According to the document, Americans within the last few generations have changed their way of living from rural to urban life; are enjoying higher living standards; and, in the process, have polluted the natural environment through improper planning and lack of environmental education. It is believed that the human relationship to the environment represents one of this century's greatest changes and one of education's most serious challenges. It is noted that there is a need to awaken an entire new generation of citizens, planners, developers, engineers, and scientists to the idea that mankind is but a part of the environment and that what affects the environment will also affect mankind profoundly. It is felt that a well-developed school site functioning as an outdoor classroom can be of real value in enriching the curriculum and providing for educational and recreational experiences throughout the child's school years, in addition to serving as extensions of the indoor classroom. The main body of the document is focused on school-site learning experiences as a vital part of a total environmental education program, and procedural steps for developing an outdoor laboratory and how to use one are included in the document. (EL)