As part of our new #YourStoryOurFuture campaign, we recently sat down to chat with 2019 #Y4N Storyteller, Iryna Kondratenko. Iryna, author of Beavers Save the Planet, told us about her work monitoring beavers in a national park and the positive impact these beaver habitats are having on local surface and ground water supplies, supporting healthy ecosystems and more sustainable local agriculture.
Listen to this full length interview with Iryna to hear more about her project, the benefits of sharing her story with the #Y4N community, and why she thinks it's important for other youth to get involved in climate action.
More about our #YourStoryOurFuture campaign on our storytelling webpage.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
[00:00:00] Kaluki: Hey everyone. Thanks for joining us today. My name is Kaluki Paul Mutuku and I am with Youth4Nature as the Regional Director for Africa, and today I'm here interviewing Iryna for our #YourStoryOurFuture campaign. Iryna is one of the storytellers from our 2019/2020 storytelling campaign and as we're just a few weeks away from launching our next storytelling campaign, we thought this would be an amazing chance for us to highlight some of our favourite stories from the last year.
[00:00:33] We also wanted to check in with some of the storytellers from the previous campaign on what they've been up to since last year, if there are any updates to their stories and much more. So maybe let's get right to it. Iryna, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
[00:00:50] Iryna: Yeah. Hi everyone. I'm glad to participate in this interview.
[00:00:54] So, my name is Iryna. I am from Ukraine. I live in Kyiv/Kiev, the capitol city. I grew up in a little town, so connection with nature meant a lot to me since childhood. Now I live in a city and I work as a sustainability consultant. In my work I assist business in addressing various issues related to sustainable development and climate change through sustainable reporting, insurance, greenhouse gas accounting, et cetera.
[00:01:29] But also, I do some volunteering work aside from my main job. Mainly it's, a natural volunteer in, in national park, which my story is about. For me, mainly, my work is a way to fulfill my desire to contribute, to building a sustainable economy and volunteering is my, like personal thing that I just love to do.
[00:01:58] Kaluki: Wow. Well, so inspiring already. And what a way to end it, that at the end of the day, sustainability is what matters and is what should define mankind. And just out of what you just mentioned about your story, I want us to get deeper into it. Quick, can you tell us a bit about your story, what climate or nature problems it's addressing, and how?
[00:02:20] Iryna: So what we did about-in this volunteering is that we helped, the workers of national natural park to monitors population of beavers. It may seem not that important, but actually it's very important because beavers helped to maintain ecosystem in a balanced way. This experience was very insightful and inspiring for me, firstly, because I actually saw the interconnection of different ecosystem elements and how the small change can lead to huge consequences.
[00:03:00] For example, the presence of beavers in the ecosystem helps to maintain the proper level of surface water and ground water, which in turn helps to keep forests healthy. Nature is already designed in the most harmonious way. And sometimes the effective management of environmental issues requires people just help nature heal itself.
[00:03:24] So I guess what we did helped to address such normal problems as deforestation, weaken trees and forests, and also dehydration of lands that weakens crops. People use a lot of ecosystem services and their living, their quality of their life and their crops depends on the proper level of water in the ecosystem.
[00:03:55] So beavers just help to do that, even if people don't realize it!
[00:04:04] Kaluki: I do love that. Thank you. Thank you so much for that. And I think reading your story was so inspiring and, you know, just seeing how you link this, you know, the aspect of beavers linking or helping retain surface waters but also increased more groundwater. And that is one of the lessons that you said - that beavers are actually nature's architects. And I think that was a very strong statement. I'm wondering out of your volunteering, um, like what has happened since you first submitted your story at Youth4Nature?
[00:04:38] Iryna: I just thought that the story was worth sharing! It was really like eye opening for me. And I just wanted, I just wanted to tell it to more people. I think that things are not that huge enough, so that not a lot of people talk about it, but actually it's very important. Really small details like beavers in some villages they really help to fight climate change. And it's like worth hearing and talking about it.
[00:05:16] Kaluki: Indeed. And, again, your role in volunteer really coming in clearly and just showing the power of young people.
[00:05:24] My next question is I wanted to know from you, why you think it's important for youth in the climate-nature movements to share their stories.
[00:05:33] Iryna: It's important to talk about it so that other people get inspired to participate in such things. I guess people should know what, what is important to do and what opportunities they have to make a change.
[00:05:50] Kaluki: And storytelling is a very big part of human societies and I can't agree with you more. Then how do you think people can help you, uh, you know, with your work for climate and nature? I know you say that you will, you volunteering a lot with the, you know, national nature park and really you have a very strong connection to nature and helping bring solutions.
