Site of the Week
Explore the Fantastic Forest http://www.nationalgeographic.com/features/96/forest/
Here’s another highly interactive site from National Geographic, this time giving younger websurfers the chance to explore a virtual forest. The site consists of a map, which you can navigate by clicking on the links along the footpath. At each of the locations you can look around, using the QuickTime plug-in to view 360 degree illustrated landscapes. Looking to the left and right also allows you to learn more about the animals and plants living in this forest, and from the species you find, you’ll quickly notice that we aren’t in a woodland in deepest Surrey. Bears, wild turkeys and salamanders are hiding in the distinctly American undergrowth, and if you can find them with your mouse pointer, there’s a short paragraph as a reward. Progress through the forest until you find the heart of this ecosystem: the stream. Here, if you’ve been paying attention during your exploration and can answer the questions, you’ll have the chance to design your very own forest scene. The site is a long way from being an encyclopaedia on forest ecology, and an even longer way from being a substitute for a real visit to a real forest, but for the intended visitors (children under 10 or so) it should make for an entertaining alternative while all the national parks are closed…
Richard Northover
Info-content ** Readability ** Appearance ** User friendliness ** Kids ** Plug-ins QuickTime, Shockwave