Botanic Gardens Disney app encourages search for fairies

A Disney developed 'fairy finding' app is encouraging children to search for fairies in Australia’s leading botanical gardens, while also learning about plants in their environment.

The Disney Fairies Trail was introduced at four Australian botanic gardens - the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne; the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney; the Australian Botanic Garden, Mount Annan; and the Blue Mountains Botanic Garden, Mount Tomah - at the end of November.

It offers "a magical journey of discovery to find fairies in their botanical homes - along with activities and fascinating facts about plants at each stop."

Backed by an activity booklet, the bespoke apps, available in both English and Mandarin, guide children in search of Walt Disney fairy characters including Tinker Bell from The Adventures of Peter Pan at various locations around the botanic gardens.

The app provides location- specific information about the surrounding plant life while also enablinh children are able to keep the fairies within the app and take them home to release in their own gardens.

Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens Chief Executive Professor Tim Entwisle told the ABC that Disney approached the gardens about partnering through the app, stating "Disney said they had this great idea for bringing kids into the gardens and connecting them with plants and nature which we jumped at."

Professor Entwisle added that the app was a great way to broaden its demographic, explaining "kids are out there enjoying Tinkerbell, so why not get them to connect with Tinkerbell and Disney and the botanic gardens all at the one time?

"I don't mind why people come to the gardens or how they get here, but if they're here experiencing the plants, all our messages, that's fantastic for them and the world.

"It's great for kids to experience the gardens through any means we can possibly do, so using a screen is one way to connect with kids.

"They're already using their phones, this way we can add to that experience, and instead of being inside, they're outside seeing plants, learning, the whole time."

Visitors can experience the Disney Fairies Trail until 28th February 2015.

For more information go to www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/welcome/feature_stories/Disney_Fairies_Trail

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