Gerard Leonard and Kathleen Allen describe a variety of nature experiences as a part of the Montessori elementary tradition, beginning with a warning about the way contemporary life constrains children's experience of nature. Through a lyrical rendering of the nature-based expressions of children, Leonard and Allen look at a variety of approaches to nature study through the senses, the enrichment of gardening, daily journals of nature observations, poetry writing, bird watching, biographies of natural scientists, drawing, use of the microscope, and classification. Finally, they present a list of curriculum inclusions for the elementary, with concluding remarks summarizing the role and uniqueness of studying the "book of nature." [Reprinted from "The NAMTA Journal" 33,3 (2008, Summer): 81-97. This talk was presented at The Fourth Adolescent Colloquium, Chicago, IL, April 24-27, 2008.]