Insights Science Discovery
Grants Awarded
The Insights Augmented Reality (AR) DinoTracks hike offers Gadsden Independent School District (ISD) middle school students an engaging introduction to outdoor recreation while exploring themes of geologic time and climate change. By merging their interests in dinosaurs and technology, the program aims to inspire and educate 200 students from an underserved area of Southern New Mexico, fostering a deeper understanding of environmental concepts through hands-on experiences.
The DinoTracks site, rich in fossilized dinosaur footprints and geological artifacts, seeks to become an educational and recreational hub for the local community and visitors. The Trails+ funding will improve the site by installing native landscaping and amenities that enhance visitor experience, ultimately boosting tourism and fostering appreciation for the area's natural and historical significance.
Mobile Environmental Education: formed a regional Environmental Roundtable group, implemented a student-led environmental stewardship initiative, citizen-science campaign to map extreme heat, and NSF Dryland Critical Zone Observatory outreach DinoTracks Guided Hiking Tours: developing an AR hiking tour of the site, feasibility study to locate the trailhead of the future Rio Grande Trail at the site, funding to complete an outdoor classroom, and formed a Friends of DinoTracks advisory group