Kielder Water & Forest Park Development Trust (KWFPDT) has commissioned two companies to develop virtual experiences, which will enable more visitors to engage with wildlife and the natural environment in the Park.

The first commission is part of a National Lottery Heritage Fund project, entitled ‘Building the Capacity and Resilience of Kielder'.

The project aims to explore how digital technology can assist in attracting a larger, and more diverse, audience to the Park. It also hopes to offer new, high quality experiences that visitors are willing to pay for, which in turn will help sustain the Park's future.

Owned by Northumbrian Water, Kielder Water is the largest artificial lake in the United Kingdom by capacity of water and it is surrounded by Kielder Forest, one of the biggest man-made woodlands in Europe. The reservoir holds 200 billion litres (44 billion gallons), making it the largest artificial reservoir in the UK by capacity

The Trust is working with Digital Catapult North East Tees Valley to deliver the initiative. Middlesbrough-based Animmersion, which creates exceptional photorealistic 3D visualisation, is developing a prototype for an immersive digital experience, which will enhance visitors' knowledge and understanding of Kielder's precious ospreys. Through this, visitors will be able to take a virtual flight through the Park, as though they were an osprey.

The second project is also being delivered in partnership with Digital Catapult, as part of the North East Social Tech Fund. London-based immersive technology specialist Arcade is creating a prototype for an immersive application, which will encourage visitors to engage with the Park's origins, flora and fauna.

Using the app, people will be able to see a 3D scale replica of the Kielder area on their table top, and then explore the space and the stories about Kielder's past and its role today as a living habitat for wildlife and human activity. They will have an opportunity to ‘adopt' an area and become a ‘Guardian of Kielder', choosing which plants or animals they want to add to their ‘plot'.

If they then visit Kielder, they will be able to view their plot in person and see what they have created.

Lynn Turner, Director of KWFPDT said:

"Digital innovation can help us to increase visitor numbers, and attract a wider diversity of people to the area, including young people and those from disadvantaged groups. In the current climate, digital is becoming an increasingly important way for us to engage with our customers, and we hope these prototypes will lead to new experiences, which can be enjoyed both at Kielder and by those who aren't able to visit us in person."