At the Lazy W Ranch, students use hands-on data collection and analysis to study the relationships between living and non-living components of six unique California ecosystems (riparian, oak woodland, chaparral, intertidal, benthic, and pelagic). Evening activities include a nocturnal investigation and campfire skits and songs. Then, a trip to the Ocean Institute concludes the experience and allows students to explore food webs, water quality, life cycles, and tide pools, with an optional trip on our research vessel.