Information from Agents of Discovery

In response to growing demand for free, fun, and active outdoor experiences, a dynamic group of partners has joined forces to help families across the Puget Sound region explore, learn, and play together. Partners include Parks Tacoma, USDA Forest Service - Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest, City of Lakewood, Pierce County Parks, SEA Airport, City of Yelm, Seattle Parks and Recreation, City of Sequim, Key Pen Parks, Federal Way, and Lewis and Clark- Cape Disappointment State Park.

Together, they’re launching the Puget Sound Explorer Campaign, a regional initiative powered by Agents of Discovery®, an educational augmented reality (AR) platform often described as “Pokémon Go for parks and learning.” The platform enables educators and community organizations to create interactive AR games, or “Missions,” that get kids moving, thinking, and engaging with the world around them.

The Puget Sound Explorer Campaign will run from July through August 2025. Anyone can join the fun by downloading the free Agents of Discovery mobile app and heading out to

participating sites to complete Missions. Each Mission is made up of educational “Challenges” that teach players, aka “Agents” about local ecology, history, aviation, safety, and more. For example, in Tacoma, players can learn about the Mysteries of McKinley Park. At another location, the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, players can learn all about aviation. Campaign Co-Chair, Michele Cardinaux, from Parks Tacoma says “I want to welcome all Puget Sound Explorers to get to know our own local communities by playing Agents of Discovery. Thisis a fun new way to learn about history, cultural significance, nature, the environment, and much more.

To encourage participation, the Campaign offers fun rewards for players. Players earn a unique Explorer Badge for every Mission they complete. Completing three Missions earns participants a Puget Sound Lanyard (available at some locations) and five Missions gets

them an entry into a draw for tickets and passes to regional attractions like Pacific Science Center, Tomb Raider Experience, Edgeworks Climbing + Fitness, High Trek Adventures, Point Defiance Zoo/Aquarium and more.

To get started, download the free Agents of Discovery app from Google Play or the App Store. Search for nearby Missions and be sure to download them before heading out, as no data or Wi-Fi is required once a Mission is loaded.

This summer, trade couch time for adventure time and discover how screen time can be green time with the Puget Sound Explorer Campaign.

About Agents of Discovery

Agents of Discovery, winner of the 2020 Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals Excellence Award, is an innovative educational tech platform that utilizes web, mobile and the latest in augmented reality technologies to get kids active and learning about the world around them. Agents of Discovery provides educators with a unique way to gamify information, incentivizing kids to be active while learning and exploring. The easy-to-use Mission Maker allows educators to pull Challenges from their extensive Agency Library or to create customized content specific to their site. Educators can then easily publish Missions for players