Wise management of natural resources is critical to human health and quality of life. Maintenance of clean air and water and preservation of native biodiversity are major challenges facing society today. The Department of Natural Resources Science (NRS) at the University of Rhode Island engages in research, undergraduate and graduate education, and outreach activities that address these challenges. Our department is unique in the wide array of natural resources fields that we represent: aquatic ecology, avian ecology, biodegradation and bioremediation, forest ecosystem ecology, landscape ecology and spatial data analysis, marine ecology, pedology, soil ecology, terrestrial remote sensing, watershed science, wetland science and management, and wildlife and conservation biology. We take a multi-disciplinary approach to solving complex environmental problems using state-of-the-art tools, and our teaching, research, and outreach programs are of the highest caliber.