Naturalists’ Technology Use Supports Nature Education

Naturalists act as a link between scientific knowledge and the public’s understanding of natural history and conservation efforts. For them to be successful, they need access to current content and resources. Incorporating tablet technology into naturalists’ endeavors can serve as an interpretation tool that facilitates participation and offers needed support to new/emerging naturalists. Our study, guided by an Attention Participation Framework, used a qualitative approach to explore the naturalists’ use of tablets during a technology-enhanced nature education program. We developed an app to support nature hikes for students led by naturalists-in-training ( n = 72). We investigated how naturalists used tablet-based technology to support nature hike activities and their perspectives on technology as a tool for nature education. We found that naturalists relied on the app for reference throughout the hikes. Additionally, all of the naturalists held a positive perspective toward using tablets as an interpretive tool and recommended them for future use.