This course will introduce students to the structure of earth's ecosystems and to environmental issues, past and present from a biological science perspective. Students will be able to perceive and interpret the relative health of environmental systems, and to connect this to the role of humans in sustaining life on earth. To reach this understanding, students will read classic environmental literature as well as current environmental literature. The course will include discussions, field trips and guest speakers as well as student involvement in a campus or local environmental effort. During this course students will be encouraged to recognize that their lives are dependent upon the environment, and that their personal decisions affect the entire natural world. Graded only.