There is a movement afoot in the nation--one that goes against the trend toward more testing, less recess, and too many standards to fit into the school day. This movement does not ignore standards; rather, it weaves the standards with the places and meanings that are ever-present outside of the classrooms. Place-based education connects students to their communities while they learn the standards in a lasting way. These projects range from simple community gardens to maintaining local fisheries. In this article, the author describes how a recaptured natural area on school grounds becomes an outdoor classroom where learning opportunities abound. (Contains 1 figure and 14 online resources.)