Nimal Vaz takes us to the essentials of Montessori as an aid to life for all children, particularly children with special needs. She challenges teachers to truly provide experiences in nature: observing anthills, identifying bird nests, or taking an olfactory walk with a legally blind classmate. Finally, she demonstrates how a child's interest in practical life, math, language, sensorial, biology, botany, geology, and geography originates with direct experience in nature. [Reprinted from "The NAMTA Journal," 34, 2 (2009, Spring): 141-157. This talk was delivered at the NAMTA conference titled "Montessori Special Education II: A Contemporary Assessment," Atlanta, Georgia, January 22-25, 2009.]