New Page: Children and Nature Masterclass

Directors: Mojtaba Mirtahmasb, Mehdi Ganji/ Project Investor and Advisor: Pejman Danaei/ Researchers: Hadis Rahmani, Kamal Aghaei/ Art Director: Amir Esbati/ Editor: Hamila Moayed/ Cinematography Director: Mohammad Haddadi/ Sound Recordist: Farid Pirayesh/ Music: Reza Mortazavi/ Sound Designer and Mixer: Amirhossein Ghasemi/ Graphic Design and Execution: Mohammad Zamani/ Image Coloring: Hamidreza Fatourechian, Borna Jamshidi (Zedenoor Studio)/ Trailer: Foaad Khaknezhad/ Photography: Mitra Mahasani/ Line Producer: Sadaf Sadeghianpour/ Assistant Directors: Sadaf Sadeghianpour, Hadis Rahmani/ Camera Crew: Saeed Goodarzi, Emad Arad, Araz Razz, Ebrahim Mirzaei/ Assistant Stage Managers: Hedieh Idloo, Mohammad Asgharpour/ Assistant Editor: Mehrnoush Vesali/ Assistant Sound Designer: Mahoor Mirshakkak/ Production Manager: Sonia Farhaddabadi/ Producer: Mojtaba Mirtahmasb/ Produced at: “Kara Film Studio”

Introduction of the Course Instructor, Abdol-hossein Vahabzadeh

Abdol-hossein Vahabzadeh was born on September 28, 1946, in Sabzevar. He attended primary and high school in his hometown and in 1966, he entered the College of Agriculture at Gundeshapur University of Ahvaz, graduating in 1970. In 1972, after completing his military service, he went to the United States for further studies and obtained a master's degree in Biology and Ecology from Iowa State University. After returning to Iran, he worked as an instructor at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, teaching biology and ecology to students. In 1978, he pursued his PhD at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland under the supervision of David Lack, a famous British ecologist and ornithologist. His dissertation was on “Laughing dove Ecology in Urban Environments”. However, after returning Iran to work on his dissertation, Iran’s 1979 revolution and the passing of his supervisor, his studies were left incomplete.

Afterwards, Vahabzadeh dedicated years to teaching at the university and engaged in translating and writing books at the same time. He has published more than 25 books. He eventually left teaching to focus entirely on his idea, which he believes is the root cause of today's generation's challenges: childhood. He then focused on the world of children and, as a result of his tireless effort, the 'Nature School' was born. In the past decade, despite numerous challenges, he continues to promote his idea through the “Nature School”.

In 2017, Vahabzadeh received the National Environmental Award of Iran for the establishment and promotion of the ‘Nature School”. He has also received the Promotion of Science Award (2015), the Environmental Book of the Year Award for the book “Children and Nature: Lessons of the Nature School” (2014), the 11th Book of the Season Award along with the Book of the Year Award for the book “Ecology: An Empirical Study of Distribution and Abundance” (2009), Mehragan Award for the book “Biodiversity”, and the Book of the Year Award for the book “Sociobiology: A Modern Synthesis” (2006), as well as the National Environmental Award of Iran (2005) and the Book of the Year Award for the book “Introduction to Behavioral Ecology” (1995) among his other achievements.