Sustaining the theory-data cycle is critical for the maturation of a scientific field. Ecology is unique among the scientific disciplines as it requires not only continuous feedback between empirical and theoretical research, but also acknowledgement of context-dependencies that obstruct the identification of universal ecological laws. These context-dependencies can arise due to interspecific variation in organismal form, habitat, and behavior; topics which fall under the purview of natural history. In this talk I will present two empirical tests of formal ecological theory — first on general dynamics of ecosystem development and then on the role of environmental fluctuations in species coexistence — during which I outline the importance of natural history in guiding every aspect of these studies, from the selection of focal organisms to the interpretation of data. I will also outline how an otherwise utilitarian approach to choosing a study system can veer into new, exciting research questions when pairing fundamental experiments with natural history observation. I will conclude my talk with discussion on how 'next-generation' natural history — including some approaches we are currently employing in our research group — can support further the development and tests of ecological theory.