Interactive Kiosks for Informal Science Education Facilities

Eye of The Falcon Kiosk

Earthspan designs interactive kiosks for use in nature centers, wildlife refuges, and other small exhibit spaces. Satellite-tracking studies, coupled with remote sensing data and GIS, are playing an ever-increasing role in understanding wildlife and managing their populations and related habitats. Despite their importance, these technologies have rarely been presented in informal education facilities, and they remain largely unknown to the general public. The Eye of the Falcon interactive kiosk brings these powerful tools to the public, introducing children and adults to cutting-edge wildlife research techniques. Visitors may discover, along with scientists, the migration routes, wintering grounds, and habitat preferences of satellite-tracked species around the globe. Utilizing Geographic Information Systems, remote sensing data, and high technology mapping and visualization tools, visitors can create dynamic maps to explore the relationships between the animals’ locations and a wide range of habitat variables.

Kiosks may be custom designed for each facility, featuring local satellite-tracking studies and focusing on local conservation issues. For example, a kiosk was developed for the Bateman Education Center at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge on Assateague Island, VA. The kiosk features satellite-tracked peregrine falcons captured during migration on Assateague Island. Visitors may view animated maps showing the complete migration routes of four peregrines tracked over the last few years, as well as regularly updated maps. Another such kiosk is featured in the Padre Island Birding and Nature Center on South Padre Island, Texas.