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We describe the design, implementation, and evaluation of GreenTouch, a collaborative environment that enables novice users to engage in authentic scientific inquiry. GreenTouch consists of a mobile user interface for capturing data in the field, a web application for data curation in the "cloud," and a tabletop interface for exploratory analysis of heterogeneous data. This paper contributes: 1) the design, implementation, and validation of a collaborative environment which allows novices to engage in scientific data capture, curation, and analysis; 2) empirical evidence for the feasibility and value of integrating interactive surfaces in college-level education based on an in situ study with 54 undergraduate students; and 3) insights collected through iterative design, providing concrete lessons and guidelines for designing multi-touch interfaces for collaborative inquiry of complex domains. AUTHOR KEYWORDSTabletop; multi-touch interaction; collaborative learning. ACM CLASSIFICATION KEYWORDSH.5.m. Information interfaces and presentation (e.g., HCI): Miscellaneous.