Field Guide Project Leaflet

Field

Project Description

We created Field Guide to conceptualise, design, and test technologically mediated learning modes in natural environments with children and teenagers living in the Azorean archipelago. With a team comprising researchers from diverse knowledge domains such as biology, psychology, anthropology, and human-computer interaction, we explored the relationship between the digital realm and the challenges facing biodiverse environments. As a result, the project sought to provide learning opportunities by offering a local audience interactive learning experiences in nature-rich settings.

Through our efforts, we developed four physical outputs, a cultural probe toolkit, a mobile app, an outdoor activity book aimed at teachers and students in the Azores, and a tangible interaction device called Tree Box.

The project started in December 2018 and concluded in August 2022, after a period of interruption during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. This leaflet presents the project and its outputs, the research team and the scientific publications we have produced.

We hope you enjoy learning about Field Guide.

Toolkit

Inquiry-based learning and the value of sensory, experiential, and aesthetic activities within nature-rich environments lent structure to the development of a cultural probe toolkit. We designed a series of probe items for the toolkit to collect questions from participants inspired by their visit along the Mistérios Negros trail, located in the Nature Park of Terceira.

As a result of two trips to the Nature Park, we retrieved a total of 168 questions posed by participating groups.

Our goal with the toolkit was to understand what interests children and teens as they interact with nature-rich environments. The playful and open-ended character of the toolkit further informed the design of the Field Guide app. Additionally, it showed us that such a method could facilitate the inclusion of the perspectives of local communities.

For more information regarding the Field Guide toolkit, consult the publication Matos et al. (2022) in the list of publications (page 16).

Mobile App

We designed the Field Guide mobile application to connect communities to nature-rich environments with the view that communities play a crucial role in local nature conservation efforts. The app aligns with a mode of science communication that seeks to establish direct contact between a diverse public and specialised scientific communities – commonly known as the ‘ask a scientist’ approach. The Field Guide app uses a geolocation positioning system to offer users the opportunity to pose questions to scientists whilst exploring a nature conservation site.

Our prototype aimed to provide a concept design and stimulate debate on the role of interactive mobile technology in bringing communities closer to surrounding nature-rich environments through inquiry-based learning. Instead of following a topdown approach, whereby nature parks and other relevant entities present information regarding local biodiversity to the general public in the form of printed field guides, we propose a bottom-up approach whereby communities pose questions regarding their surrounding environment. We believe that such an approach can involve local communities in designing environmental learning materials from an early stage. In this process, interactive mobile technology has the potential to play a fundamental role.

For more information regarding the Field Guide app, consult the publication Sousa et al. (2021) in the list of publications (page 16).

Audio Series

We developed mobile learning materials, in the form of an audio series, based on the local natural context and local adolescents’ questions about nature. As a result, we invited scientists based in the Azores to respond to these questions. The audio series was created for the project’s mobile application that, among other functionalities, was designed to provide audio based content to a younger generation whilst offering the opportunity to explore, learn about and monitor their immediate environment by posing questions to scientists engaged in studying Azorean biodiversity.

You can hear the audio series by visiting the following link: https://soundcloud.com/field-guide-362856827

Activity Guide

The guide (Re)discovering Nature presents teachers, parents and youths with activities designed to foster intelligence, experiences, and an array of hands-on activities with nature. The selection of activities considers specific contexts that facilitate learning, and promotes the curiosity and knowledge of children and young people regarding the nature-rich environments where they live. The aim is to increase exposure and connection to nature and expand the possibilities of fostering a relationship with the outdoors. The guide contributes to developing environmental awareness and cognitive, metacognitive, social, emotional and psychomotor skills.

Following a situated learning approach, which emphasizes the relevance of the relationship between learning and the context – physical and social – these activities were developed and tested by youths of different ages whilst walking the trail of Mistérios Negros in the Nature Park of Terceira Island (Azores, Portugal).

For more information regarding the Activity Guide, consult the publication Silva et al. (2022) in the list of publications (page 16).

