Program on the Environment

Urban parks are one of the greatest natural resources available to the public to enjoy. However, the educational resources provided by urban parks aren’t very effective in informing visitors about the surrounding nature and resources. While traditional trail signage usually comes in the form of paper pamphlets and physical signs on the trails, increasing the use of technology in parks can open doors for park visitors to interact with the natural surroundings and improve their knowledge of local nature. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the success of using technology as trail guides in comparison to traditional signage as an intern with Friends of Discovery Park. To accomplish this task, participants walked five educational stops on the Wolf Tree Nature Trail in Discovery Park using a paper pamphlet and then switched to use a mobile application for the next five educational stops. After walking the trail with the two different trail guides, the participants took a survey comparing their experience using the trail guides. Findings show that mobile applications are the preferred trail guide based on responses indicating the mobile application enhanced visitor experience, improved their knowledge of the natural surroundings, and increased their enjoyment learning about nature. Connectivity with nature was similar among the mobile application and the pamphlet. By incorporating interactive components and providing more well-known educational resources for visitors, mobile applications can help bridge the gap between the outdoors and today’s high use of technology, which allows outdoor educational resources to reach a wider audience.