Pine Cone Prowl: Embodying a Flying Squirrel in Forest

Responding to escalating environmental challenges and a widening disconnection from nature, our project, Pine Cone Prowl, uses Virtual Reality (VR) to facilitate deeper connections between humans and nature through the life simulation of a Siberian flying squirrel. This VR experience improves on previous applications by offering advanced interactivity within a realistically simulated Finnish forest ecosystem. Players embody the squirrel and engage with its environment using abilities that mimic natural behaviors such as climbing and gliding, enhancing their understanding of and connection to the natural world. Our approach aims to allow users to experience firsthand the ecological roles and challenges faced by this species, thereby promoting human-nature connection.