Man Helps A Town Plant 30 Million Saplings And Create A Forest

Society, as the Ancient Greeks said, grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.

While this proverb can apply to many situations metaphorically, it also perfectly encapsulates the incredible life’s work of Hikmet Kaya, a forest engineer from Turkey who transformed the landscape of his hometown through hard work and dedication.

It all started in 1978 when Kaya began his career as a forest management chief in the town of Sinop. The area was fairly barren, the result of decades of indifference and decay.

Sandy hills stretched as far as the eye could see, punctuated only by tire tracks. But Kaya had a vision — one he knew he might not live to see fulfilled.

Just like the Greek proverb, he began planting trees.

After more than two decades of work, Kaya and his team had accomplished something truly incredible — they had planted more than 30 million saplings, transforming the once-sandy area into a lush forest!

“We tried to give the best service to the country, the nation and the state. I studied at a state boarding school, our state took care of me there for 4 years. Considering this, I took it as my duty to provide the best service to my state during my tenure,” Kaya told tohumtoprak.

Check out the photo below shared on Reddit:

https://www.redditmedia.com/r/BeAmazed/comments/se9yow/hikmet_kaya_retired_forest_engineer_from_turkey/

Reflecting on the legacy that he has lived long enough to see come to fruition, he added: “We succeeded in this work. After many years, we have ensured that our district has more forest assets compared to those days. This is a very good feeling.”

Thanks to his incredible efforts, that good feeling is one that the entire town can share in.