Natural resource management is evolving from sharply divided individual disciplines (forestry, wildlife, fisheries, etc.) into an integrated, holistic, team-based process. The University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), requires a capstone Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM) course for students in both the forest management and the broader natural resource conservation (NRC) curriculums. In addition to the main campus in Gainesville, the NRC major is also offered at the IFAS West Florida Research and Education Center in Milton, to reach place-bound students in the Florida Panhandle.

With Florida's unique, highly diverse landscapes and ecosystems, and intense development pressure, there is also a pressing need to train resource management workers and the interested public in INRM concepts. The purpose of this project is to develop an interactive Web-based tutorial and learning system to reinforce traditional classroom instruction, to promote an integrated problem solving approach, and to serve as a resource for the people of Florida and the Southeast region. An additional purpose is to expand communication between students in the main and off campus programs.