Iceland's migratory birds in changing environmental conditions: An interactive synthesis

• Main Author: Duncan, Frances J.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: SIT Digital Collections 2019
• Subjects: communication; migratory birds; climate change; land-use change; games; Biodiversity; Climate; Environmental Sciences; Game Design; Ornithology; Greenland; Iceland; black-tailed godwit
• Online Access: https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/isp_collection/3038; https://digitalcollections.sit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4057&context=isp_collection

Human-driven changes to environmental conditions alter the habitats, behaviors, and migration patterns of migratory species. Changes in temperature, vegetation, and precipitation are just some of the factors contributing to shifts in phenology, demography, and distribution of migratory birds. These changes are driven by anthropogenic climate change and amplified by human land-use change, and are especially intense at high latitudes. This project creatively communicates the effects of environmental changes on three species of migratory birds in Iceland—the northern wheatear, the Greenland white-fronted goose, and the black-tailed godwit—using principles of storytelling and game design. The resulting interactive product is a game that can extend the reach of scientific information on migratory species to non-expert audiences and, by enabling players to engage with their observations and investigate further questions, increases accessibility of the scientific process.