Honorable Ecolog: Would you please share your thoughts on this topic? I am frequently asked for advice about how best to embark upon the study of biology and ecology, and I am simply too long out of date to answer responsibly. But I, too, am curious about how one might best most effectively and efficiently get up to speed on the fundamentals.
I also want to know how one might cut the cost of such endeavors to the bone, such as taking jobs at entry level (or below?) that will be the most instructive in biological and ecological principles. I am shocked at the cost of formal education, and dismayed at the practice of luring students into a lifetime of debt therefor. While I do not dismiss the value of degrees, I am more concerned about the actual learning how to understand biological and ecological phenomena, so that a student may move from dependence to independence in that coming to understand as quickly and economically as possible. This is for dedicated scholars who happen not to be wealthy or care to, or are able to go into debt, not for those hoping to do something fun or "for the earth" or other romantic notions, but for those who will continue to grow their intellects independently and cooperatively throughout their lives. I will be delighted to take on-list or off-list comments. Thank you, WT
