This paper addresses the emerging relationship between teams of high school science teachers and ecologists who were paired in a year-long collaborative endeavor. The specific focus is on the benefits reported by the teachers and the ecologists participating in the Teacher Enhancement through Pedagogy and Ecology Project (TEPE). The teachers and ecologists agreed on the kinds of benefits exchanged but rank them differently in degree of importance. Although science content learning is an important value derived from this collaboration, more lasting impact on teachers' self-perceptions and practice seemed to derive from the experience of science practice and from the connection to the scientists' culture. The scientists benefit from teachers' engagement with their work in many ways including increased enthusiasm, research data, and a connection with the school environment. (AIM)