App offers self-guided tours of Santa Cruz County

A new app is helping people discover the natural beauty that surrounds the Monterey Bay.

It’s called Mobile Ranger and the idea is to connect people with places.

Julia Gaudinski took her PhD in earth system sciences beyond the classroom to create the app to encourage people to get in touch with the environment.

“You can’t always have the park ranger or the geologist with you, and so I thought well, let’s try and get mobile technology combined with experts so when people go to these places they can have really good quality information,” said Gaudinski.

The app includes 17 guides for places around the Monterey Bay, including five marine protected areas along the Santa Cruz County coastline.

“These places we can all agree are very special that should be preserved for our children’s next generation,” said Rikki Dunsmore, Director of the California Marina Sanctuary Foundation.

Rikki Dunsmore says the information provided in the app comes from experts, scientists, fishermen and professors all sharing information.

“It’s a phenomenal collaboration of those experts on the ground, packaging it in a way that people find it fun, and sexy, and playful,” said Dunsmore.

“They have some quick information. They see where they want to go, and it’s really nice to highlight this place and have it be one of those spots on the map,” said Martha Nitzberg, Nature Educator with Natural Bridges State Beach.

“You know sometimes you mention geology or natural history and people sort of glaze over it. So we just want to give them the cool story,” said Gaudinski.

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Mobile Ranger is a Santa Cruz company that developed an app that offers self-guided tours showcasing the beauty and history of 17 Santa Cruz County locations — from beaches to rivers to architecture.

KION’S Steve Fundaro will have the story tonight at 5 and 6 p.m..