Franks Mayancha was born and grew up in an indigenous Runa village in the  Ecuadorian Amazon. His community, Sarayaku, is also called Dutzi Llacta in Amazonian Kichwa, or “Village where the sun is in the middle of the sky”. He grew up with his grandparents who taught him about medicinal plants, hunting and fishing, and how to live well with others. As an adult, he lived in Italy, France, the UK, and Germany. He often thinks about the differences between the culture he grew up in and the cultures he has encountered during his time in Europe. He is interested in reflecting how such differences shape people´s experiences of the natural world and interpersonal relationships. Within the Learning Natures project, he is in charge of research and outreach activities in the Ecuadorian Amazon.