In an effort to offer free and fun outdoor experiences, Colorado Parks and Wildlife is partnering with the Town of Erie, Castle Rock Parks and Trails Foundation, City of Brighton Parks and Rec, Chimney Rock National Monument, the Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Forest Service to encourage outdoor exploration and learning using a familiar tool almost everyone has in their back pocket: their smartphone.

The Colorado Explorer Campaign uses Agents of Discovery, an educational technology platform that enables educators to create their own augmented reality games (think “Pokemon Go” for parks and education).

The Colorado Explorer Campaign will run from May 31 through July 14.

Anyone can join by downloading the free Agents of Discovery mobile app and completing themed activities — or “missions” — at participating locations. Each mission is comprised of short, educational “challenges” that teach players about local nature, history, culture, ecosystems, safety and more. At Cheyenne Mountain State Park, for example, players can learn about the pollinators in the park and how they contribute to Colorado’s ecosystem.

Players can earn campaign mascot stickers at participating locations. After completing three different missions, logged-in players are eligible for prize drawings.

“We are excited to be part of this collaborative project that expands our outdoor education programs and encourages people to live life outside and explore our Colorado state parks in new, fun and engaging ways,” said Mary McCormac, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Statewide Interpretation and Wildlife Viewing Coordinator. “Why not use the technology most of us have with us to learn about the world around us?”

Missions take place in the following cities and parks: Chimney Rock National Monument, Town of Erie, City of Brighton, Town of Castle Rock, Barr Lake State Park, Cherry Creek State Park, Cheyenne Mountain State Park, Crawford State Park, John Martin Reservoir State Park, Highline State Park, Lake Pueblo State Park, Jackson Lake State Park, Ridgway State Park, Staunton State Park, Steamboat Lake State Park, St. Vrain State Park, Salida and Dominguez-Escalante National Conservation Area, Pike and San Isabel National Forest.

For more information, visit the Agents of Discovery Colorado Explorer website.

“Now that school is out of session, we love Agents of Discovery because it allows kids and their parents to burn off some energy and learn about nature and stewardship simultaneously,” McCormac said. “The self-guided exploration approach of Agents also helps visitors learn and engage with Colorado’s outdoors at their own pace.” 

To download the free Agents of Discovery app, go to Google Play or the App Store. Once downloaded, find the missions near you and download them before heading out. No data or WiFi is required to play a mission once downloaded. 

Agents of Discovery is the winner of the 2020 Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals Excellence Award. The educational tech platform utilizes web, mobile and augmented reality technologies to get kids active and learning about the world around them. Agents of Discovery aims to provide a unique way to gamify information, incentivizing kids to be active while learning and exploring.

The easy-to-use “Mission Maker” allows educators to pull challenges from an extensive library or create customized content. Educators can then easily publish missions for players to complete on their own devices.

Additional information on this function can be found at AgentsofDiscovery.com.