Hi, my name
is Chris Darwin. I'm one of the great
great-grandchildren of Charles Darwin.
Over the last few years I've had the
wonderful opportunity
to interact with both the students and
staff
of the Charles Darwin University based
in the Northern Territory
of Australia.
I like to invite you to get involved
in an online unit or MOOC;
Massive Open Online Course
offered by the Charles Darwin University
called "Charles Darwin,
Evolution and Tropical Australia". 
The first part deals with Charles Darwin the man,
 
his life and the times in which he lived.
As part of that section I will talk about my great
great grandfather and what I think made him
such an important figure in history and how his powerful
thinking system can help us all.
In the second week the course
will explore the evolution of the idea of evolution
and evolution by means of natural selection.
This is an introduction
to the concept of evolution and how
it has changed over history right up
until modern times.
The third part of the unit
explores the life and the ideas
of a contemporary of Darwin's; Alfred Russel Wallace.
Apart from his role in the development of the concept of evolution,
 
Wallace played a key role in the development
of the field of biogeography. You will learn
about the distribution of organisms in that
part of the world that lies between
Southeast Asia
and Australia, what has become known as
the Wallace Line.
Finally in the fourth week
the emphasis will shift to the Northern Territory
where the city of Darwin and the Charles Darwin University are found.
You will learn about the spectacular environments
in the north end of Australia and the major ecosystems
found there. You will hear from some of the
research
scientists at CDU as they describe
some of the remarkable adaptations
that organisms have evolved in order to survive
in the sometimes harsh environments in tropical Australia.
This unit consists
of videos, interviews, animations, interactive graphics
and selected readings that will guide you through
these fascinating topics.
I hope you can join
the staff at the Charles Darwin University for this
unique learning experience.
The Charles Darwin University
has a motto: "Change your world"
and I think this course could do exactly that
for you.
