The course is an introduction to field identification, natural history, and study of plants, animals, and natural systems and emphasizes the interaction of students with nature, the recording of ecological phenomena, and advancing student awareness and understanding of the natural environment, including ecological concepts (e.g., ecosystem, community, habitat, and niche). Students work cooperatively in hands-on field lab exercises to build skills in the identification and classification of native biota and their natural history. Students conduct an independent field research project in which they formulate research questions from field observations, develop a sampling plan, collect field data, and interpret those data for a research report/presentation. Students maintain a detailed electronic field journal of natural history observations from field labs and independent observations.