The Field Guide App - Connecting Island Communities to Local Conservation Through Mobile Interaction

Abstract

Here we present Field Guide, a mobile application (app) designed to connect communities to nature-rich environments, which play a crucial role in nature conservation efforts. The app aligns to a mode of science communication that seeks to establish direct contact between publics and specialised scientific communities, most commonly known as the ’ask a scientist’ approach. Field Guide uses a geolocation positioning system to offer users the opportunity to pose questions to scientists whilst exploring a nature conservation site. In this demo, we display the app as a mock-up presentation before its first use by children and teenagers during a field-trip to a nature trail later in 2021.