Located in Istanbul's Üsküdar district, Validebağ Korusu is one of the historic groves on the Anatolian side of Istanbul with monumental trees ranging from 100 to 400 years old, more than 40 tree species and over 100 animal and insect species. However, Validebağ Korusu has been trying to live under the threat of construction projects for more than 30 years. Local initiatives such as Validebağ Volunteers and Validebağ Defense are fighting against the realization of such projects in order to protect the habitat and biodiversity of the protected area.
Part of this struggle was the guidebook created for the grove. The guide and website, created by the Kozalak Association as part of the Preservation of the Ecological and Social Memory of Validebağ Project, explain the cultural and ecological values of the grove and the struggle waged in the grove under the headings of Cultural Memory, Ecological Memory, and Social Memory.
The guide and website created for Validebağ are intended to inspire readers to understand and explore Validebağ, encourage them to consider why and how we can protect Validebağ, and motivate them to consider the other groves and parks in Istanbul in a similar way.
