Epic Games provided UCF information scientist and artist Maria Harrington a $25,000 grant to expand her cutting-edge augmented and virtual reality work, which she began in 2016 with a website virtual field trip guide and resulted in the VR 1.0 version, . It is available for download from and use on any game or VR-ready PC.

The , which is home to 247 acres of unspoiled Florida habitat. The landscapes range from swamps to scrubby flatwoods. The virtual arboretum provides stunning images that look real because they’ve been created based on detailed and botanically accurate information. The project pulls from field observations, photos, measurements, drone footage and historical geographic information system (GIS) data. Users can also access a virtual field guide that provides more detailed information about any object in the virtual model. As users traverse the landscape, they can get a close-up view of any plant they see, and can listen to the sounds of the creatures that call the property home.

“Not only are they photorealistic and beautiful, but what you see is information that represents the data­ ­— truth — and not creative or artistic fantasy.”

“These immersive models are different than others, because they are data visualizations of the botanical and ecological information,” Harrington says. “Not only are they photorealistic and beautiful, but what you see is information that represents the data­ ­— truth — and not creative or artistic fantasy. Much like botanical illustrations of the past, they are a form of scientific communication, ideal for constructing museum exhibits and in support of educational and informal learning activities desired by the public, especially now during COVID-19.”

Epic Games provided the money through its MegaGrants program, which seeks to encourage development of the unreal engine ecosystem (all the components that make virtual reality possibly online) or 3D graphics community that makes games like Fortnite more realistic. According to Forbes, the gaming industry was worth $138.7 billion worldwide in 2019. Game-based learning is estimated to account for more than $2 billion in the United States alone.

The grant will allow Harrington to explore new techniques to improve the experience and to potentially broaden the collection to initially include botanical gardens and university arboretums from the American Southwest and Pacific Northwest.

The project became a reality because of the collaboration among colleagues from the College of Arts and Humanities, and the UCF Arboretum and , in the , and the team at UCF.

Harrington’s research and experimentation over the past decade has resulted in many programs that have earned local, national, and international recognition.

For example, the allows users to create a perpetual garden of native Appalachian flora with a finger tap on the surface of a smart phone or tablet. The app lets you see the world the way an expert scientist might imagine it and to experience the wild variety of flowers and plants in a springtime forest bloom surrounded by the accurate sounds of birds and insects thriving off of the nectar, wild fruits, and nuts of that habitat.

She collaborated with the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s botanist and ecologist to authenticate all the facts, figures and plant populations of the ecosystem and then created a multi-modal, three-dimensional spatial, information visualization. With any AR enabled device, a user can create a virtual garden of wildflowers anywhere, from the kitchen to the subway station. Users can get a close look at the veins on a leaf of a Wake Robin (Trillium erectum), and can also listen to a variety of creatures in the garden including the Black-throated green warbler singing or insects like the Katydids humming. Users can experience many details and complexities of a natural world, Harrington says. The app is available on Apple iTunes and Google Play stores.

The app’s quality is so good, that in March it was named a finalist in the international GLAMi Awards. The international awards recognize the best innovative projects in the cultural heritage sector that engages, informs and excites the public. Some of the others in the competition included the Smithsonian and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Harrington was inspired by museum dioramas that she saw as a child at the Carnegie Institute, which had “tons” of information, but for today’s tech savvy audience, may be a bit dull. She wanted to create a way to connect people to the rich information and stories quietly locked away behind the beautiful traditional glass displays, and in a technologically modern and engaging way to help retain knowledge. That’s one reason the app can be used inside or outside museums to extend the learning impact of real dioramas and gardens, and at home or in backyards for casual social experiences.

The project became a reality thanks to an international collaboration among the members in Harrington’s lab at UCF, The Powdermill Nature Reserve at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and the MultiMedia Technology program of the Salzburg şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą of Applied Sciences, Austria.

“It is all about bringing teams of experts who share a vision and have complementary skills, applying innovative technologies to create transformative and impactful applications for humanity, and to help people experience new and beautiful environments, without them even realizing it, and to learn from the experience in a personally meaningful way” Harrington says.

