Gamifying Rainforest Conservation

Gamifying Rainforest ConservationBy Sawyer West

Rainforest Action NetworkGoals Preserving RainforestsProtecting the ClimateDefending Human RightsActivitiesTransform global food systemcommercial agriculture causes 71% of tropical deforestation - Climate Land Use AllianceMinimize Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions

ObstaclesRelativity: People dont understand how they as an individual can make significant changeCommitment: Rainforest conservation groups often ask people to help by taking action outside of their daily routine (which is hard)Sending a donationParticipating in volunteer activityFew motivationsFeeling good about yourselfThe occasional thank you

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Gamified SolutionForest Explorer: an app designed to allow people to help without much change to everyday activities and achieve motivating rewards

DesignBased on Kiip idea which takes simple everyday actions and rewards themForest Explorer uses the idea and specializes it towards those actions which assist in conserving rainforestsMakes players aware of the significance of the action and then rewards them for itDesigned with XP, levels, challenges and rewards

Actions5 things people do everyday that help save rainforestsBuy recyclable productsProperly recycle certain productsDrive efficientlyBuy organic foodsBuy food locally

Game MechanicsXP system: Actions translate to acres savedLevels: Accumulation of acres saved unlocks new featuresRewards: Achievement, Greater access to app features, good feeling from being helpfulDaily Challenges: Draw players back with something new each day

XP SystemEach of these actions translates to acres savedDrive efficiently: 0.2 Acres SavedBuy organic foods: 0.05 Acres SavedAccrues over time as a form of XPAttaches a helpful feeling to simple actionsTakes the good feeling people get from helpful behavior and uses it to motivates future behavior

XP SystemSummary ChartsWeekly: This week you saved 1.3 acres of rainforestOverall: Overall you saved 5.2 acres of rainforestComparative: This week you saved 37% more acres of rainforest than the previous weekDisplays masteryWe all feel good when we outdo ourselves

Levels and RewardsAfter saving a set amount of acres, players unlock the ability to view and explore a virtual rainforestSize and activity scales with acres saved5 acres: small area, low diversity of life15 acres: larger area, wider diversity of lifePlayer may view information about life in their rainforest or press a play button to listen to rainforest sounds

Levels and RewardsPlays to the explorer and achiever groupsRewards players with information, access, a new sense of meaning in their actions and usable stuffMore acres saved = more rewards unlockedSoothing forest musicMore to explore/discover in virtual rainforestMore mini-games within the app Forest Explorer can be updated with new rewards along these lines which will keep the app relevant

ChallengesEach day, players get a challenge of something they can do to earn bonus acresMust be accomplished by a deadlineThese can either be more difficult versions of simple actions or they can be actions the players must take outside their daily routine to accomplishExamples:Avoid products with palm oilParticipate in volunteer opportunities

Team EffortsForest Explorer gives each players a ID # (random string of 8 10 numbers)Players may connect into teams using their ID #In a team, acres saved is pooled together and players may view collective efforts as well as their individual percentage of the totalCreates a social aspect and provides a window for positive competitionPlays to socializers

VersatilityDesign can be adapted to any natural environmentHelpful actions and rewards would have to be adapted to the specific environment

App also provides an additional window where players can send donations