The course will focus on the natural history of California. Over the course of the semester you will study the distribution and characteristics of different communities and habitats which exist in California. The most common inhabitants of these communities will be introduced to you with the help of lectures, labs and field trips. At the end of the course you should be able to recognize these communities, and be somewhat familiar with the life histories of these organisms. A major theme of the course is to understand the complexity and fragility of these communities. Important environmental aspects will be introduced.  Natural history is an exciting discipline and it is my hope that you will have a lot of fun as you learn a fair amount of the life forms that surround you.