World of the Wild: Charity-backed Mobile App
A new mobile app is taking the world by storm. World of the Wild allows users to connect with 18 charities and participate in virtual wildlife conservation scenarios.
Melbourne-based wildlife organisation, My Green World, has just launched its charity-backed mobile game app that allows users to participate in virtual wildlife conservation scenarios. The mobile game, ‘World of the Wild’ is now available in the Apple App Store. World of the Wild is partnered with 17 global charities and has gamified the concept of wildlife conservation, encouraging users to participate in real-world wildlife conservation and habitat restoration scenarios on a fun and educational app platform.
High profile organisations such as Sea Turtle Conservancy, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, and African Conservation Foundation will be some of the charities that are represented in the game. Users have the option of donating to any one of those charities and, importantly, each action that users take in this app represents a real-life scenario that is carried out by the game’s partner charities all over the world. In World of the Wild, every day people can participate in virtual wildlife conservation scenarios.
Users can build their own wildlife sanctuary, and rescue, feed and provide medical care for a variety of animals, interact with other players, compete in educational pop quizzes, and meet some of the world’s most endangered species. “Society’s disconnect from wildlife and environmental issues is particularly apparent within the mobile game market, which is home to thousands of apps that can often detract from real global problems,” says My Green World Director, Natalie Kyriacou.
"Current models of mobile games are focused on destruction and demolition, or otherwise have a strong zoo focus, glamourising wildlife in captivity. Users spend hours each day playing games with minimal value, so why not give them a game with charitable and educational values?" she says. You might want to save a turtle that was caught in a fishing net. Or perhaps you want to save a rhino from a poacher. You can do this in the game, and know that each of the organisation’s partner charities is working to replicate those scenarios in real life.
My Green World was founded in 2013 by Natalie Kyriacou, and has been creating innovative tech-based responses to global wildlife issues ever since. The game, ‘World of the Wild’, is Natalie’s biggest project yet, and her commitment to it is clear –she has poured $80,000 of her own savings into developing and testing the game– even going so far as to sell her car. This game seeks to bring issues such as wildlife endangerment and environmental degradation to the forefront of public conscientiousness by engaging communities in an easily accessible, fun, interactive mobile game.