The Toronto Zoo, in partnership with Pollution Probe and GreenMantra Technologies, has introduced a new and interactive way to educate visitors about sustainability and plastic pollution.
The Plastics Pathway is a dynamic learning experience at the Zoo that now features a new app developed with SSA Group and Attractions.io. According to the Zoo, this app enhances the visitor experience by providing navigation tools, educational content, and event information. The initiative aims to educate over 1.2 million guests each year about the responsible use of plastics and their role in our daily lives.
According to a media release, the new app, Pollution Probe, is aimed at optimizing the guest experience of the Plastics Pathway by providing wayfinding capabilities to navigate to points of interest, the ability to create customized itineraries, and to access educational content about plastic pollution and innovative solutions in real-time. Eventually, it will also include information about upcoming events, both at the Zoo and in the local community.
“We are very excited about the introduction of this digital platform as a complement to the educational displays and installations physically located on-site at the Zoo,” said Christopher Hilkene, Chief Executive Officer at Pollution Probe. “The Plastics Pathway highlights innovative approaches to addressing the challenge of plastic pollution, and this app provides a new way for guests to learn about them and how they can be a part of the solution.”
At the end of 2022, the Toronto Zoo launched the Plastics Pathway, a number of educational displays and activities introduced to increase public understanding and engagement around plastic pollution and important efforts to address it. Now, Zoo guests can further explore the potential benefits of plastic when used, treated and disposed of responsibly, with a new app designed to support the on-site interactive experience.
“With more than 1.2 million guests visiting your Toronto Zoo each year, we’re in a unique position to educate our community about conservation science and sustainability,” said Dolf DeJong, CEO of the Toronto Zoo. “Plastic is a reality in our society, and the Plastics Pathway app will help people better understand our relationship with these products and ensure they are reused and disposed of responsibly. It’s a great tool for our guests, who will leave feeling empowered to make small changes in their day-to-day lives that will help lead to big results.”
According to the release, the Plastics Pathway was made possible through generous support from the Province of Ontario, and provides an opportunity to showcase important efforts underway to address plastic pollution in the environment, an issue of critical importance in Ontario and beyond. In addition to the app, the Toronto Zoo offered different plastic-related educational activities and displays throughout the summer. Eco-challenges, scavenger hunts and sustainability workshops along the Pathway helped to further engage guests as part of the solution to plastic pollution.
“We take great pride in our collaboration with the Plastics Pathway and the Toronto Zoo, enhancing the exhibit and elevating the guest experience through the introduction of the Attractions.io app,” said Greg Laugero, Vice President of SPARKd Implementations at SSA Group. “Within SSA, our passion lies in fostering awareness about sustainability and conservation through technological advancements, underscoring the potential for synergy between education and innovation.”
To learn more information about the Plastic Pathways, visit https://www.pollutionprobe.org/plastics-pathway/
Interested in reading about my family’s past zoo visit? Take a look: Baby Animals at the Toronto Zoo