Interactive Object

One of the most striking responses we received from youths participating in the Field Guide project was their appreciation of silence during one of our walks through the trail of Mistérios Negros. Their remarks prompted the creation of Tree Box, an interactive artefact designed to connect users to naturerich environments through contemplation. The object draws on recent debates that juxtapose the benefits of meditation and mindfulness practices with exposure to nature-rich environments.

Combining both embedded and embodied interaction, we hope that Tree Box will play a role in highlighting the importance of designing for human well-being and planetary health.

Tree Box uses Bluetooth wireless technology to locate suitable settings for contemplation in natural surroundings. The prototype also uses a vibrating motor and an accelerometer sensor to invite users to stop in each location. The vibration is an invitation to stop, pause, and experience the present moment.

For more information regarding Tree Box, consult the publication Matos and Sousa (2022) in the list of publications (page 16).

Final Thoughts

We chose Field Guide as the project title, metaphor, and point of departure. While we can design nature guides to help identify the flora and fauna of a particular region or location, with our project, we sought to expand what a field guide could be in the face of an escalating planetary crisis. The solutions devised by our team are far from solving such a complex problem. Nonetheless, we believe they offer insights into how we might continue to spark curiosity for the natural world amongst younger generations.

Instead of following a top-down approach whereby we present information regarding local biodiversity to our audience, we sought to tap into the potential of inquiry-based learning and the value of using our bodies, senses and aesthetic experiences to connect to and learn about the natural world.

With the publication of this leaflet, we reach the end of our project, although we continue to ponder whether and how digital technology might play a role in involving local communities in nature conservation efforts. There are many arguments for and against digitality in environmental education. We can certainly advocate for technology, but we also must recognise that technology alone will not solve the complexity of such a pressing problem.

One lesson we have learned with Field Guide is that younger generations provoke us to think in new ways. When working with children and teenagers, the complexities of nature conservation do not suddenly become straightforward; instead, they become ever more pressing and palpable.

Publications

Silva co , A. R., Matos co , S., Gabriel, R., Arroz, A. M., Sousa, D., Piasentin, F., Rosário, I. A. (in preparation). The Field Guide Audio Series: Mobile learning using place-based and interestcentered approaches to promote adolescents’ interest in nature.

Baixinho, A., Matos, S., Arroz, A. M., Gabriel, R. (in preparation). ‘Although I was alone, I’ve always felt accompanied’: The experiences of adolescent girls walking in a nature-rich environment.

Arroz co , A.M., Silva co , A.R., Piasentin co , F., Amorim, I.R., Picanço, A., Matos, S. & Gabriel, R. (submitted). What are adolescents’ interests in nature? Exploring youth’s questions formulated when experiencing nature-rich environments in Terceira Island (Azores, Portugal). Science Education.

Picanço co , A., Arroz co , A.M., Sánchez, A.F., Pereira, E., Melo, M.L. Gabriel, R., & (submitted). Assessing nature exposure: Reliability and validity evidence from NES in Portugal. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Gabriel, R. & Borges, P.A.V. (eds.) (2022). Guia prático da flora nativa dos Açores / Field guide of the Azorean native flora. Instituto Açoriano de Cultura, Angra do Heroísmo. [edição bilingue; 520 pp.] ISBN: 978-989-8225-74-0

Matos, S., and Sousa, D. (2022) Tree Box: Designing embedded and embodied interaction for contemplative experiences in nature-rich environments, in Lockton, D., Lenzi, S., Hekkert, P., Oak, A., Sádaba, J., Lloyd, P. (eds.), DRS2022: Bilbao, 25 June –3 July, Bilbao, Spain. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2022.675

Matos, S., Silva A. R., Sousa, D., Picanço, A., Amorim, I. R., Ashby, S., Gabriel, R. & Arroz A. M. (2022). Cultural Probes for Environmental Education: Designing Learning Materials to Engage Children and Teenagers with Local Biodiversity. Plos-One. doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262853

