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I come from one of the beautiful coastal cities along the Mediterranean. And I’ve always felt lucky for it. When I was a kid, my family taught me, almost religiously, to respect nature.
“Don’t hurt the tree while climbing.”
“Be gentle while picking the fruit.”
“Don’t pluck flowers just because they look nice.”
“Watch where you step. Don’t harm the ants.”
“Never kill a bee.”
These were the sentences I grew up hearing repeatedly, and they shaped the way I looked at the world around me.
Lately, wildfires have become a terrifying reality across different parts of the world. And this time, they came closer to home. In Türkiye, over 600 wildfires were reported in a single city in just one week. Many are still not under control.
These fires hurt more than landscapes. They erase memories, homes, livelihoods, even heritage. They ache somewhere deep in me.
Because while authorities say, “Thankfully, there has been no loss of life,” I ask myself:
What do we count as life?
Isn’t a tree life? Isn’t a burning animal, a wounded bird that will no longer fly, a panicked fox running for shelter – life?
When a tree burns, a life is lost.
Nature is not something that exists solely to serve or entertain humans. It is not a background. It breathes. It shelters. It grieves.
Sometimes, I think we’ve become too used to viewing nature through the lens of convenience. But damaging nature – whether intentionally or through ignorance – is not a small matter. In some places, war requires no bullets. Sometimes, it starts with fire and silence.
Knowingly or not, those who destroy nature betray something much bigger than laws or borders. They betray life itself. They betray us all. Burning trees shouldn’t be dismissed as less tragic than human loss. Life takes many forms.
Yes, sometimes things happen beyond our control. But that doesn’t mean we should stop watching, caring, or raising our voices.
We must keep our eyes on nature. We must teach those around us, especially the little ones, to grow up with respect for the world they live in.
As governments grow more indifferent each passing year, our personal vigilance becomes even more vital.
In an age where machines are getting smarter and humans often seem to be forgetting their roots, our awareness matters more than ever.
It’s not only about planting trees. It’s about planting values. We must be part of an education that goes beyond classrooms and textbooks.
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Between Everywhere and Nowhere 
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