Tomorrow, Saturday 1st October, we’ll be playtesting the Scrub Turkey Sessions game (PDF download) devised as a collaboration between State Library of Queensland and Griffith University.
Urban ecologist Professor Darryl Jones and I made a cheap and simple game which lets people step into the role of a male scrub turkey trying to build a nest and attract a mate.
Librarians across Queensland have been experimenting with the game for weeks now, adjusting the rules and resources – now it’s your turn to get involved.
Darryl and I are interested in new forms of community engagement which help people to understand animal behaviours. Scrub turkeys are notorious for digging up people’s back gardens to build enormous mounds in which they lay their eggs – but what’s behind this disruptive behaviour – and what’s the best way for scientists to communicate the facts?
We’ll be playing a souped-up version of the game at State Library of Queensland for Fun Palaces, and releasing the results of our playtest in due course, but the simple pilot version – played with craft materials and paper plates – can be downloaded in PDF format here.
Playtest The Scrub Turkey Sessions today.
matt finch / mechanical dolphin 
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