NatureAR: Bioalfabetizando a los visitantes de las Áreas Silvestres Protegidas de Costa Rica utilizando realidad virtual.

The present project aims to bio-literate visitors to national parks and protected areas, specifically Arenal Volcano National Park (PNVA), Juan Castro Blanco Water National Park (PNAJCB), Tenorio Volcano National Park (PNVT), and Caño Negro National Mixed Wildlife Refuge (RNVSMCN), addressing issues of history, biodiversity, conservation, and protection of natural and cultural resources. The purpose is to improve the tourism experience and promote understanding of the conservation and management of natural resources in these areas. The strategy selected for the project is the use of augmented reality (AR) technology to enrich the physical and natural experience of the parks and protected areas with virtual elements. Through augmented reality, users will be able to enrich their experience of being in the national park or protected area with information that would not normally be visible to the naked eye. Virtual information will facilitate the acquisition of knowledge in a non-intrusive way, without

interrupting the visitors' physical experience. To address the issue of underutilization of immersive technologies on trails, the participatory action research method will be implemented This research approach actively involves the communities concerned, emphasizing participation and joint action. Through a continuous cycle of reflection and action, actions and intermediate results will be analyzed, and progress will be planned and acted upon, both individually and as a group. The project implementation process will be divided into three phases. First, a methodological guide for bio-literacy will be developed, which will serve as a framework for carrying out educational and awareness-raising activities in parks and protected areas. Then, we will proceed with the construction and implementation of the augmented reality application, which will be a fundamental tool for delivering information and knowledge to visitors in an interactive and immersive manner. This also includes a process of low- and high-fidelity user testing to ensure an adequate user experience and usability with the tool. In the third phase, the dissemination and training process will take place. The training will promote the correct implementation and use of augmented reality technology in the context of bio-literacy by those responsible for the management of parks and protected areas, in order to improve the tourist experience.

Diseñar experiencias interactivas para la bioalfabetización de los visitantes durante el recorrido en senderos de Áreas Silvestres Protegidas mediante la realidad aumentada y el método de investigación-acción

Computación: Ingeniería de software y computación centrada en lo humano, Diseño Industrial: Diseño y Comunicación, Escuela de Idiomas y Ciencias Sociales (Eje 3: Ciencia, tecnología, humanismo además del eje 4: Educación, sostenibilidad y Turismo), Gestión en Sostenibilidad Turística: Sostenibilidad Turística.