13.07.2026 23:51
Within the scope of the Erzurum Healing Gardens implemented in Erzurum, 15,000 saplings were planted in 2025 and 3,000 in 2026. Erzurum Regional Forest Director Serkan Karakurt stated that they established the first artificial truffle forest, saying, "Specially trained dogs are used to find these mushrooms; they are a very expensive type of mushroom. Their price ranges from 100 to 750 euros per kilogram."
Within the scope of the project implemented by the Erzurum Regional Directorate of Forestry, a total of 15,000 saplings were planted in the Erzurum Healing Gardens during the spring and autumn periods of 2025, including 7,435 lavender, 1,190 thyme, 650 hyssop, 1,700 sage, 225 echinacea, 320 black elderberry, 110 lemon balm, 390 mint, and 72 greater celandine saplings.
“A GIFT FROM THE SOIL” Expressing the value of the Healing Gardens in recognizing the healing power of nature and leaving a healthier legacy for the future, Erzurum Regional Director of Forestry Serkan Karakurt said, "These gardens cultivate many medicinal and aromatic plants, from thyme to mint, from sage to lavender, which hold an important place in various sectors, from health to cosmetics and food. The essence of each plant is truly a gift from the soil. Our duty is to evaluate this gift in the best possible way, leaving a healthier and more livable environment for future generations. At the same time, our healing gardens carry great potential not only for production but also for education, awareness, and research. The studies and scientific projects to be conducted here will strengthen the connection of our students and society with nature, supporting the awareness of sustainable living. This is also a study that will be part of our forest school project," he said.
HEALING GARDEN ESTABLISHED WITH MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS Stating that they achieved a first in 2025 as the Erzurum Regional Directorate of Forestry, Karakurt said, "We implemented the Erzurum Healing Gardens Project. Within the scope of the Erzurum Healing Gardens Project, we established a Healing Garden with Medicinal and Aromatic Plants on a 1.5-decare area at the Erzurum Forestry Nursery Directorate. This project is essentially an awareness project. The aim here is to introduce medicinal and aromatic plants, used in many fields from food to cosmetics, from traditional and complementary medicine to aromatherapy, to the people of Erzurum and to enable their use in any desired area. In the Healing Garden we established, a total of 15,000 saplings were planted during the spring and autumn periods of 2025, including 7,435 lavender, 1,190 thyme, 650 hyssop, 1,700 sage, 225 echinacea, 320 black elderberry, 110 lemon balm, 390 mint, and 72 greater celandine saplings. In the spring period of 2026, a total of 3,000 saplings were planted, including 1,000 St. John's wort, 500 coneflower, 1,000 lemon balm, and 500 Istanbul thyme saplings. Within two years, citizens living in Erzurum and surrounding provinces will come to our nursery, obtain medicinal and aromatic saplings grown in this area, and grow them in their own gardens, balconies, or even on windowsills. We wish this garden, which will add healing and natural beauty to Erzurum, to be beneficial to both our province and our region," he stated.
"WE ESTABLISHED THE FIRST ARTIFICIAL TRUFFLE FOREST" Providing information about the truffle mushroom inventory studies carried out under the Regional Directorate, Karakurt said, "Truffle mushroom is the name given to an underground mushroom that completes its entire development underground, has black and white species with a potato-like structure, lives attached to the roots of especially oak trees and some shrub species, and has a very high economic value. In the search for 5 species of truffle mushrooms, including black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) and whitish truffle (Tuber borchii), specially trained dogs are used to find these mushrooms that live symbiotically with tree roots such as oak and hazelnut and grow 5-20 cm below the soil. Legally, it is mandatory to obtain permission from our local Forestry Management Directorates to conduct searches. Truffle mushrooms are richer in protein and mineral content compared to other mushrooms. Due to their strong aromas and high economic value, they are a very expensive type of mushroom. They grow naturally in our country, and their price varies between 100 and 750 Euros per kilogram depending on the type and quality. As the Erzurum Regional Directorate of Forestry, we established the first artificial truffle forest," he said.
"SEARCH CONDUCTED WITH SPECIALLY TRAINED DOGS" Emphasizing that the first artificial truffle forest was established within the management area of the Erzurum Regional Directorate of Forestry, Karakurt continued his words as follows: "We completed the preparations of a 2.0-hectare area in the Cephanelik Afforestation site in the Aşkale district of Erzurum and planted a total of 1,050 truffle-inoculated mycorrhizal oak saplings. Additionally, we planted a total of 1,100 truffle-inoculated mycorrhizal oak saplings in a total area of 2.0 hectares in Erzincan province, including 550 saplings in a 1.0-hectare area in the Damlaca village of the Refahiye district of Erzincan and 550 saplings in a 1.0-hectare area in the Ocakbaşı village of the Üzümlü district of Erzincan. We completed the inventory and planning studies of the truffle fields. For our inventory studies, we conducted searches with specially trained dogs in 2025 and completed inventory and planning studies in a total area of 19,969 hectares in the Erzurum Horasan and İspir Forestry Management Sub-Directorates under the Erzurum Forestry Management Directorate, detecting approximately 3,500 kilograms of truffle mushrooms. In the Erzincan-Çayırlı-Kemah-Tercan and Üzümlü Forestry Management Sub-Directorates under the Erzincan Forestry Management Directorate, inventory and planning studies were completed in a total area of 30,992 hectares, detecting approximately 6,117 kilograms of truffle mushrooms. In the Refahiye-İliç and Tekçam Forestry Management Sub-Directorates under the Refahiye Forestry Management Directorate, inventory and planning studies were completed in a total area of 62,845 hectares, detecting approximately 12,500 kilograms of truffle mushrooms. We contributed to the economy by selling truffle mushrooms for the first time in our Regional Directorate. Since 2024, when the inventory and planning studies were completed, we have sold a total of 1,900 kilograms of truffle mushrooms, contributing 60,000 TL to our General Directorate of Forestry through tariff fees and approximately 28 million 500 thousand TL to our country's economy."