This paper discusses the concept of "primal landscapes" as a way of conceptualising the interactions between children and the environments they grow up in. The paper discusses this concept drawing on empirical research conducted in the field of human geography on how people learn about their environments. The research employed a qualitative inductive methodology and involved interviews with 40 participants across two rural case studies in north Queensland, Australia. Based on these case studies, the paper discusses three main findings for environmental education. First, the paper draws attention to the importance of experiential learning during the "concrete operations" phase of childhood development. Second, the paper emphasises the importance of involving elders and family in environmental education. Third, the paper shows that opportunities for adult place-based environmental education include festivals and reflecting on natural hazards, such as floods and fires. (Contains 1 table.)