Harrington joined UCF in 2016. She is an assistant professor of digital media in the UCF and she is part of the university’s Learning Sciences Cluster. Her research covers the development of digital media artifacts from human-computer interaction, user centered design, and data visualization perspectives. She’s had numerous papers published in peer-reviewed journals and been a speaker at several national and international conferences. She’s earned multiple awards and fellowships and is a research associate with the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Powdermill Nature Reserve. She has several degrees including a doctorate in information science from the şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą of Pittsburgh and undergraduate degrees in economics and art from Carnegie Mellon şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą.

“Our designation as a Bee Campus USA builds on our ongoing commitment to address global concerns over the decline in pollinators, especially in urban settings,” UCF’s Arboretum director Patrick Bohlen says. “It also builds on other pollinator initiatives we have joined, including the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge and the Nature Conservancy Monarch Initiative.”

“Our designation as a Bee Campus USA builds on our ongoing commitment to address global concerns over the decline in pollinators.”

In 2016, the Arboretum worked with UCF’s Landscape and Natural Resources to plant the campus’s first pollinator gardens. Since then the campus has established another large pollinator garden near Colbourn Hall. The university’s horticultural staffers are using these areas to test different native and non-native pollinator plants to determine which species perform best on campus.

Last year, the university also placed three honeybee hives in the Arboretum to help improve pollinator activity on campus. Honeybees are responsible for pollinating 80 percent of worldwide pollination.

“Imperiled pollinators are responsible for the reproduction of 90 percent of the world’s wild plant and tree species,” Bee Campus USA director Phyllis Stiles says. “UCF is a stellar example of the influence educational institutions can have on their students and the broader community. Their talented faculty, staff and students offer an invaluable resource for Central Florida residents in seeking ways to manage ornamental landscapes in more wildlife-friendly ways.”

Chase Mason and Barbara Sharanowski, two professors from the Department of Biology, also serve on UCF’s Bee Campus USA committee with Bohlen. The Arboretum supports student research projects and internships, which helps the campus meet the expectations of the Bee Campus USA program.

“Imperiled pollinators are responsible for the reproduction of 90 percent of the world’s wild plant and tree species.”

The Bee Campus USA program requires the university to develop policies and procedures to minimize hazards of harmful chemicals to pollinators. Experts in UCF’s Integrated Pest Management program are working to develop more environmentally sustainable pest-control practices. Landscape and Natural Resources is also working to find alternatives to certain pesticides and other chemicals that are harmful to pollinators and other beneficial insects.

The UCF Arboretum will soon publish a webpage with information about UCF’s Integrated Pest Management Plan, native plants on campus and links to student research on pollinator issues. In the meantime, the Arboretum will also post information about upcoming events through its and other UCF media outlets.

Each certified campus must reapply each year and report on accomplishments from the previous year, Stiles says.

UCF Landscape and Natural Resources will conduct the burn in an area east of Ara Drive and the Robinson Observatory.

Winds are out of the southwest moving toward the northeast; the predicted smoke plume should have minimal impact on campus. As with any prescribed burn, conditions could change, in which case the burn will be canceled or shortened.

Ray Jarrett, land management coordinator, will be monitoring the burn.

Arbor Day is an annual holiday that aims to encourage the planting and care of trees. It was celebrated at UCF on April 19, when 35 volunteers planted seven Florida Elms, five Bald Cypress trees and three Red Maples, and went on a walking tour of UCF Arboretum’s natural lands.

Arbor Day has been celebrated at UCF for seven years and has led to more than 120 trees being planted on campus. There are more than 7,500 trees on campus – not including the natural lands – that help sequester carbon from the atmosphere and put out oxygen, among other natural benefits. For instance, a sample size of 5,320 trees at UCF were found to sequester 67 tons of carbon from the atmosphere and put out 161 tons of oxygen each year, according to a recent student study.

UCF’s urban forest canopy is valued at $4.32 million, taking into account its aesthetic appeal, the trees’ monetary value, and savings in carbon management, oxygen emissions and erosion control, according to John Guziejka, a biologist and urban forester with UCF Landscape & Natural Resources.

UCF’s extensive forest canopy is partly due to UCF Urban Forestry’s commitment to plant double the amount of trees that are removed due to construction, said Guziejka. More than 230 trees were planted at UCF in 2016 alone.

Plus, UCF’s care of trees has led the university to being recognized as a Tree Campus USA university for the seventh year in a row. Tree Campus USA honors colleges and universities that effectively manage their trees, connect with their community beyond campus borders to foster healthy urban forests, and engage their student population in service opportunities centered on forestry efforts.

