Biodiversity Network Seminar Series: Using mobile games to drive pro-environmental behaviour: The case of the Kakapo Diogo Veríssimo

Diogo Veríssimo, PhD. Research Fellow, University of Oxford will be speaking to us about the role of mobile game apps in driving support for nature conservation.

Mobile games have never been more popular. But most of these games have as their main goal to generate revenue. What if we could harness the power of games for something more meaningful? I have been working with On The EDGE Conservation (OTEC) to launch ‘Kakapo Run’, only around 200 kakapos remain in New Zealand today – invasive mammalian predators, such as the stoat, have wiped out this Critically Endangered species on the mainland.

In the game, players must get the kakapo to safety to Sanctuary Island. Predators like rats and stoats are one of the many threats faced by the kakapo.

But does the game make a difference? We a randomized controlled trial to investigate. In this talk I will presenting our results and talk about the role of mobile game apps in driving support for nature conservation.