Silva, A. R., Gabriel, R., Amorim, I. R., Arroz, A. M. & Matos, S. (2022). À (re)descoberta da natureza: Guia de atividades pedagógicas. Angra do Heroísmo: Universidade dos Açores. [português; 57 pp.] ISBN: 978-989-8870-41-4

Piasentin, Gabriel, R., Arroz, A. M., Silva, A. R., & Amorim, I. R. (2021). What Is Most Desirable for Nature? An Analysis of Azorean Pupils’ Biodiversity Perspectives When Deciding on Ecological Scenarios. Sustainability (Basel, Switzerland), 13 (22), 12554–. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212554

Sousa, D, Silva, A. R., Amorim, I. R., Ashby, S. , Arroz, A. M., Piasentin, F., Gabriel, R. and Matos, S. (2021) The Field Guide App: Connecting Island Communities to Local Conservation through Mobile Interaction. Supplementary Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Communities & Technologies (C&T’21), Seattle, WA, 20-25 June. doi: https://dl.eusset.eu/ handle/20.500.12015/4200

Picanço, A., Arroz, A., Amorim, I., Matos, S., & Gabriel, R. (2020) Teachers’ perspectives and practices on biodiversity web portals as an opportunity to reconnect education with nature. Environmental Conservation, 48(1), 25-32. doi: https://doi. org/10.1017/S0376892920000405

Picanço, A., Gabriel, R., Arroz, A.M., Amorim, I.R., Silva, A.R., Sousa, D. & Matos, S. (2020). Um guia digital para a Natureza: promover a floresta dos Açores com aprendizagem baseada no lugar. Uaciência, https://noticias.uac.pt/wp-content/ uploads/2020/10/Revista-18_10_2020-paginada.pdf

Project Team

You will find all project team members in the following list ordered according to their date of entry to the project:

Sónia Matos (PhD) Principal Investigator

Sónia develops work that intersects the ecological and social dimensions of design research. She is an Affiliate Researcher of ITI-LARSyS and currently a Lecturer at the School of Design at the University of Edinburgh.

You can find Sónia’s contacts, publications, and projects at https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3902-9823

Rosalina Gabriel (PhD) Co-Principal Investigator

Rosalina is a biologist developing research in two main areas: Bryophyte’s ecology, biogeography and physiology and Environmental Education. She has more than 250 publications, including 60 papers in ISI journals, and co-authored/co-edited more than 10 books. She is a researcher of cE3c/GBA (Center for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Change / Azorean Biodiversity Group), and currently an associate professor at the University of the Açores.

You can find Rosalina’s contacts, publications, and projects at https://ce3c.ciencias.ulisboa.pt/member/rosalinagabriel and https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3550-8010

Ana Arroz (PhD) Researcher

Ana is an environmental psychologist whose main research focuses on: i) to conceive, implement and evaluate communicational devices relevant to people’s representations and resistances in relation to nature conservation; ii) to assess impacts of blue and green urban infrastructure on health and well-being; iii) to explore win-win empowerment strategies among scientists, public managers, owners and users to developed NBS, promoting both well-being and nature conservation. She is a researcher of cE3c/GBA (Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Change / Azorean Biodiversity Group) and a professor of Health and Environmental Psychology at the University of Azores. Along with her research activity, Ana has participated in non-

governmental organizations in the area of Culture, Well-being and Social Entrepreneurship, a condition that has facilitated the development of synergies with the local society.

You can find more on her research interests, publications and projects at http://gba.uac.pt/member/ana-margarida-moura-deoliveira-arroz and https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8279-4470

Isabel R. Amorim (PhD) Researcher

Isabel is a biologist and her main research interests include evolutionary biology, molecular ecology, conservation genetics and science communication with a focus on biodiversity conservation of native insular biota. She is a researcher of cE3c/ GBA (Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Change / Azorean Biodiversity Group), and currently a contracted Researcher (DL 57/2016) at the University of the Azores.

