Field teaching is integral to understanding terrestrial ecology for a variety of reasons. Learning in the uncontrolled, often chaotic natural world forces students into an unfamiliar environment and asks them to interpret what they see around them. At an urban university like Wayne State, teaching and learning in the field is especially important as it provides opportunities for students who may have minimally interacted with the natural world. Below is a sample of photos illustrating the field experiences our lab has provided for undergraduates and graduate students at Wayne State.