Abstract: In recent decades there has been a radical redefinition of the notion of text. This has resulted in the widespread acceptance of critical theory and discourse analysis as valid means of studying a wide range of social practices. It is less common practice to regard the physical world as text, though an argument can be constructed for so doing. Environmental education, however, is specifically concerned with human use of physical resources. It can be argued, therefore, that ′environment′ is, at least in part, a social construct and that textual studies offers a valid means of studying it.