You can find more on Isabel’s research interests, publications and projects at https://ce3c.ciencias.ulisboa.pt/member/ isabelramorim and https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6847-3320

Simone Ashby (PhD) Researcher

Simone’s research activities focus on leveraging collective intelligence and human-centred approaches to help people become more connected and empowered in their communities. She is an Assistant Professor in New Media Design at Tilburg University.

You can find Simone’s contacts, publications, and projects at https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1050-5013

Ana Picanço (PhD) Post-Doctoral Grant Holder

A biologist and Field Guide’s postdoctoral researcher, Ana develops research in two main areas: Insect pollinators’ networks, ecology and biogeography and Environmental Education. She has 16 publications, including 6 papers in ISI journals, and co-authored one book chapter and one book. She is an external collaborator of cE3c/GBA (Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Change / Azorean Biodiversity Group), and currently a teacher at the Escola Secundária

Vitorino Nemésio. Ana was a post-doctoral grant holder between July 2019 and September 2020.

You can find more information about her work at https://ce3c. ciencias.ulisboa.pt/member/analuisapicanco and https://orcid. org/0000-0002-3550-801

Flora Piasentin (PhD) Researcher

Flora was a researcher for the Field Guide project from September 2020 to November 2021, she develops work linking the themes of sustainability, environmental education and management. She is currently a Lecturer at the Centre of Agrarian, Environmental and Biological Sciences at the Federal University of Reconcavo da Bahia, Brazil.

You can find Flora’s publications at https://orcid.org/0000-00031536-4010

Daniel Sousa (BSc ) Grant Holder

A mathematician with programming experience currently completing a Master’s degree in Mathematics and Applications at Instituto Superior Técnico, Daniel collaborated with Field Guide as a project as a grant holder from December 2020 to January 2022. He programmed and developed the Field Guide app. He was also involved in the edition of the project audio series “Ask a Scientist” and initiated the development of Tree-Box.

Daniel’s contacts, publications, and projects can be found at https://cv.daniel.sousa.me/

Alexandra Rocha Silva (MSc) Grant Holder

Alexandra is a biologist specialising in communication for nature conservation. She collaborated with Field Guide as a project as a grant holder from April 2020 to March 2022 and is currently working as an external collaborator of cE3c/GBA (Center for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Change / Azorean Biodiversity Group). Alexandra’s research interests include environmental education, science communication, and environmental psychology.

Alexandra’s publications, research projects, and contacts can be found at https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0360-2755

Alexandra Baixinho (PhD) Researcher

A visual sociologist with a background in anthropology, Alexandra joined the Field Guide team, as a Researcher, in January 2022. She is currently an Integrated Researcher at CHAM – Humanities Centre (University of the Azores/UNOVA Lisbon), and an Invited Teacher at the Post-Graduate Course in Cultural Tourism (University of the Azores), since 2021.

You can find more on Alexandra’s research interests, publications and projects at https://goldsmiths.academia.edu/ AlexandraBaixinho and https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7334-8532

Project Information

Project website: https://field-guide.info

Field Guide was supported by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, a Portuguese public agency that supports science, technology and innovation in all scientific domains. FCT project reference number: PTDC/CED/EDG/31182/2017

Project Partners: Regional Secretariat for the Environment and Climate Change (Nature Park of Terceira) and Regional Secretariat for Education of the Regional Government of the Azores

Project Consultants: Maria Figueiredo (Adjunct Professor, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu), Tânia Fonseca (Senior Lecturer, Kingston University London), Paulo A.V. Borges (Assistant Professor, University of the Azores), Nuno Nunes (Full Professor, Instituto Superior Técnico)

Text written by the Field Guide team Illustrations by Carolina Celas (https://www.carolinacelas.com) Graphic Design by James Brook (https://jamesbrook.net)

Editor: University of the Azores

ISBN 978-989-8870-47-6

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License

Title: Field Guide

Author: Sónia Matos Co-authors: Alexandra Baixinho; Alexandra Rocha Silva; Ana Moura Arroz; Daniel Sousa; Flora Piasentin; Isabel Amorim do Rosário; Rosalina Gabriel; Simone Ashby Supporte: Electronic Format: PDF

September 2022