This was particularly in-depth on the sciences of ecology, and having it based around a particular conservation project made it easier to follow each progressive lecture and concept that was explored.

It was a very informative course giving in depth knowledge about ecology. The lecturers conducting the course have been amazing with their work. Thanks a lot to the entire crew.

I really enjoyed the course. It gave me excellent tools to approach my reasearch.

Very interesting course, presented in a really accessible form especially to students without prior knowledge in Ecology. Just the correct mix between general ideas and theories vs deeper rigorous and mathematical concepts.

Absolutely incredible course. I have never liked online classes but have learned so much from this one! Despite my beginner knowledge of ecology, the concepts were very easy to understand and I attribute that entirely to the way the course is designed.

The professor's essays that you read are engaging and filled with practical real-world examples to apply the theories to. It even features pictures scattered throughout so the reading doesn't seem too dense - instead just like reading a cool article on Nat Geo. Afterwards, there is an engaging video (documentary or nature short film) that repeats the vocabulary learned in the essay, followed by a university lecture video with field experts who repeat the same concepts and show varying theories and experiments pertaining to it. The information is circulated throughout these materials so that concepts are solidified and taking the multiple choice test becomes very easy!

Thank you for creating such a dynamic and engaging course!

I was looking for a course that could help me understand how scientists think about ecological problems, and I had not expected such a wonderful exposé of how younger ambitious scientists physically and mathematically test their hypotheses about what is going on in the field in order to answer their own questions about any given aspect of environment and its ecological puzzles. I was particularly blown away by the work transitioning field data and a few basic assumptions into algebraic expressions, extraordinarily impressive. But I'll admit that I had to play the videos a couple of times to get the transpositions and logic.

I would like to thank all the researchers who participated in making this wonderful course! Started in a simple way, the classes then gradually presented more complex and in-sight issues and gave detailed explanation to ecological definitions in a most comprehensive manner. Given examples helped complete the understanding of different ecological situations. I enjoyed the documentaries and lectures of all researchers. Now I wish to one day visit Gorongosa National Park, as well as meet all these researchers who work so hard to conserve the nature of our home, Earth! Thank you again! Best wishes!

I have watched some videos of Gorongosa, specially how the elephants had to adapt to post war conditions. This course provided a wonderful summary of all the changes to date and related how the concepts of Ecology can be applied to a real-world scenario. This course assisted me to get a broader understanding of Ecology - ecosystem dynamics and conservation - which will support my volunteer training work for an organisation providing skills to potential new Nature Guides in South Africa. A great learning experience!

I as a Biologist, think tha this type of courses can make that a lot of persons understaning the importance of the biodiversity and the role of the humanity on the global dynamics. In the other hand, I belive that the course is so wonderful, because it is show the essencial part of the biology in a practice form. Therefore, it´s help us to see in a holystic form, how is the work in other parts in the world, the problemaics and the possibles solution that the scientist use. Congratulations!

Amazing course, it has raised some important points and discussed important issues related to conservation. The course has help develop thought and approach towards ecosystem and how to protect it using scientific approach. This course will definitely help stake holders and decision makers to design policy and strategy safeguarding the biodiversity and further control climate change. Appreciate the examples and citations made in course for better understanding. Thank you.

This is one of the best courses I have taken on coursera so far. It's very informative, yet focuses most on applications by providing research going on a real-life problem (Gorongosa National Park). video lectures and the lecturers were more than amazing and very effective in showing how ecological principle and theoretical knowledge can be taken to the field. I also learned some scientific skills and discovered the fascinating HHMI biointeractive resources.

Even tough I'm an ecologist by training, I've absolutely profited from this course. It allowed me to learn new aspects about ecosystems and get to know the fascinating Gorongosa ecosystem. The course material is excellent and well understandable with many great examples. The many references to further materials is also great to keep learning more about how ecosystems work and how we can conserve them. Thank you very much for offering this great course!

Excellent course on ecology, accessible to most people. Some parts of it require a little bit of calculus knowledge but I managed to make sense of it without ever studying calculus. This course brought me a heightened sense of why conservation is so important, why research on species should matter to us all, and also has given me a newfound faith in the good will of those who work to restore the biodiversity of our planet.

I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to learn from such knowledgeable and commited researchers and educators about ecosystems since I believe it is the most necessary knowledge to aquire right now in order to understand and save ourselves from ourselves. This course is extraordinary and if I could of course I would buy the certificate. I hope I can get it later if it is possible for you.

Thank you very much for your hard but so fruitful work. For me, as a political scientist, it was extremely interesting to learn about various aspects of the formation, management and preservation of the environment, to get acquainted with the various theories and views of scientists-practitioners on such urgent and disturbing problems. From Russia with love.

As an environmental manager, there weren't many new topics for me, but I did learn more details and acquired richness to knowledge I already had. I did, though, learn a lot about conservation efforts and system thinking. This is an amazing course, clear enough for beginners and rich enough for experienced environmentalists/ecologists to enjoy both alike.

Excellent content, examples, and lecturers. Thought the breadth and depth of the material was perfect. Extremely effective use of Gorongosa National Park throughout course. Enjoyed the scenes shot in the park. Appreciated the inclusion of a little math/modeling. Very satisfied with this course, enjoyed it, and feel much more knowledgeable.

I like this course, I know about Gonragosa and how life become rare there. I also know how to think systemly, this is the basic of understanding ecosystems. I now how hard we try to recover Gonragosa's ecosystem. Have we successfully recover the ecosystem to pre-war status by killing waterbuck and producing other animals.

I am qualified as a Nature Manager (Centurion Academy South Africa) and was in the mood to review and compare data. The course is great as a base to build upon and very interesting. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in ecology and the very unique Gorongosa Restoration Project.

Absolutely loved this course. The diversity of topics, the clear thread on how these theme's and subjects are approached currently as compared to historically, and the continual linkage to current projects, research and paradigms made for a fascinating and valuable experience.

Great course, thank you very much! I learned a lot about ecology in general, and look forward to taking what I learned about restoration ecology, and the questions posed, forward to a tropical island restoration project where I will be volunteering. Thank you, again!

Overall very informative and accessible, and while it does give a good broader picture it also manages to pinpoint down and focus on those select things that really deserve a bit more of attention. Definitely a course I enjoyed and learned a lot from.

I really enjoyed learning about ecology through the lens of the Gorongosa National Park. The information presented was interesting and engaging. I am very interested in following on with other subjects on Ecology in the near future. Thanks

As a business management student, this course give me very wide detailed view about ecosystem dynamics and conservation. It was like 101 course for me and help to understand different patterns and processes in the field of ecosystem research.

An excellent course that covers a diverse array of topics, has engaging lectures and reading materials, and does an excellent job of emphasizing why conserving biodiversity is something every human should be concerned about and involved in.