Martina grew up by the Mura river and is particularly attached to it. During her studies, she devoted a lot of time to beavers along the Mura and its side channels. What she admires most about these animals is their ability to change the environment, and she has been educating people about beavers’ important role in the environment for years. She enjoys field work, whether it’s an otter, beaver or bird census. Until the field work completely took over her, she wanted to become a biology teacher, so she is very happy to present aquatic biodiversity to children and adults. When not in the field, she takes care of her cat family, in which there is always room for new rough sleepers.
After 20 years of editorial job, a founder and ideological leader of a private institution undertook the protection of nature – with otter on the shield. Convinced that otter deserves a place on Noah’s Ark, at least as much as the three big beast, she cruised through storms of first 10 years behind the helm of the Institute Lutra. She takes care of new programs and projects and is responsible for contacts both at home and across borders and continents. All the work is intertwined with green thread: the popularization and promotion of the otter as ambassador preserved aquatic ecosystems, from rivers to the water that flows from the tap. If not a biologist, she would certainly be a musician – music is a disconnection, the comfort, companionship and new energy, when the pressure of headstrong mayors and diverse type of “right now” tasks are too hard.
Director of the Institute Lutra, former Professor of subject Ecology, wildlife and hunting-economic planning at the Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources at Biotechnical Faculty in Ljubljana, has in retirement even more sharply sharpened its spears and vocabulary. He shows no mercy to thoughtless planners nor to state bureaucrats, what we often feel bitter in fight for tenders. But we are glad for that. Nature did not select us for the defenders, but we chose nature because it is too often an exploited victim. Therefore, we follow strictly considered professional and scientific knowledge and high ethical standards set by director.