Learning about Ecology

There are many types of ways that humans can gain ecological knowledge. 
There are two types of community learning: virtual and physical.  Virtual would be through the Internet, and physical would be community environmental groups.  Both of these learning types provide a gathering place for for diverse people to meet.  They provide a nurturing place for learning and developing knowledge.  They are usually informal and unstructured.  And they provide social contact which fosters a sense of trust. 
The news is another way that people can learn ecological knowledge.  Of course, what you learn depends on what information your country allows access to.  And in countries with informational freedom, what you learn depends of what kinds of new that you like. 
Urban gardening can teach people about their local ecology and about farming and producing some of their own food.  This can foster self-reliance amongst city-dwellers.
For the relatively rich - education, ecotours, and vacations can provide excellent knowledge about ecosystems other than the ones people live in.
People can also learn about ecology in parks and zoos that are open to the public.  They allow you to see, smell, touch, and taste the ecosystem.  Again, however, a certain amount of wealth is necessary to have time and money to visit these places.
Disasters are a very effective way for people to learn about ecology.  Who knew what caused a tsunami was before Christmas 2006?  Floods, droughts, hurricanes, and the like will force people to wonder what happened to their homes and property, and therefore gain a desire to learn what ecological phenomenon caused it.
For youthful Americans, a good way to begin learning about ecology would be to join the boy-or girl-scouts or the YMCA.
Sometimes learning about something else can help someone learn something ecological because, really if you think about it, knowledge is INTERTWINED.
Finally, I feel that there are several different spaces for informal learning about ecology:
 - a space for masters and apprentices to connect
 - self-expression (blogging, journaling)
 - debate and dialogue
 - archived knowledge (websites)
 - structural (courses & tutorials)