Hossein Vahabzadeh Information

Abdolhossein Vahabzadeh (born September 29, 1947, in Sabzevar, Iran) is a prominent Iranian ecologist, educator, environmentalist, and author. He is widely recognized as a pioneer in nature-based education and the founder of the Nature School (Madrese-ye Tabi’at) initiative in Iran. Over the past four decades, he has contributed extensively to environmental thought, ecological education, and cultural approaches to nature conservation.

Education and Academic Career

Vahabzadeh completed his primary and secondary education in Sabzevar. He earned his bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Jundi Shapur University in Ahvaz. After fulfilling his military service, he taught at high school before continuing his studies abroad. In 1972, he moved to the United States and received a Master’s degree in Biological Sciences and Ecology from Iowa State University.

In 1978, he began a Ph.D. program in ecology at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, focusing on the urban ecology of the domestic dove. However, due to the Iranian Revolution, academic disruptions, and the death of his advisor, he was unable to complete his doctoral studies. Upon returning to Iran, he began teaching ecology and environmental science at various universities for over 40 years.

He is currently the director of a private ecological research institute and is a member of the Education Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Nature School Initiative

Abdolhossein Vahabzadeh is the visionary behind Nature Schools in Iran, an initiative inspired by global models of free-play and outdoor education. Rooted in a critique of formal environmental education, his idea encourages children to engage with nature freely and experientially.

The first Nature School was founded in Mashhad, and the model quickly spread to over 70 locations across Iran, including Tehran, Esfahan, Qeshm, Chalous, Hamadan, and Karaj. Despite a government-ordered shutdown of these schools in 2019, the movement left a lasting legacy in Iranian education and environmental activism.

Awards and Recognitions

• National Environmental Award of Iran – 2005, 2017
• Mehregan Science Award for the book Biodiversity – 2006
• Book of the Season Award – 2009
• Iran’s Book of the Year Award – 2010
• Iran’s Award for Promoting Science – 2015
• Environmental Educator of the Year – Shahid Beheshti University, 2017
• Recognized as one of Iran’s 30 Environmental Stewards – by Tehran Municipality, 2008

Publications

Vahabzadeh is the author and translator of over 25 books and has published more than 10,000 pages of influential works on ecology, environment, and nature education. Some of his key titles include:

• Silent Spring
• Design with Nature
• Ecology: The Subversive Science
• The State of the World 1994 & 1998
• Biodiversity
• How Much Is Enough?
• Environmental Ethics: Foundations and Essays
• Ecology: Experimental Study of Distribution and Abundance (Book of the Year 2010)
• Introduction to Behavioral Ecology
• Sociobiology: The New Synthesis
• Environmental Education for Children: Nature and Child
• The Dragon of Eden
• In the Shadow of Man (by Jane Goodall, co-translated)
• Nature and the Young Child
• The Birthright: Humanity and Nature in Today’s World

His work Nature and the Child: The Nature School Curriculum was awarded the Environmental Education Book of the Year by the Iranian Department of Environment in 2014.

Public Engagement and Thought

In 2023, Vahabzadeh offered an 18-part online masterclass on the “Child and Nature” through the educational platform Safheh No. He explored topics such as child development, free learning, play, facilitation, and the psychological, social, and cultural value of connecting children with nature.

Vahabzadeh’s unique contribution lies in integrating ecological science with cultural critique, advocating for a worldview that sees environmental degradation as a symptom of broader cultural and educational disconnection. His influence has shaped a new generation of Iranian environmental educators and activists.