[00:06:13] Iryna: Um, I guess first thing is spreading awareness of environmental issues and ways to help address these environmental issues. This national park is one of the parks that do really great work. And I think more people should know the local opportunities to help this small parks that have really passionate people working there, just helping them to make a greater change.
[00:06:54] Kaluki: That's amazing. That's amazing things Iryna for that. And, um, and how as young people, we also have, um, you know, challenges even as we are contributing to these stories and as we are contributing to, you know, working in different environmental and climate spaces within our reach. Right. But I also know that online platforms are really helping us break these gaps and create an opportunity for us to also, you know, like engage more. So maybe a specific question to you would be now, what, what was the benefit of you publishing your story on our story-map?
[00:07:33] Iryna: I guess the benefit for me, it is that I felt that I shared have something important and maybe people just realize that there are a lot of other ways to help fight climate change, except some obvious ways. I hope that other people just get inspired by my story and story of other people that shared it through your website.
[00:08:02] Kaluki: That's, that's great. That's great. And, along those lines, you know, we do have other such stories like you as well. We have animals creating an opening up and designing nature to be in harmony in all aspects. Another question about, you know, how it, the action that you showcased can be implemented in other parts of the world. Do you see any links - or not - beavers are doing in Ukraine to maybe how, if that could be implemented in other parts of the world?
[00:08:36] Iryna: Um, I guess my story about beavers is a great example of natural bio-solutions that can be implemented in many regions, in many ecosystems because it's not only beavers, I guess there are a lot of other examples how some living creatures, in small ways can, just help to maintain ecosystem healthy and balanced.
[00:09:03] I think that it's just a great idea to watch the nature, to learn natural processes, to watch how nature functions, how ecosystems heals itself, uh, and just to learn from it and just to help ecosystems to function in a balanced way.
[00:09:26] Kaluki: Yeah, it's true. And just as we come to a close with this, in one sentence, Iryna, what would be your message for other youth out there?
[00:09:37] Iryna: My message would be: it's our generation and generation of our children that will be living in the, in this future world with increasingly complex environmental issues. And it just our responsibility to care about our future, including environmental issues, fighting climate action. Because it's about our future, our quality of life and about our ability to live happily in the future. So I would encourage every young person to join environmental discussions, environmental actions, and to participate in creating the world that we all will be living in together.
[00:10:35] Kaluki: Indeed. Indeed. Thank you so much. And lastly, where can people learn more about your project or follow your work?
[00:10:43] Iryna: Actually it's an opportunity that is organized by my company and it gathers volunteers together. So this opportunity is widely published in social media. And also, uh, I just try to share this experience in Facebook. I am also fond of taking photos of nature. I often post some photos of nature in my social accounts. So just sharing my impressions.
[00:11:24] Kaluki: Alright and no worries. And thank you so much. Just a round of very quick questions as we get to tone this down a bit. Just feel free to answer with one word or short and I'll ask a few questions. First - what's your favourite place in the world, Iryna?
[00:11:43] Iryna: Oh, it's a tricky question. I guess my favourite place in the world is my- is a forest in my, hometown because it's where I spent a lot of time in childhood with my family. Um, and it is what was close to me and what taught me to love nature. So I guess it's like my home.
[00:12:14] Kaluki: Yeah. Wow. Great. And your favourite fruit or vegetable?
[00:12:20] Iryna: Hmm, I guess it's apple, uh, because we have a lot of apples in Ukraine and they are very healthy. I would say I love apples!
[00:12:32] Kaluki: Yes. Um, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Right?! And then what are you deeply grateful for right now?
[00:12:42] Iryna: Right now in pandemic world, I am really grateful to just be safe and be with my close people, with my family. I'm grateful that I still have the opportunity to enjoy nature, to enjoy walks in parks and just to be inspired by it!
[00:13:12] Kaluki: Wow, I think I do miss that - I personally want to get out to nature. And the next one, someone who inspires you in the, in the climate or nature world?
[00:13:25] Iryna: All the activists that speak up and have courage to raise important issues. I think just all of them inspiring me to do something also.
[00:13:44] Kaluki: Yes. I agree with you, that you know, everyone inspires us in different ways and what are good way to end that. Wow, thank you so much, Iryna, for joining me today. It was such a pleasure to chat with you and to hear about, um, what has been going on since you submitted your story on our 2019-2020 storytelling campaign.
[00:14:06] If you're watching or listening, don't forget to follow along with our new storytelling campaign, #YourStoryOurFuture. We have many more stories, workshops, takeovers to share with you. But for now, we'll say see you later.
[00:14:20] Iryna: Yes, thank you!
[00:14:23] Text on screen reads: learn more about Iryna’s story at the link below.
[00:14:27] Text on screen reads: Follow #YourStoryOurFuture and find more stories at: youth4nature.org/storytelling