Our undergraduate students in the Primary Education Department, who are taking the “Community Service Applications” course, organised a tree planting event in the green areas of the North Campus on Wednesday, 7 January 2026, in line with our university’s “Sustainable Campus” vision. The event aimed to strengthen the relationship with nature on the university campus and to create long-term environmental awareness. Within the scope of the event, held in the green area around the central canteen, sapling species that would contribute to increasing urban green areas and ecosystem continuity were preferred. The saplings were obtained in cooperation with the General Directorate of Forestry of the Republic of Turkey.
A total of 30 saplings were planted during the event, including 20 linden and 10 judas saplings. The linden and judas saplings planted went beyond being merely a tree planting effort due to the choice of sapling types. The climate-friendly landscaping approach implemented in the project stood out as a conscious choice that supports water efficiency and biodiversity. The Judas tree, in particular, offers significant benefits for urban environments affected by climate change due to its low water consumption and high drought tolerance. Its ability to thrive in arid and semi-arid conditions has made this species a strategic element in the sustainable green space planning of our campus areas. It is known that the Judas tree provides an important nectar source for pollinators during its short purple-pink flowering period in early spring, lasting only a few weeks before leafing out. Thus, it was intended that the Judas tree’s unique flowering strategy would support flora diversity in campus landscape areas, while its seeds, an important food source for birds and small mammals, would contribute to fauna diversity. The city’s intangible cultural heritage also played an important role in the team’s decision to choose the Judas tree for planting. The Judas tree, which has existed for centuries in Anatolia and Istanbul and has become an important symbol of the Bosphorus region in particular, has been valued throughout history not only as an ornamental plant but also as a cultural symbol. The Judas tree was brought to Istanbul during the Byzantine Empire and cultivated here for centuries. The tree, which held an important place in the Byzantine Empire due to its colour, went down in history as “Byzantine purple” and occupied an important place in Istanbul’s intangible cultural heritage. Sultans wrote their decrees in purple ink, and women gave birth in rooms decorated with purple fabrics. Similarly, in later years, linden trees became important not only for their shade but also for their structure as a rich source of nectar, supporting pollination, and as a source of natural, additive-free herbal tea from their flowers, enabling students to engage in healthy consumption practices in contact with nature on campus.
The event, planned with a socially responsible educational approach, offered a practical learning space that encouraged university youth to take active responsibility for the environment.
