This course explores the distribution and abundance of organisms and how living things interact with each other and with their environment. In this course, you will have the opportunity to learn about a vast array of ecological patterns and the processes that generate them. Topics include the maintenance of biodiversity, species interactions, disturbance dynamics, populations and demography, community organization, and global nutrient cycles, among many others. Through examples, inquiry-based activities, and data-driven lab explorations, we will apply these ecological principles to a variety of complex environmental problems that confront society today. You will also discover your own ecological relationships through an original research project using open environmental data. My overall goal as you navigate this course is that you will gain the foundational knowledge and tools that are helpful for critically evaluating global environmental challenges and finding solutions. Most importantly, I hope you complete this course with the fluency and confidence needed to continue building ecological knowledge through a lifetime of learning about and tending to our world.