From rock pooling to the “Internet of Things”

During the Easter holidays of 2017, the pair decided to explore rock pools on the foreshore at Lorenzen Bay in Raglan, spending hours discovering ‘other worlds’ and the tiny critters who resided there. 

“We left the beach with more questions than answers – what were these creatures? Did they have names? What did they do and where did they live?”  

The following day Jenny and her daughter, who’s experience had fostered a deeper sense of connection with the sea life and their environment, took a pile of books to the beach only to have them end up in the water! They needed something that would help them on their journey of discovery, something that provided more than just identification but also context, and that would fit in their pocket.

The budding technology entrepreneur set about developing a wireframe for an App and following a suggestion from a friend entered the WWF Conservation and Innovation Award competition for a chance to win $25K to help build the solution. The entry made it to the finals, and although she didn’t come out a winner Jenny thinks back on the experience as igniting something within her, driving her forward with a new perspective as she recognised that advancing her vision of what she wanted to achieve was intimately tied with fostering a sense of place. 

Raglan is known for having one of the most famous left-hand surfing breaks in the world, which sees the town grow from a winter population of 3000 to 140,000 in summer with international tourists and surfers. This can cause a few problems – housing shortages, stress on sewage systems, pollution, environmental neglect. As a local Jenny had become increasingly aware of the disconnect between the community and the tourist population in the way that information was shared and conveyed.

“To build resilient communities we need to give people the opportunities to have experiences to make meaningful connections.”

Jenny’s vision for the App soon grew into something much bigger. Jenny saw a gap in the way information was conveyed and came up with something simple to address it – the Raglan App, a way to foster the experiences that build a connection between the community, the environment, and the tourist population, and influence positive change.

A conversation with her mother in the UK then led to a connection with a bunch of talented programmers who were doing something similar in Wales and who were more than happy to support her vision for the app. 

The Raglan App is about storytelling. On the app there are stories, videos, and podcasts about inspiring locals that tourists can watch and listen to before they ever get to Raglan. Using ibeacons and proximity support Jenny has also developed fun activities and experiences from the perspective of a parent to engage and encourage people to explore her lovely town. 

“By the time tourists leave Raglan it is my hope they will have developed positive and durable relationships during their stay. I hope that the app will encourage people to become more conscious travelers.”

The Raglan App is available for download at the Apple Store and Google Play.