Us and Them

In time we learn that we have to know what we’re coming into to be a true part of it. Understanding the situation, recognizing what you’ll have to deal with, and making a game plan of how you’re going to get there. Research allowed us to quantify the size of the problem, and the solutions being undertaken to mend — not repair — the situation.

A total of 58 national parks can be found in America alone. In Yosemite National Park, over a thousand volunteers were required to clean up what tourists had left behind in order to preserve what was left. More than 20,000 pounds of trash was retrieved… in 2012. The numbers rise exponentially every year, unlike those of the volunteers. South Florida’s Everglades National Park spends more that US$ 80,000 annually to make sure that 120 tonnes of garbage is securely removed from the park, according to Samantha Edwards, an Interpretation Ranger. These numbers stated above account for two of the most famous parks in the U.S., and this year alone a total of 730 hours were donated to maintain them so far.

Through this, we found a new segment of prospective early adopters, and a new functionality for the app. By focusing on volunteers and the way they experience their surroundings, we can solve two problems at once. Firstly, such individuals, by being better acquainted with natural environments, are more prone to explore treks and trails. Not only, their litter footprint-free travels help ascertain as to the veracity of the positive impact they have in the parks and bays they frequent, thus facilitating the approach and negotiations expected in the solidification of partnerships. As a whole, we’d be able to provide more reliable data and customers to local businesses, whilst motivating engaged travelers to explore more of the outdoors.