Demo: Balboa Park Alive!: Exploring Biodiversity through Mobile AR

Balboa Park Alive is a mobile augmented reality (AR) application that transforms outdoor exploration into an immersive educational experience centered on biodiversity and conservation. Designed for families and informal learners, the app uses gesture-based AR to connect users with ecological phenomena in the San Diego-Tijuana region. Integrating Niantic Lightship ARDK, Mapbox SDK, and MediaPipe Hands, the system creates inquiry-driven moments that engage users through embodied interaction, geospatial storytelling, and environmental awareness. Early user testing suggests the app fosters curiosity, intergenerational dialogue, and stewardship, offering a replicable model for mobile, location-based environmental education.