1. Developing a Podcast Trail Guide for an Urban Natural Area K. Klemow, R. Curtis, A. Velopolcak, H. Washenko, R. Kosik, R. Stetz, and Z. Wilson Biology Department, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766 Statement of Problem Visitors to hiking trails and other natural areas typically rely on printed trail guides to help them interpret natural features along the trail. Most printed guides include text and images, with information frequently linked to marked stations. While such guides can successfully educate the public about nature, they have several drawbacks: – Production can be costly and time-consuming, – They need to be frequently replenished at the trailhead, and eventually go out of print, – They can become outdated, yet difficult to update, – They can be discarded, becoming a source of litter. Kirby Park Natural Area The Kirby Park Natural Area (KPNA) is an 80-acre riparian woodland that adjoins the Susquehanna River near downtown Wilkes-Barre. The KPNA has seen increasing use for recreation and nature education in the past fifteen years. The KPNA is overseen by a Riverfront Parks Committee, which developed a paper-based trail guide in the mid-1990s. The guide offers information about the animals, plants, and natural features in the park, focusing on 16 stations. The guide is out of print, and much of the information is out of date. To address that problem, faculty and students at Wilkes University initiated a project to create a digital trail guide. A sample podcast was presented by Stetz et al. at the 2007 PAS meeting. Methods Information in the KPNA Trail Guide was used to generate scripts for podcasts. Digital voice recordings were created for each podcast using GarageBand 3 software on a Macintosh running OS 10.4. Digital images were obtained through photography of the site, or through public-domain websites. Relevant audio clips were also identified and downloaded. The audio and visual files were compiled in GarageBand, and subsequently saved to disk. Files were converted into.m4a format and uploaded to the Wilkes University iTunes website (http://itunes.wilkes.edu). A survey to evaluate the effectiveness of the podcast series was designed. Figure 2: Aerial view of Kirby Park Figure 3: View of GarageBand 3. Note purple track showing narration, and top track showing images. Figure 4: The Kirby podcasts are accessible from http://itunes.wilkes.edu Accomplishments A total of 19 image-enhanced podcasts was created, covering 16 stations in the park. Due to the length of the written descriptions, the narrations for three stations were divided into separate podcasts. Five additional podcasts, each providing greater coverage to a dominant vascular plant species in the park, were also created. Individual podcasts ranged from 0:59 to 2:23 minutes long. They contained an average of 21 images. All podcasts were successfully uploaded to the Wilkes University iTunes website as of early April 2008, and are available for download. A survey instrument was created. The survey addressed the following issues: – Accessibility via the iTunes website – Clarity and effectiveness of the narration – Clarity and appropriateness of the images Significance Existing software facilitates podcasting, so that it can be as commonplace as developing PowerPoint presentations. We encourage others to develop podcast trail guides for other areas in Pennsylvania. We would be willing to assist those wishing to do so. Many museums and other public venues currently provide electronic audiovisual guides to increase accessibility and appeal of their exhibits. Likewise, this project was instituted to overcome problems of the current paper-based trail-guide model, and - more importantly - to eliminate disconnect between the public and the natural world. Objectives - To complete and disseminate podcasts for the Kirby Park Natural Area that were initiated Spring, 2007. - To generate a survey to assess the effectiveness of the podcasts in contrast to the paper-based trail guide A Digital Solution Podcasting technology can overcome problems associated with paper-based trail guides. Podcasts incorporating narration, other sounds (like animal calls) and digital images can be developed to supplement, or even replace, paper-based guides. Podcasts can be developed using widely available software such as GarageBand 3 for the Macintosh OS. Once created, podcasts can then be made available through an RSS feed or Apple’s iTunes site. Users can access and download the podcasts to their computers, and ultimately to their mp3 players. They can then listen to the podcasts in the field. Figure 1: Location of Wilkes-Barre Philadelphia Pittsburgh Wilkes-Barre Future Work Survey Target groups of adults and secondary students will be identified and asked to download the podcasts. After reviewing the podcasts, the groups will be asked to complete the survey. Information in the completed surveys will be tabulated and reviewed. The results will be evaluated, and necessary refinements to the podcast will be made. In particular, we anticipate improving image content by including photos taken in late spring, and others from community partners. Development of Podcasts on Other Sites. Wilkes faculty and students are pursuing parallel efforts to develop podcast guides other sites, including: - University property at Nuangola Bog, located 12 km southwest of Wilkes-Barre. That initiative will require de novo creation of scripts, since no trail guide exists for that location. - Nescopeck State Park, located 20 km south of Wilkes-Barre.