Paraguayan reserve opens its virtual doors thanks to new app

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Paraguay, the Pantanal Reserve and its visitor’s center run by our partner organisation Guyra Paraguay have been closed. To allow people to discover the beauty of the reserve from the safety of their own homes, Guyra Paraguay developed an interactive map that makes it possible to virtually walk the parks’ trails and learn about the many species that live there.

Header photo: The Paraguayan Pantanal ©️ Guyra Paraguay

The Paraguayan Pantanal Reserve is located within the Gran Pantanal, which is one of the largest wetlands in the world. The reserve is high in biodiversity, and home to more than 290 species of birds as well as the jaguar and the giant otter.

Interactive map

The Los Tres Gigantes station, which is located in the reserve, usually hosts a permanent staff of rangers as well as a large number of researchers and tourists. But the station had to close down because of Paraguay’s measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. ‘To make sure people can still visit the park virtually, our technical team developed an interactive map with support from the Avenza Maps programme,’ says Tatiana Galluppi of Guyra Paraguay.

Connecting with nature

The team identified more than 45 points of interest on the three trails in the park, which visitors can virtually explore through the map and through an educational tour. ‘This allows each visitor to discover the most beautiful attractions in the reserve, so they can connect with nature and learn about it at the same time,’ says Galluppi. The virtual tour is accompanied by photographs and facts about the various points of interest.

Optimized experience

The app will remain useful once the reserve reopens its doors to the public. ‘Each visitor can use the app to locate themselves on the map without needing an internet connection. They can walk the trails virtually and live at the same time, optimizing their experience,’ Galluppi concludes.

Want to make a virtual visit to the Paraguayan Pantanal Reserve? Follow these steps:

Step 1

• Download the app for Android or Download the app for IOS

Step 2

• Download the map and the information layer

To open these in the app, click the three small dots in Google Drive and then select ‘open with’ . Then select the app Avenza and the file will open.

Step 3

• Follow the instructions in the manual or Watch the video tutorial (both are in Spanish)