27. Becca Katz — Good-Natured Learning: Reconnecting Classrooms with the Living World

Becca Katz — educator, writer, & co-founder of Good Natured Learning.

For more than twenty years, Becca has taught in classrooms both walled and wild — from modular units in strip malls to expeditions in the Arctic and the Andes. She’s spent 300+ days leading wilderness expeditions, experiences that led her to ask a powerful question:

How can nearly 8 billion people build heart-level connections with nature if most of us aren’t going on multi-day wilderness treks?

That question became the seed for Good Natured Learning, an organization working to weave meaningful connections with nature into everyday learning — in every subject, every classroom, and every community.

The problem they’re tackling is enormous: Despite the well-documented benefits of nature for wellbeing, learning, & stewardship of the planet, 1.5 billion students and 81 million teachers spend their school days almost entirely indoors.

Becca and her colleagues believe reconnecting students with nature doesn’t require grand adventures. Instead, they take what she calls an “apple-a-day” approach: small daily moments of connection to the natural world woven into teaching and learning. Through year-long educator fellowships, nature-rich school design, and communities of practice, Good Natured Learning helps teachers bring nature into their classrooms in ways that strengthen both learning and wellbeing.

Becca is also a widely published writer, with work appearing in Edutopia, Chalkbeat, and her Substack Learning, by Nature. She holds a B.A. in History and an M.S. in Earth Systems from Stanford University, and recently shared her vision on the TEDx stage, inspiring audiences to imagine schools where connection to the natural world is not an add-on — but an essential part of education.

Most importantly, Becca is a leader who brings her many many talents & skills for social good.

In this episode we explore:

• Why connection to nature matters for both learning and wellbeing
• How teachers can integrate nature into any subject — even indoors
• The idea of “heart-level” connection with the natural world
• What wilderness expeditions taught Becca about leadership and learning
• Why small daily practices can transform school culture
• How educators can help students develop a sense of care for the planet

Links & Resources

Good Natured Learning

https://www.goodnaturedlearning.org/

Becca Katz - (Substack)

https://beccakatz.substack.com/

Becca’s TEDx Talk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI2CbTehe54