Yes, users do need some programming experience to work with EcoCommons Notebooks. A basic understanding of R or Python is essential, as the notebooks involve writing and potentially modifying code to load data, run models, and interpret results. 

Each notebook includes step-by-step instructions, detailed comments, and explanations to guide you through the analysis process. While some notebooks provide pre-configured code blocks and sample datasets, users are expected to understand and adapt the code to suit their research needs. For those looking to improve their coding skills, EcoCommons offers documentation and support resources to help you get started.