This course serves as a core course for Masters students in the Ecosystem Science and Management specialization. The course builds broad knowledge on a range of current topics in ecology, earth sciences and conservation. Topics range from citizen science to data integration, from forests to fishes, from genetics to populations, communities and ecosystems. Students will have the opportunity to interact with top scientists in their field and evaluate research at the frontiers of conservation ecology. Students in this course will examine how science is communicated in the literature and in public seminars. The course explores how research is shared, collaborations are developed and how the cross-pollination of ideas between labs, universities and practitioners improves conservation. This course will prepare students to assess the state of knowledge on applied topics, to identify gaps and evaluate recent developments and to translate science to audiences. These practices are continually refined in both academic and nonacademic careers in our field.