About

How it all started

My interest in environmental sciences started with a research paper in graduate school about the vanishing Aral Sea. The story of this environmental catastrophe touched me so deeply that I changed my mind about becoming an interpreter or language teacher. I knew that I want to explore the relationships between humans and nature and to contribute to harmonising them. Therefore, I earned a master’s degree in sustainable resource management and started a career as an environmental project manager.

Professionally, I have supported various environmental initiatives, including high-profile international projects (you can check my LinkedIn profile for more details). This is an extremely exciting yet quite challenging profession. When working on projects of water resources management, climate change, and biodiversity conservation, one cannot avoid the same troubling questions. Why do we often treat nature so harshly? Do we not notice what we are doing, or do we not foresee the consequences? Do we lack the skill to appreciate the countless benefits that nature is providing?

Towards a more sustainable world: What can I do?

I am sure that “repairing the damage”, i.e., dealing with the consequences of our negative impact on the environment, is not the only way forward. I also believe in changing things for the better by preventing unsustainable behaviour and short-sighted decisions. That is how my initiative NaPrirode evolved.

Awareness raising through communication

In my blog, I share my thoughts and knowledge about the environment, focusing on the interconnectedness between its elements and processes. For example, check out my notes on urban biodiversity. I also write about the challenges of nature conservation and other environmental issues affecting us on a daily basis and reflect on how we could deal with them. I am also a freelance author writing for the magazine Bei uns in Hamburg.

Guided tours

The current stop on my long-lasting German journey is Hamburg. The city impresses me with its abundance of water and green spaces – a promising combination for living nature. And the city definitely offers a lot for those who want to spend time outdoors. I invite you on a journey through Hamburg – to explore its natural treasures together.

My offers include several guided tours suitable for locals and tourists, for families and individuals of all ages. I offer these tours in Russian and English. One of my aims is to encourage more foreigners who live in Germany to gain a real connection with their current natural environment, understand it better, enjoy it, and care for it more.

Education

For many years, I have been involved in environmental awareness raising and education for sustainable development because these are prerequisites for real change. For example, in my student times together with a group of like-minded young people we were giving lessons about ecological footprint at schools, organised a summer camp for children and peer-to-peer educational activities for students. Later on, I helped develop educational programmes for working with schoolchildren in protected areas in Georgia. I strongly believe that environmental education should address diverse target groups. Therefore, these days I am working on the inclusion of non-German speakers into the local “green” agenda.

Consultancy

I am happy to support other environmental and educational projects, inter alia by providing professional support and consultancy services. Let’s join our efforts to make a positive difference (and avoid any negative changes)!

Contact me

If you want to explore Hamburg with me, work together on developing and implementing educational or nature conservation projects, or have any questions – feel free to contact me!