How D and D Can Help with Environmental Education Through Immersive Learning

D and D can help with environmental education by creating immersive, story-driven learning experiences that engage students on a deeper level. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Andrew Thaler, who’s using Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) to teach environmental concepts in a way that feels more like play than a lesson. Through world-building, role-playing, and strategic storytelling, students aren’t just learning—they’re adventuring through ecosystems, facing climate-related challenges, and discovering how natural systems work in real time.

Environmental education is often limited to textbooks and lectures, but D&D turns abstract concepts into living, breathing quests. Whether it’s battling pollution monsters or restoring magical coral reefs, players develop a better understanding of ecological relationships and environmental issues while having fun. If you’re a teacher, game master, or environmental advocate, this episode will show you how fantasy and education can combine to create a lasting impact in and out of the classroom.

Campaign: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/505687/The-Last-Hunt-for-the-Jabberwock

Maps: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/505688/The-Last-Hunt-for-the-Jabberwock-Big-Pack-of-Maps

 

SFS Articles: https://www.southernfriedscience.com/10-tips-for-running-a-dungeons-dragons-campaign-for-education/

https://www.southernfriedscience.com/hunt-the-jabberwock-defend-the-warren-save-the-forest-a-dd-5e-adventure-for-environmental-educators/

https://www.southernfriedscience.com/twas-brillig-building-a-dungeons-dragons-campaign-for-adventurers-in-and-out-of-the-classroom/

 

Discount code: https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?discount=943bb77e1f

 

Follow a career in conservation: https://www.conservation-careers.com/online-training/ Use the code SUFB to get 33% off courses and the careers program.

 

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