[CINC] Plants and Fire So Cal Ecology Game Testing

[Shauna Bingham]

Dear CINC Volunteers:

This is an FYI -- if you are interested in pursuing this on your own time I
am sure the game developers would really appreciate it. The abstract about
the game is below and the idea was initiated through the Santa Monica
Mountains NRA.



Anyone interested in being a playtester should email Tim H..at
unnumberedt at gmail.com

Note that Tim welcomes friends or family who would be interested.


*- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - *

*Abstract: *

Plants and Fire is a card game based on the ecology of Southern California,
and designed in the style of collectible card games such as Yu-Gi-Oh!,
Pokémon, or Magic: The Gathering. The game is a fun and interactive context
in which players can learn about the real ecology of SoCal. Game cards
represent real plants, places, and people. Through exposure to the cards,
players will learn factual information about these real entities. More
importantly, the rules and relationships within the game model the real
ecology of SoCal shrublands. By playing the game, players will learn about
ecological issues affecting SoCal.**

*Website:* https://sites.google.com/site/samoplantsandfire/

*Target audience:* 12 years (7th grade) and up

*Biological Themes*:

   - Diversity
      - Native plant communities tend to be more diverse than nonnative
      plant communities, having more different types of species than the
      nonnative communities.
      - Native plant species are far more diverse in shape, size, and
      behavior, than invasive plant species.
   - Fire
      - Fire may be good, bad, or neutral.
      - Different plant species respond to fire in different ways.
      - The amount of time between successive fires plays a part in
      determining the effect of fire (good, bad, or neutral).
   - Plant Identification
      - This game contains fifteen different plant species that live in
      Southern California. Players will learn a few basic facts about each.
   - Invasive plants
      - Invasive plants tend to be disturbance-loving, and can out-compete
      native species when disturbances (such as fire) become
unnaturally frequent.
   - Natural Events
      - Players will learn about five different types of natural events
      that commonly affect Southern California: fire, El Niño, La Niña,
      earthquakes, and wind.
   - Importance of Human Choices
      - Human actions have big effects on the environment. These can be
      positive (e.g. restoration efforts) or negative (e.g. careless fires).



*Affect:*

   - Fun
      - This is an educational game, but it's not one of *those* educational
      games, the ones that are unfun, and give a bad name to learning.
Rather, it
      combines both fun and learning, utilizing a principle of
attraction rather
      than one of promotion. Those who play the game will be more interested in
      thinking, learning, nature, and the environment.
      - All in-game locations are real places. The production version of
      the game will include a set of road and trail maps to those places. These
      maps will encourage players to visit the places in person, and
see what the
      game is really all about.
   - Interaction
      - The design of the game strongly encourages interaction among
      players. Players may cooperate, compete, or any combination of
the two. The
      tone of a game will depend on the individuals involved.
      - If a group of players is particularly aggressive, favoring offence
      over defence, it is possible to create a wasteland in which it is
      impossible for anyone to win.

*Critical Thinking Skills:*

   - Systems thinking
      - It's all connected, just like real life. Every choice has clear and
      intuitive consequences for plants, lands, and players.


-- 
Shauna Bingham
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
113 Harbor Way, Suite 150
Santa Barbara, CA 93109
805-884-1460
805-568-1582 (fax)
http://channelislands.noaa.gov/
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