Gaming and virtual reality (VR)
could bridge the gap between urban societies and nature, thereby paving the way
to insect conservation by the means of education, curiosity and life-like
participation. This is what Florida International University's team strive to
achieve by developing a VR game dedicated to insect and plant species. Focused
on imperiled butterflies, their innovative idea is Butterfly World 1.0. Butterfly World 1.0 is
an adventure game designed to engage its users in simulated exploration and
education. Set in the subtropical dry forest of the Florida Keys, Butterfly
World draws the players into an immersive virtual environment where they learn
about relationships between butterflies, plants, and invasive species.
While exploring the set, they
interact with and learn about the federally endangered Schaus' swallowtail
butterfly, the invasive graceful twig ant, native and exotic plants, and
several other butterflies inhabiting the dry forest ecosystem. Other
nature-related VR experiences, including conservation awareness and educational
programs, rely on passive observations with minimal direct interactions between
participants and the virtual environment. The major advantage is that this type
of interactive, computer-generated experience allows for people to observe
phenomena otherwise impossible or difficult to witness, such as forest
succession over long periods of time, rare butterflies in tropical dry forests,
or the effects of invasive species against native wildlife.
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