We participated in the international conference Nature as a Teacher in Prague
The international conference Nature as a Teacher, which took place in Prague, Czechia, on 19 and 20 June 2025, was attended by curator Mateja Ribarič and retired curator Dr Branko Šuštar. At the J. A. Comenius National Pedagogical Museum and Library, lecturers from eight European countries explored the inclusion of nature in education throughout history and in the present day.
During the opening session of the two-day conference, the Director of the Pedagogical Museum and the Director of the Czech Historical Institute welcomed all participants. The experts then presented 30 papers in two thematic sessions, discussing the historical development of school gardens as well as their importance in education today.
Curator Mateja Ribarič presented a paper entitled Nature’s Classroom: The School Garden Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, focusing on the beginnings of school gardens in Slovenian schools, their current state, and their importance. She also presented the educational programmes designed to accompany the exhibition, as well as publications.
Dr Branko Šuštar, a retired curator from the Slovenian School Museum, gave a presentation on the importance of school gardens in the first half of the 20th century based on articles from the educational magazine Popotnik.
At the end of the conference, the organisers took the participants on a tour of the gardens under Prague Castle and to the Bees in the School Garden exhibition, which uses imaginative interactions to showcase effective pedagogical approaches.
Photo: Národní pedagogické muzeum J. A. Komenského