From 1831-1836, Charles Darwin circumnavigated the globe aboard the HMS Beagle. In the Galapagos Islands and elsewhere, Darwin collected data that, after decades of study and reflection, formed part of the basis for his publication On the Origin of Species. The ideas presented in that volume remain the foundation of all modern biological thought. Drawing upon original source materials and the instructor's photos, this course will present the historical and cultural context of Darwin's era, follow the five-year journey, discuss how Darwin came to his ideas, and explain his theories in detail. Eric Simon, professor of Biology at New England College, received his PhD in biochemistry from Harvard University. An avid traveler and award-winning nature photographer, Eric leads educational international trips to destinations including Belize, the Galapagos, Tanzania, Cuba, the Amazon River, and Patagonia. Simon is the author of a widely used series of college biology textbooks with over 2 million books in print that help teach biology to students in over 40 countries.