It's no secret that many school programs don't give children enough opportunity to explore the natural world--i.e., to "mess about" and to have firsthand experience with nature and animals. Not so at the Muscota New School in New York City! This innovative public elementary school actively promotes inquiry-based learning and encourages teachers to use creative methods in the classroom to help children study the natural world around them. In this article, we share the experience of a teacher and her students over the course of two years (kindergarten and first grade) as they explored nature through direct observation of animals in the classroom, child-centered inquiry science, and school-sponsored field trips. As the years progressed, so did students' learning. Not only did students develop scientific literacy and communication skills, they also deepened their understanding of their environment. (Contains 2 figures.)