El Yunque National Forest’s new mobile app helps educate, guide visitors
The U.S. Forest Service announced it has partnered with OnCell, a mobile communications company, to launch a mobile app for visitors.
The free bilingual app allows visitors to take a self-guided tour of the natural and heritage sites within the forest using their personal mobile devices.
El Yunque National Forest is utilizing the OnCell app to offer information on trails and recreational opportunities. Visitors can also receive the latest news from the forest such as events or closures and report issues encountered or offer feedback about their experience.
The app includes an entire section devoted to educational resources for students and teachers, from learning activities to do in the forest to resources for the classroom.
“The app is like having a ranger in your pocket and a great way for forest staff to provide consistent educational and interpretive messages to visitors through their personal devices,” said Sharon Wallace, forest supervisor.
“The tour portion of the app features forest facts, historic and cultural information, images and maps to help visitors discover points of interest and explore the forest,” she said.
Visitors can access the El Yunque NF On Cell app by downloading it from the App Store or Google Play. A web app can also be accessed on demand at eynf.oncell.com.
By downloading the app, the information can be used within the forest where there is little to no cellular connectivity.
More information on the El Yunque National Forest can be found on the website or Twitter or Facebook @ElYunqueNF.
