Ecology is an upper level course covering the interactions between organisms and their environment. These interactions determine the presence and abundance of species in nature. This is a broad topic that has important ramifications for biology, medicine, and many other disciplines (and general life). I consider this to be an important course for students, as it encourages them to think about the world and its species in different ways. I teach this course every spring and every other summer. The 2013 syllabus is available here. Click here for a great video from one of the ecology group projects (warning: contains dead stuff). Ecology students examining an Eastern Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) |  Ecology students capturing fish in Alum Creekn n |