The primary goals of this course are to introduce participants to R - a freely available and very powerful tool for conducting statistical analyses and doing ecological modeling - and to demonstrate the capabilities and tools available in R that are specifically relevant to ecologists. Example topics include basic data input and manipulation, graphics, and statistical modeling with an emphasis on linear, generalized linear, and mixed-effects models, as well as ecological modeling using ODEs. The course is intended for participants who would like a brief introduction to some of the quantitative tools that are particularly relevant to ecologists, or are familiar with statistics and/or modeling, but are interested in the R programming environment. In addition, it will demonstrate techniques for incorporation of R as a tool for linking research and education through a more rigorous philosophical approach to data analysis. Some conceptual background information about relevant statistical tests will also be presented. Participants are encouraged to bring their own laptops to step through several exercises on their own. Only a general understanding of basic statistical principles (sampling, hypothesis testing, and probability distributions) and a sincere desire to have fun with data analysis are required.