This post is written by X to my beloved dad or “the master of nature.”

I grew up in a natural and healthy environment. I grew up in a city whose views are breathtaking. I grew up being raised for “the master of nature” or – better to say –  my beloved dad. 

When it comes to my mind the desire to find when, where, and how my naturalistic passions began to kindle, I found my dad and our endless walks to the river and its surroundings nearby.

I was just a child but I can remember all the small but magic details that, after some years, turned me into the passionate lover of life who decided to become an environmental educator to help others love nature in the same way my dad taught me to do.

I was probably 6 years old when my dad started to take us – my mom, younger brother, and my dog – to the river nearby. Those walks were not only unforgettable but also full of adventure, lessons, and mainly nature. We needed to walk for at least 40 minutes to get to that magic place. I clearly remember how, even on the way, he would take the opportunity to explain to us about everything, my brother and I, saw: lively birds, colorful plants, naughty frogs, and so on. But the best part, undoubtedly, happened as soon as we arrived at the river bank, or better called, "our school of life." It seemed that my dad prepared a "lesson plan” for us because he always had a different topic and activities to develop each time. He explained to us about the vegetal community living there, the many “frog families,” some occasional dragonflies, and countless living beings; however, one of the most important facts of his “lessons” was that he always fostered a kind and emphatic approach to all forms of beings in this magical place.

Nowadays I affirm that it is not possible to synthesize how much I learned in those visits full of fun, approach, exploration and learning and how these moments were decisive in shaping my life in its fullest dimension.

The lessons that “the master of nature” wrote in my heart, mind, and soul are priceless. He may have not had formal knowledge of learning theories, behavioral theories, or the results of the latest research in pedagogy and environmental education but what he did changed my life for good.