An Outdoor Classroom: The Coasts of Kandira (Kocaeli, Turkey)

Abstract

The coasts of Turkey are losing their natural properties due to increasing anthropogenic pressure. The coasts of Kandira district of Kocaeli province, which is the focus of this study, have protected its natural beauty from these processes until now. The study area is located between Pinarli village on the west and Babali village on the east, and its total longshore is 65 km together with the Kefken Island's coasts. The main aim of this study is to stress the educational tourism potantial of Kandira coasts which have significant geological and geomorphological properties and to protect them for next generations in accordance with sustainable utilization principles. For this purpose, we detailed an undergraduate geography course about "coastal geomorphology" with selected forms from the study area. We realized the field works on the summer months of 2014 and 2015, and examined the literature simultaneously during the study. There are many and different typical coastal forms in the study area. Some of these already have a high tourist attraction. If the study area gains a protected status like a geopark, all of the coastal geosites will be protected and the local residents will benefit more from this wealth through tourism.