A Scientist Chasing the Nature

Sabancı Foundation Turkey's Changemakers Program continues in its 7th season to share the unique stories of extraordinary people who contribute to the social development. The first Changemaker of the 7th season is Çağan Şekercioğlu.

Çağan Şekercioğlu is an ecologist, an ornithologist, a conservation scientist, a wildlife photographer and the first tropical biologist of Turkey. He was keen on nature since his childhood He joined in the first biology olympics team of Turkey when he was studying in Robert College. His team was awarded silver medal in a contest organized in the Netherlands. Çağan Şekercioğlu completed his undergraduate degree in Harvard University, one of the top universities in the world and got his PhD on ecology and ornithology in Biology Department of Standford University in 2003. After leaving Turkey for college education, he returned to his country as a scientist to do research on bio-diversity and ecology in Kars, Ardahan, Iğdır and Artvin provinces. Thanks to his research, he was selected as Emerging Explorer by National Geographic in 2011.

Şekercioğlu founded KuzeyDoğa Society in 2007 as part of Kars-Iğdır Biologic Diversity Project that was kicked-off back in 2003. KuzeyDoğa Society enabled the construction of Turkey's first bird nesting island in Kuyucuk Lake, which was chosen Turkey's 2009 European Destination of Excellence. Besides volunteering in KuzeyDoğa Society, Çağan Şekercioğlu is a faculty member in the Biology Department of Utah University. He published more than 70 articles and received tens of awards thanks to his work on nature conservation.

Çağan Şekercioğlu set out from his childhood dream and worked for preserving the nature and the ecological balance. He became one of the most important scientists in ecology and environmental protection. He made a big difference in the species of Eastern Anatolia as well as with his work in conservation ecology...