçililer, still maintain a deep wisdom and a keen knowledge of the landscapes in which they move, accumulated over thousands of years. This practice, in its various forms in Turkey, has much to offer not only for conserving nature but also for preserving the cultural diversity and heritage of the country.  

Our journey with the Bacak family will continue for several days, and we will share our inspiring observations from their migration.

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