If statistics are any indication, the blare of video games, school, television and the Internet is drowning out the still, silent beckoning of the great outdoors. The Minnesota DNR hopes to reverse the falling per-capita outdoor recreation participation rates amongst children and young adults by making it easier to plan an outdoor trip—and capitalizing on the human fascination with bright, shiny objects. Four new DNR touch-screen kiosks are now operational, three of them in busy Twin Cities locations: the IDS Crystal Court, the Minnesota Zoo, and Southdale Center. One more kiosk will be nomadic. Currently “living” in the DNR building at the Minnesota State Fair, it will travel throughout the year to community and sporting events.

At the kiosks, which can be used in five different languages, you can check weather and trail conditions, peruse photos and event listings, order free DNR maps and publications, and get details about Minnesota state parks, trails, forests, water access points, and fishing piers. The kiosks are a clever design blend of slick technology and back-to-nature details. The motion-activated touch screens are embedded in a forest-green silhouette of the state of Minnesota, about six feet tall, which rests in a base of cabin-like wood piled with round rocks evoking a Lake Superior beach. A wooden sign bearing the inscription “Minnesota State Parks and Trails” and the DNR website URL sticks out of the rocks.