UCF in 2011 became one of the first universities in Florida to earn the Tree Campus USA designation. The university utilizes a Campus Tree Advisory Committee, a Campus Tree Care Plan, institutes service learning projects centered on caring for the trees and dedicates annual expenditures for tree care.

Trees are an asset on campus and in the greater community because they provide shade, help reduce storm-weather run-off and provide nutrient filtration. Trees near water, in particular, also help take out excess nutrients and pollution from the water and help reduce erosion at the edge of the water, Guziejka said.

The UCF Arboretum utilizes volunteers year-round to help maintain the landscapes on campus. To get involved, see the Arboretum’s .

Landscape & Natural Resources, in collaboration with the Department of Security and Emergency Management, regularly monitors local conditions and takes preventative measures to mitigate fires in the natural areas of campus.

The UCF team includes trained professionals who are well equipped and experienced in dealing with wildfires and who work closely with state fire and forestry officials.

In the event of an imminent or actual emergency, students and faculty and staff members will be updated via UCF Alert. UCF Alert contact information can be updated via myUCF, and more information is available here: http://www.emergency.ucf.edu

As UCF continues to take precautions, we encourage you to stay aware of local road conditions and to not take chances in the event a fire is impacting your area.

UCF Environmental Health & Safety also offers these practical fire safety tips:

To watch a video with more about UCF’s fire preparations, visit .

After the şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą Landscape & Natural Resources employee cut her knuckle down to the bone on a razor at a friend’s house, she turned to what most people would: a bandage and store-bought disinfecting ointment. After days of no improvement, she then turned to a homemade ointment made from comfrey herbs and chaga mushrooms. Her wound healed days later without scabbing, scaring or developing an infection.

“We all live in this chemical, medicinal society,” Lindsay said. “But once you try something natural, you then realize this stuff really does work.”

That’s exactly what Lindsay and the UCF Arboretum staff want to teach students, faculty, staff and the community through a new workshop series called Everyday Herbalism. At 11 a.m. Nov. 10, participants will be shown how to make disinfecting ointment, also known as salve, with just boiling water, olive oil, beeswax and plants grown in Florida.

By infusing oil with plants that have natural anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties, the oil – that’s then mixed with beeswax to become jelly-like – then contains these qualities also found in store-bought ointments. Plants such as Spanish needle, goldenrod and comfrey are common in Florida and contain these beneficial properties. Plus, making ointments at home can save money and help the environment by reducing plastic and pollution from mass manufacturing.

“Bringing people together and educating them on the value of herbs to the planet and their bodies really ties in to what we’re trying to do [at the Arboretum],” said Jennifer Elliott, coordinator of the UCF Arboretum.

The workshop is free and will be at the Arboretum’s Natural Resources Pavilion on Gemini Boulevard across from Garage C. It also will be the first of the Everyday Herbalism series that will host workshops at least once a semester, Elliott said. Future workshops will demonstrate how to make body lotions, deodorant, home-cleaning supplies, herbal teas and more with plants and other natural resources. for more on the workshop.

“The plants we use are window-type plants and easily can be grown in apartments or homes,” Elliott said. “Plus, you can argue homemade products are better. You know exactly how it’s made, and there are no ingredients you can’t pronounce.”

The series was spearheaded by Lindsay, a UCF alumna who studied environmental science; Jacques Werleigh ’13, an Arboretum program assistant; and Andrea Bender, an Arboretum work-study student who’s studying biomedical science. Their appreciation for the power of the outdoors motivated them to want to share their knowledge.

“These plants already are being grown at the Arboretum and are used as a teaching tool, but it’s hard to take away what a plant can be used for by just being told about it,” Lindsay said. “The outdoors has always been useful to humans, so we’re trying to target workshops that can benefit the greater community.”

The new greenhouse will stand on the east side of campus near Physical Sciences and will provide the Arboretum and the Department of Landscape and Natural Resources with a place for research and year round plant propagation.

Programming will also include flexible multipurpose space for students and teachers to use for projects and plant storage that also will benefit the different volunteer and outreach programs offered by the Arboretum.

“The Arboretum has a tremendous impact on UCF,” said Patrick Bohlen, director for the Arboretum and Department of Landscape and Natural Resources. “It supports thousands of student volunteer hours and provides a platform for student research and independent study projects. Through its close association with the Department of Landscape and Natural Resources, it helps create our beautiful campus environment, and provides many opportunities for people to interact with and increase their understanding of nature.”

