Molly wrote this article thirteen years ago. It is a fitting counterpart to the preface of this publicaton because it predicts the role of nature across the planes of education even before the Erdkinder was tested. The article combines contemporary environmentalists with Montessori's seminal insight into the developmental impact of nature on the child's personality. [Reprinted from "The NAMTA Journal" 25,1 (2000, Winter): 119-143. This article is based on a talk presented at the Twenty-Third International Montessori Congress, Cancun, Mexico, July 23-26, 1999.]