Colorado’s incredible geography fosters a tremendous diversity of insect life and hosts over 35,000 insect species. Insects are easily observed, readily identified, and offer a wide array of behaviors to study and interpret. We will visit a variety of habitats to explore the diversity, ecology, and behavior, emphasizing their important roles in natural ecosystems. Where we look we find bugs in the system --underwater, inside trees, in the soil, currowing into mushrooms -- as well as in the usual places, such as flying overhead, visiting flowers, and chomping on leaves. Our study of the fascinating behavior and ecology of insects, will leave you with a new understanding of the myriad adaptations that make insects so successful and important in mountain environments. A variety of simple but powerful field investigative techniques will be learned that the participants can use in research, teaching, or for personal enrichment. This class requires advance registration to ensure appropriate planning for the field experience.