STAFF and students at the University of Gloucestershire have developed a new digital nature trail for families to discover and explore bats, bees and more at The Park campus in Cheltenham.

Using electronic devices such as a smart phone or tablet, visitors can access information from QR codes and NFC tags (small microchips which can transfer information to a smartphone) embedded around the site, which is a community nature reserve managed by the University and the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust (GWT).

The codes link to photos, texts, video and audio links providing information on wildlife at The Park, including commentary from biosciences academics and the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Stephen Marston.

The trail was designed by two Masters Students, Lianne Davies and Rachel Keating working with Dr Richard Rolfe, course leader for BSc degrees in Biology and Animal Biology.

Lianne, who is studying MSc Applied Ecology and Conservation, said: “Working on the nature trail was great. It was good to share my own knowledge of wildlife conservation through the information included on the nature trail, and engage the public in learning more about this beautiful site, and what we can all do to help British wildlife.”