Get Metroparks Information the High Tech Way

Cleveland Metroparks is launching a new way to learn about the natural world this month using new technology - QR Codes.

A QR Code is a barcode that can link to all kinds of data, including URL links, addresses and text.  QR stands for "Quick Response." The codes were developed in Japan as a way to track inventory for businesses.

To access QR Codes, a smartphone with a QR Code Reader installed is needed. With the smartphone, scan the Naturalist Almanac QR Code using the camera on the phone.

The code will instantly link to a page on the Metroparks website to get information on bird activity, wildflowers in bloom, mammals on the move, even sounds to listen for on the next trip to Cleveland Metroparks.

 The information will change weekly to keep pace with the changes in nature. Entries are organized by the weeks of the month.

Stickers with the QR code are also available at nature and visitor centers.  Visitors can affix the code to binoculars, field guides, or even on cars or bikes as a reminder to swipe and see all that Cleveland Metroparks has to offer. Cell phones can be used as a mobile electronic field guide to enhance the park experience, identify blooming wildflowers and look for new migrants.

"The information a visitor will find by using this QR code comes from observations of nature's endlessly changing cycle, repeatable and predictable through the years," Robert Hinkle, Ph. D., author of "Naturalist's Almanac" and chief naturalist of Cleveland Metroparks said in a news release. "We added audio versions for easy use on the trail and new pictures to help visitors identify the plants and animals highlighted in each entry."

No smartphone?  Access the internet for the same information.