eForestrails - Karnala

eForestrails-Karnala is a product of iNaturewatch Foundation, developed in technical collaboration with Ladybird Environmental Consulting LLP. This is a series of nature-based Mobile apps developed to promote cellphone nature tours widely across the wilderness of India. This app is developed under the financial assistance of DCB Bank Ltd and in collaboration with Thane Forest Department. Having mobile-assisted nature trails will allow a large section of society to study and enjoy nature within the city limits on their own.

We chose Karnala Bird Sanctuary as it is the only protected area in Navi Mumbai, and such a mobile app will benefit Navi Mumbaikars. Though the sanctuary is often crowded with visitors on weekends, this park is more popular as a trekking and picnic spot, the fort being the highlight. In this pursuit, the local flora and fauna get ignored. Due to a lack of guidance and knowledge about natural history, visitors cannot appreciate the wilderness as much as it should be. Using mobile technology, we can encourage visitors to venture out and explore the wilderness on their own and be their guide. The app is developed to promote self-guided nature trails for the national parks, sanctuaries, and other wildlife reserves.

This eForestrails- Karnala is the second of the series, including three nature trails of Karnala Bird Sanctuary. There are currently five nature trails in Karnala. However, only three have been chosen for the cellphone nature tour experience: Hariyal, Tadamba and Mortaka.

Each trail covers 20 points of interest found along the designated nature trail, including interesting trees and birds. In the case of birds, we have suggested points where the bird is likely to be spotted. So do not get disappointed if you don't see the bird. The app describes 60 species (30 trees and 30 species of birds) along with their pictures and detailed taxonomical and ecological information. The content is provided in text form as well as in audio format. The text form includes complete information, while only highlights are included in the audio commentary. The language has been kept non-technical. The app's highlight is its text and audio commentary, which gives a live experience. The trails are GPS mapped and points of interest geotagged, which will help navigate the trail easily. Each point of interest is marked on the trail and the site. They are assigned a number and QR code. In the presence of an internet connection, one can scan the code and listen to the commentary or else they could refer to the point number and read or play the information.

The idea is to engage Karnala Bird Sanctuary visitors using technology and assist them in exploring the wilderness on their own. This app is also a tool for environmental educators, especially teachers who sometimes do not have access to natural history resources or persons. The app brings nature trail education to its users' fingertips, thus doing away with the need for an expert or field guide in the first place. Nevertheless, it is not a substitute for nature guide. The app will help stimulate the visitor's interest. For more advanced information, they could sign up for programmes with the Nature Information Centre (NIC) of Karnala Bird Sanctuary. In case you wish to add your findings from a particular trail, you could do the same on www.inaturalist.org

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