Global Conversations: Nature, Place, and Education
Wed Jan 21 2026
We share brief presentations from the first of the “Saturday Salons” that Ethical Schools is sponsoring with three international partners. Juan Mora of the Center for Artistry and Scholarship and Ramji Raghavan of Agastya International Foundation talk about how educators and communities can cultivate awareness of and relationship to the natural world.
Learn more and register for the next salon at globalconversations.net
Overview
00:00-01:36 Introductions by Amy and Jon
01:36-02:45 Introduction of Juan Mora by David Penberg
02:45-12:36 Juan Mora:
Separation of people from nature;
What would you do if you were starting a school from zero?
Experience in Córdoba, Argentina of basing a school on nature;
Integrating the curriculum into nature-centered activities;
And kids never asked, “Why are we doing this (activity)?”
We’ve left nature out of our learning environments;
A shift in learning that will help us understand how to teach and what to teach and where to teach differently.
12:36-14:09 David Penberg:
Reciprocity, centrality of relationships, “nature deficit disorder”;
Introduction of Ramji Raghavan
14:09-23:59 Ramji Raghavan:
Transforming a barren wasteland of 170 acres into an ecological preserve;
Nature-centric learning;
Eco-walk;
Constructing a giant figure showing herbs benefiting different parts of the body;
Constructing a termite hill;
Bandhu—everything is connected;
Distributing learnings throughout India.
23:59-25:15 David Penberg:
How educators can create conditions for people to think the kinds of worlds that they would like to inhabit and live in, whether it’s a school, a community;
Creative learning and what that looks like, creative being;
Being intentional, observant and continuously in relationship to the things around you.
25:15- Outro
Transcript
Click here to see the full transcription of this conversation.
Soundtrack by Poddington Bear
More
We share brief presentations from the first of the “Saturday Salons” that Ethical Schools is sponsoring with three international partners. Juan Mora of the Center for Artistry and Scholarship and Ramji Raghavan of Agastya International Foundation talk about how educators and communities can cultivate awareness of and relationship to the natural world. Learn more and register for the next salon at globalconversations.net Overview 00:00-01:36 Introductions by Amy and Jon 01:36-02:45 Introduction of Juan Mora by David Penberg 02:45-12:36 Juan Mora: Separation of people from nature; What would you do if you were starting a school from zero? Experience in Córdoba, Argentina of basing a school on nature; Integrating the curriculum into nature-centered activities; And kids never asked, “Why are we doing this (activity)?” We’ve left nature out of our learning environments; A shift in learning that will help us understand how to teach and what to teach and where to teach differently. 12:36-14:09 David Penberg: Reciprocity, centrality of relationships, “nature deficit disorder”; Introduction of Ramji Raghavan 14:09-23:59 Ramji Raghavan: Transforming a barren wasteland of 170 acres into an ecological preserve; Nature-centric learning; Eco-walk; Constructing a giant figure showing herbs benefiting different parts of the body; Constructing a termite hill; Bandhu—everything is connected; Distributing learnings throughout India. 23:59-25:15 David Penberg: How educators can create conditions for people to think the kinds of worlds that they would like to inhabit and live in, whether it’s a school, a community; Creative learning and what that looks like, creative being; Being intentional, observant and continuously in relationship to the things around you. 25:15- Outro Transcript Click here to see the full transcription of this conversation. Soundtrack by Poddington Bear