"Explore" Interactive

Project Description

Located in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is a 7,700-acre home to a wide variety of animals, fish and reptiles, as well as more than 244 species of birds. Just 26 miles west of New York City’s Times Square, the Great Swamp provides visitors with an opportunity to immerse themselves in nature – through observation, study, photography and trail walks.

Partnering with an exhibit design firm, Silver Oaks created a computer-based, touchscreen interactive program, installed in the Helen C. Fenskie Visitor Center, that invites and encourages visitors to explore the Great Swamp. Featuring beautiful photography of the landscapes, the interactive highlights the different habitats and their respective wildlife – showing key species that can be seen each season. Video and audio clips of certain species are also included, as well as matching games that test visitors’ knowledge of the Swamp’s habitats and wildlife.

In addition, the interactive explains the different opportunities available to visitors, including educational programs and tours. Displayed on two 20″ touchscreens, it is carefully keyed to a large table map, so visitors can easily cross reference the information they learn through the interactive with the respective locations and callouts on the map.

To encourage visitors to be proactive in protecting their environment, the interactive also identifies what watershed the Great Swamp is in and explains, through animation, the direct impact that people can have on the cleanliness of their watershed and thus the water they drink.