Hasan Özhan Coskun started as an Automotive Systems Design PDEng trainee at TU/e last October. He died February 28 from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a fire that started in the kitchen of his apartment. He was buried in Istanbul on March 3.

After the service, friends and family started talking about a memorial forest for Coskun. Turkish NGO TEMA offers that possibility as part of its fight against soil erosion. Every 6 lira (about 2.50 euros) is good for a tree. The minimum for the Hasan Özhan Coskun Memorial Forest’ was two thousand trees.

The fundraiser for the forest was coordinated by his friend Bengisu Corakci, a PDEng trainee in Delft. Within 36 hours, their goal was met. Right now, the forest will have over three thousand trees, including donations from the Netherlands and Turkey, but also from the US, France, and Germany. People who didn’t even know Coskun have even donated money, says Corakci.

The first trees will be planted early May near Denizli in the southwest of Turkey, probably followed by an inaugurational ceremony in June. A small memorial will be placed in the forest in April - a gift from Coskuns Alma Mater: the Middle East Technical University of Ankara.

Peter Heuberger, program manager at Automotive Syetems Design, donated enough for 152 trees, one for each day he worked with Coskun. He thinks the memorial forest is a wonderful idea: “It’s a great way to remember someone fruitfully. We’re behind the initiative completely and plan to send his best friend, who’s in the same program, to the ceremony.”

Coskun was well-liked, says Heuberger. “He was a very cheerful and fun person. All trainees are close friends, and we’re still overwhelmed and sad he passed away. It feels good to express those feelings this way.”