Author:
Green Steps
Short summary:
Meet Milla Berezutskaya, a ESC-volunteer of Green Steps who has a diverse role in digital and environmental dimensions. In this interview, Milla shares insights into her daily routine, unknown facts, and her journey from Barnaul City to joining Green Steps. Discover how her passion for sustainability, language skills, and artistic interests converged to contribute meaningfully to the organization's mission.
● Do you have a Nickname?
Yeah, my full name is Liudmila, but I prefer Milla as it is what I've been used to since childhood.
● Explain to a stranger what you do for Green Steps?
When explaining to someone, I usually say my work is diverse, with digital and environmental aspects. I assist in gamified ecological education, which is Green Steps' main focus.
● What is your daily routine? What is something you like doing and your coworkers may not know about you?
My daily routine starts with planning and checking our timetable, so it is flexible based on events. I'm learning the technical side of the ARK platform and assisting in programming tasks. I translate occasionally in Russian, English, and German. I'm involved in local event planning, graphic design, writing, and mapping local trees. An unknown fact about me, is my participation in an online writing circle that introduced me into creating a "pantoum" poem about interconnectedness.
● Use less than 250 words to tell a story about yourself: starting from “where are you from” to the choice of joining Green Steps.
I'm from Barnaul City, where I studied Economics and Informatics for six years. During those years, I have been learning German and pursuing practical experience. An online Sustainable Development summer school led me to ESC program discovery, and my later focus was to find a program embracing sustainability and art interests. During the pandemic, I volunteered for a project aligned well with my digital and language skills and I wanted something similar for my future ESC-experience. Fortunately, I found it all at once in Green Steps, which I believe is a rare combination.
●Mention a book you read as a teenager that still tells something about you, and that you would still suggest reading.
As a teenager, I read adventure and detective books, but "The Time Machine of Koljka Spiridonov" by the Siberian author Mark Sergeev remains impactful. It raised issues of attentiveness and innovation. It resonated with my desire to be a problem-solver and explorer. I also recommend, for a grown-up audience, “The Wanderings of Belcampo" by the Dutch author Herman P. Schönfeld Wichers. It describes the early 20th-century struggles and adventures of an artist.
● How do you expect you and Green Steps to have an impact in the next few years? Close with a wish for the organization.
Looking ahead, I believe that both Green Steps and I can make a positive difference in the coming years. I see Green Steps as a place where new ideas and knowledge come together to bring about important changes.
Personally, I hope to help more people learn about their natural surroundings and develop a greater appreciation for nature. My wish for Green Steps is to receive the recognition and support it truly deserves for the valuable work it does.