The Arboretum was established in 1983 by then UCF President Trevor Colbourn. The 12-acre plot has expanded to 82 acres with more than three miles of hiking trails and a community garden.

As part of its education initiative, there are independent study opportunities in which students can conduct hands-on research.

One current project involves the irrigation system at UCF. Angelica Cabrales, an environmental studies senior, is helping to prevent water waste while still maintaining healthy plant life by researching different ways the irrigation software at UCF can monitor ground water levels on campus.

Another project in development is a plant database that will map all the plant species on UCF’s 1,415 acres of campus in order to help locate them more efficiently.

“A lot of biology and science classes deal with these species, but students are not instructed on where to find them. Hopefully this will make it easier for students to locate them,” said Alexis Acernese, a senior majoring in biology who is working on the database.

The database will include a picture of the plant, where to find it on campus and basic facts about each plant species. The end goal is to have a Google map or smartphone app that will guide users to each plant.

With more than 3,000 volunteers annually and about 4,000 volunteer hours donated, there are many ways for students of all majors to get involved with the Arboretum. Two of the biggest programs are the community garden and the Adopt-A-Pond/Road Program.

The one-acre community garden harvests fruits, vegetables and herbs, and is mainly managed by student volunteers, where they learn about soil and compost and the best practices on how to grow their own food.

“I didn’t think it was so easy and feasible to grow your own food, and it’s so healthy for me, too,” said Eliezer Perez, a sophomore volunteer. The Arboretum also donates some of the food from the garden to the , a campus program that provides free food and essentials to UCF students who may be in financial hardship.

The Adopt-A-Pond/Road Program was designed for student groups to adopt a designated road or retention pond on campus. The organization becomes responsible for cleaning the vicinity of the adopted area, which results in collecting hundreds of pounds of trash yearly. After three months of maintenance, the group is given the opportunity to have its name posted on a sign in their area.

For more information about the Arboretum and its different programs, visit .

Volunteer opportunities will be available at the Arboretum from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 18. Activities will include tree planting, tending to UCF’s organic community garden and beautifying the UCF Arboretum, the outdoor laboratory on campus that creates ecology-research opportunities and encourages connections with ecosystems and landscapes.

For the fourth year in a row, UCF has been designated a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation. The title means UCF is committed to maintaining a healthy tree community, and UCF maintains its Tree Campus USA designation by engaging the community in various educational and outreach activities.

In addition, UCF’s Tree Team oversaw and planted more than 300 native trees and removed 67 invasive trees that are disruptive to the natural areas on campus in 2013.

For more information about the Tree Campus USA program, visit .

Information about UCF’s next prescribed burn attempt will be posted on this website once it becomes available.

Prescribed burns are conducted regularly to remove dead, decaying or low-lying plants on the forest floor. The process helps maintain healthy ecosystems and prevent unplanned fires.

To learn more about prescribed burns at UCF, click .

To receive the title, universities have to have a tree-advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for a campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance and a student service-learning project.

“Through UCF’s recognition as a Tree Campus USA and through our urban forestry and landscaping programs, we demonstrate our commitment to maintain a healthy tree community and urban forest,” said Alaina Bernard, assistant director of UCF Landscape & Natural Resources. “The Tree Campus USA designation is another step in demonstrating UCF’s continued commitment to urban ecosystem health.”

To celebrate this recognition, UCF will host Arbor Day in the Outfield on Monday, April 22, from 10 a.m. to noon at the UCF Softball Complex off North Orion Boulevard.

The event will begin with a tree-planting ceremony, followed by a guided hike through the Natural Area trails led by Landscape & Natural Resources and the Arboretum. Grilled hotdogs and refreshments will be served.

UCF has maintained its Tree Campus USA designation by engaging the community in various educational and outreach activities. In addition, UCF’s Tree Team oversaw and planted more than 200 native trees and removed 40 invasive, exotic trees that are disruptive to the natural areas on campus in 2012.

“Diligence in improving the environment and quality of life at the şŁ˝ÇÖ±˛Ą contributes to a healthier planet for all of us,” said John Rosenow, founder and chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation, one of the world’s largest nonprofit conservation organizations dedicated to planting trees.

For more information about the Tree Campus USA program, visit .