The Point Lobos Foundation is looking for new ways to combat “nature deficit disorder” – a term coined Richard Louv, writer and co-founder of the Children & Nature Network – for the consequences of spending too much time indoors, including behavioral problems like aggression in children. “Younger generations are getting farther and farther away from the environment,” says Anna Patterson, the foundation’s development and communications director.
And that’s sad because once kids get out to Point Lobos, many kids send letters and drawings saying it was the best day they ever had.
But the foundation is not fighting modern technology; instead, they’re embracing it. The foundation’s Big Idea is to create an iPad app – Discover Point Lobos – that will get kids excited to visit and learn more about the park.
The app will include a map of Point Lobos with its trails and ecosystems, videos and audio clips, habitat descriptions and flashcards of major animal species, as well as interactive games and tours. In the “Ask a docent” feature, a character can give video answers to questions like “What is the orange stuff on cypress trees?” One potential game can let kids virtually dive into the waters of Blue Fish Cove and meet resident rockfish, harbor seals and octopuses.
Initially, the app will be geared to local 4th-6th graders while it is tested. But Patterson envisions the app expanding to, for example, give someone in Japan the chance to explore Point Lobos if they cannot visit in-person. The foundation brings several thousand students to Point Lobos annually, often providing funds for the transportation to get them there.
Docent and board member Fred Brown has led nature walks with students, and says the kids are very enthusiastic. “Some of them have never touched the ocean before, so they say ‘Can we go touch the water?’” he recalls. The answer, of course, is yes.
The foundation also manages regular maintenance of the reserve – repairing trails and stairs, removing invasive plants – and makes long-term plans for managing the increasing number of visitors. One major project will extend the Lace Lichen Trail to make a safer path for pedestrians entering and exiting the park.
Ultimately the task of protecting Point Lobos is in the hands of these kids. “They’re the new generation that is going to want to protect these areas,” Brown says. “We’re giving them a reason why they should care.”
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