Turtle Trails – Save Me!

Help the critically endangered Hawksbill (Honuea) turtles survive the cycle of egg laying, nesting, and hatching on Halape, a remote Hawaiian beach within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (HAVO)!

In runner-style levels you will guide and protect the turtles to survive many natural and human-made dangers, just like real-life conservationists. Along the way, you will learn the many ways you could help real world Hawksbill conservation efforts.

The game includes rich and realistic graphics, illustrative photos of endangered turtles, Hawaiian scenery and wildlife, an original musical score, and spoken narration in multiple voices (accompanying the explanatory text between runner levels).

Also, by purchasing our Turtle Trails game a portion of the gross revenues will go to support Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, our National Marine Sanctuaries, and turtle conservation organizations, such as Hawaii Wildlife Fund. These proceeds will support their ongoing efforts at nesting beaches to protect and increase the populations of this critically endangered and important ancient species of turtle.

Utilizing endless-runner style controls in several simulation levels familiar to gamers, the player guides mother turtles, an incubating nest, and baby hatchlings past natural and man-made dangers such as non-native predators, entangling trash, and invasive plants. During later play limited protective measures become available, which simulate how effective turtle conservation efforts work.

Interactive-story segments between runner levels are narrated by our time traveling duo, Cerina Higgstein and Jahnie Kosmos visiting from the 31st century, and young Hawaiians, Lani and Kaimi from our century. These segments inform the player about associated statistics and provide information on the Hawksbill species and Hawaiian culture, while giving the player meaningful choices for the next levels play.

The mission control center also offers opportunities for players to personally participate in actual conservation efforts through citizen science programs and conservation groups’ work, both on the ground as well as online.

Leveraging familiar elements of popular entertainment games, Turtle Trails is primarily intended for learners ages 7 - 13 (but will appeal to older and younger players too), in both casual play and also in more structured learning environments, such as classrooms or after school programs.

Designed in compliance with Universal Design for Learning principles, the game and associated in depth standards-based classroom curriculum (sold separately to schools and after school programs) are suitable for a wide variety of player populations.

One Planet Education Network (OPEN), creates game-based learning adventures and related programs targeted to players aged 6 -14, for home and in school segments. Travel with us across time and space and visit treasured ecosystems, national parks and marine sanctuaries all over the world.

OPEN learning games R&D, which helped inform us for Turtle Trails development, was sponsored and approved by the US Department of Education IES SBIR Program, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and NASA.